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United States Gary Burton is a celebrated jazz vibraphonist, composer, and educator, known for pioneering the four-mallet vibraphone technique and his significant contributions to jazz fusion.
Gary Burton and Chick Corea formed one of jazz music's most enduring partnerships. Starting with their 1972 album 'Crystal Silence', their collaboration revolutionized the jazz duet format. Their joint works earned them multiple Grammy Awards over four decades.
Burton has released numerous albums on ECM, a prominent jazz label, throughout his career, including collaborative works and solo projects. His interview with JazzTimes in 1976 discusses his work with the label.
Gary Burton has recorded several albums on Concord Records, and his recent works, including 'Libertango', were released through this label. He discussed his hectic schedule and collaborations while promoting these works.
Gary Burton has maintained a long-standing association with the Musser Company, providing detailed insights into the instrument manufacturer's operations. This relationship highlights his connection to vibraphone craftsmanship.
Early in his career, at age 17, Gary Burton recorded in Nashville with Chet Atkins and Hank Garland. This collaboration marked an important step in his artistic development.
Burton released his albums 'Common Ground' (2011) and 'Guided Tour' (2013) on Mack Avenue Records, featuring his New Gary Burton Quartet. A career retrospective titled 'Take Another Look. A Career Retrospective' was also released through this label in 2018.
From 2004 to 2008, Gary Burton hosted a weekly jazz radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio, showcasing his knowledge and passion for jazz music to a broader audience.
Gary Burton's autobiography, 'Learning to Listen', was published by Berklee Press in August 2013. The book was recognized as 'Jazz Book of the Year' by the Jazz Journalists Association.
Gary Burton was born on January 23, 1943, in Anderson, Indiana, U.S. He began his musical journey at the age of six, largely teaching himself to play the marimba and vibraphone. He later took up piano studies at 16 while attending Princeton Community High School between 1956 and 1960. Burton’s innovative approach to the vibraphone, developing a pianistic style using four mallets instead of the traditional two, set a new standard for the instrument and led to him being widely recognized as an innovator. His technique and unique sound have since been widely emulated by other musicians. He pursued formal education at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, from 1960 to 1961, and also attended the Stan Kenton Clinic at Indiana University in 1960, where he studied with Herb Pomeroy and developed a friendship with composer Michael Gibbs.
Burton’s career progressed quickly after his early studies. At the suggestion of saxophonist Boots Randolph, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and recorded with notable musicians like Hank Garland, Floyd Cramer, and Chet Atkins. He toured the U.S. and Japan with pianist George Shearing, for whom he also composed and arranged an entire album, “Out of the Woods,” released in 1965. From 1964 to 1966, Burton played with saxophonist Stan Getz, appearing with the band in the film “Get Yourself a College Girl” performing “Girl from Ipanema” with Astrud Gilberto. A significant turning point came in 1967 when he formed the Gary Burton Quartet with Larry Coryell, Roy Haynes, and Steve Swallow. Their debut album, “Duster,” released the same year, combined jazz with country and rock, positioning the group as pioneers in the jazz-rock fusion movement, predating its mainstream popularity in the 1970s. After Coryell’s departure, Burton continued to collaborate with numerous prominent guitarists including Jerry Hahn, David Pritchard, Mick Goodrick, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Julian Lage.
His achievements were recognized when he was named DownBeat magazine’s Jazzman of the Year in 1968, becoming the youngest artist to receive this honor at the time. Burton won his first Grammy Award in 1972. The following year, he began a significant and long-lasting collaboration with pianist Chick Corea, a partnership that popularized the jazz duet format and resulted in eight Grammy Awards between 1979 and 2013. Beyond his performance career, Burton dedicated 30 years to music education at Berklee College of Music, serving as a professor, dean, and executive vice president, and receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the institution in 1989. He hosted a weekly jazz radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio from 2004 to 2008 and released his autobiography, “Learning to Listen,” in 2013, which was named “Jazz Book of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association. Burton retired from performing in March 2017 after a farewell tour.
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