Reviews of BCH's disc on the "Montréal Free" box set:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Chris Burns plays electric guitar in a trio with bassist Nicolas Caloia and drummer John Heward. His sound is more yielding and expressive than Shalabi’s, referencing blues intermittently, and the music here is more open, unhurried and loose textured. Caloia’s accompaniment is subdued yet effective, attentively throbbing and loping or bowing with an ear to the grain. Heward again demonstrates his ability to fit in, to add percussive fibre and colouring that matches the overall feel. Their improvisation, in seven sections, bears the name Présence. At times it slows to a crawl. In the context of Montréal Free! as a whole, that pace is welcome. Gentle friction between the instruments at such moments produces some of the most satisfying music in the entire set."
by Julian Cowley in The Wire (UK), June 1, 2003
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"The trio heard on disc three explores the art of using and filling space, rather than blowing the house down. Bassist Nicolas Caloia is perhaps the linchpin of this operation as he lightly coaxes the collective to follow new courses of action or drives the ensemble with his alternating rhythmic or broken tones. His arco work in particular, is striking, perhaps best evidenced in tandem with guitarist Chris Burns on presence 7. Drummer John Heward is supportive throughout, as he plinks, clinks and shuffles around his kit, carefully crafting his lines, like a painter choosing his colors and textures in a thoughtful manner (coincidentally, Heward is also known for his visual art). Burns demonstrates an impressive proclivity for interesting sounds and accents, particularly seen through his 12-string guitar work on presence 2 and presence 4. His lines evoke a slippery sensibility, like a slinky tumbling down the stairs. All in all this is a group focused on the depths of sound and intertwining lines that resuit from a combination of curious souls."
by Jay Collins in Signal to Noise 30 (USA), July 1, 2003 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"The Chris Burns, Nicolas Caloia, John Heward trio is like nothing you’d expect from a guitar/bass/drums trio outfit — even after submitting to the previous discs. There are shades of rockabilly, Joe Pass’s legacy, Bossa, rock and funk that emerge, disappear within seconds and repeat over the course of tracks such as Presence 2. Presence 3 and Presence 4 present themselves in a sly, unassuming sort of way: it’s as if the band wants to fool you into thinking they’re not actually playing, but simply tinkering in the studio. Both tracks have the power to send you into a trance. After fifteen minutes you might not have noticed the sparse bass bowing or occasional plucked guitar swirling around your skull, but you’ll remember that it was a good experience, and one that you want to repeat."
by Dave Madden in Splendid E-Zine (USA), June 12, 2003 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"The Burns, Caloia, and Heward Trio populates the third disc and comes the closest to recognizable forms, but their deviational twist is what makes the seven cuts attractive. The trio, like ’Gypt Gore, breaks down fusion (little of this could be called jazz) with some reverence and a lot of sloppy grace but also a knowing grin, slowing it way down and presenting the measures in connected packets, seasoned with lightly scattered noise, though some cuts are pure sound generation and just as fetching. In sum, a lazy quaalude reverse-dithyramb for zoned essences."
by Marc S Tucker in e|i magazine 2 (USA), September 1, 2003 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Le Trio Burns/Caloia/Heward a longtemps été un duo construit autour de Heward/Caloia auquel est venu s’adjoindre la guitare exaltée et combative de Burns. Une modification de tracé qui opère de nouvelles voies de réflexion et de création dans leurs jeux respectifs. Sans doute moins d’intimité, mais comment les chuchotements d’un trio pourraient-ils rivaliser avec les susurrements d’un ménage à deux?! Plus liée et mélodique, la partition s’autorise quelque fois des chemins défendus. Ce trio guitare-basse-batterie impose un rythme pondéreux à la composition, installant un climat lourd avant d’introduire de petites déclivités arpèges, incertitudes frottées. Puissant."
by Julien Jaffré in Jade 12 (France), June 18, 2003
