Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

BURTON, Gary

(b 23 Jan. '43, Anderson IN) Vibes. Studied piano, composition; self-taught on vibes. Pro debut Nashville '60; to South America with own group '62; association with George Shearing '63 led to Japanese tour, Shearing album of Burton compositions '64. With Stan Getz '64--6, incl. two films and gig at the White House. His four- mallet technique made for rich harmony. Also in music education; published books on the instrument, staff member at Berklee College (Boston), lectures, seminars, etc. Twelve LPs on RCA '61--8; seven on Atlantic '67--71; twelve on ECM '72-- 82. Has led own groups since '67, initially incl. Larry Coryell: that year recorded RCA quartet LPs Duster (with Roy Haynes), Lofty Fake Anagram (with Bob Moses on drums, b 28 Jan. '48 NYC) and A Genuine Tong Funeral, written by Carla Bley, recorded by ten-piece group incl. Bley, Mike Mantler, Coryell, Moses, Jimmy Knepper, Steve Lacy, Gato Barbieri, Steve Swallow; these three issued in a box on French RCA. About 20 more incl. 3 In Jazz on RCA with Sonny Rollins and Clark Terry plus several guests incl. Don Cherry and Henry Grimes, Alone At Last (solo at Montreux '71 on Atlantic, won a Grammy), others with St‚phane Grappelli, Keith Jarrett etc. First ECM album Crystal Silence '72 was a duo with Chick Corea made in Oslo; Hotel Hello '74 was a duo with Swallow; Matchbook same year with guitarist Ralph Towner; Dreams So Real '75 written by Bley for a quintet with Pat Metheny, Swallow, Moses, second guitarist Mick Goodrick; Passengers '76 incl. Metheny; Duet '78 was a duo with Corea (other albums under Corea's name as well); Easy As Pie '80 and Picture This '83 were by a quartet incl. Swallow, Jim Odgren (alto sax), Mike Hyman, drums; Burton said it was 'one of the best balanced' quartets he has had. The Berklee Allstars was an octet (with Billy Pierce) playing more hard bop with less introspection, recorded for JVC '85 in Japan; Slide Show '86 a duet with Towner; Whizz Kids '86 with Swallow, newcomers Makoto Ozone on piano, Martin Richards on drums, Scottish saxophonist Tommy Smith; Dreams So Real '88 a quintet with Metheny and Swallow.

There was never anything very challenging about Burton's music; he seemed to fit into the introspective feeling of ECM product and to benefit from the likes of Bley writing for him; he switched to GRP, then a new label for a new mainstream, and Times Like These c'88 with Michael Brecker, John Scofield, Marc Johnson on bass and Peter Erskine on drums was curiously flat: the same crew with Bill Frisell on second guitar recording as Johnson's Bass Desires were more interesting. More GRP albums have been Reunion '89, a quintet with Metheny and Erskine; Right Time -- Right Place '90 with Paul Bley, It's Another Day '93, a sextet backing Rebecca Parris, and Face To Face '94 with Ozone. His duo with Chick Corea was revived on Native Sense '97 on Stretch.