Gary Burton

One of the two great vibraphonists to emerge in the 1960s (along with <a href="spotify:artist:3uO6HG2JwyP744sg4PMmg5">Bobby Hutcherson</a>), Gary Burton's remarkable four-mallet technique (best displayed on an unaccompanied version of "No More Blues" from 1971) can make him sound like two or three players at once. He has recorded in a wide variety of settings and always sounds distinctive. Self-taught on vibes, Burton made his recording debut with country guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:0u6DJDoOcJlWRaXBnEZxaU">Hank Garland</a> when he was 17. From there, he started recording regularly for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22RCA%22">RCA</a> in 1961, beginning with his debut, New Vibe Man in Town.

Despite his burgeoning solo career, he continued work as a sideman, touring with <a href="spotify:artist:7uUBTiZ2u5b40vymlFmXrn">George Shearing</a>'s quintet in 1963. He also gained some fame while with <a href="spotify:artist:0FMucZsEnCxs5pqBjHjIc8">Stan Getz</a>'s pianoless quartet during 1964-1966, and then put together his own groups. In 1967, with guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:25s8YpOLWqI2SgTlvapJyQ">Larry Coryell</a>, he led one of the early "fusion" bands, releasing albums like A Genuine Tong Funeral, Duster, and Gary Burton Quartet in Concert. <a href="spotify:artist:25s8YpOLWqI2SgTlvapJyQ">Coryell</a> would later be succeeded by Sam Brown, <a href="spotify:artist:2Qh86mH1ZMi9IIRRVZoDbI">Mick Goodrick</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:14RXohtx6NiBGFTW8IdmAK">John Scofield</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7eCpykVmKfeamDfBKspp5o">Jerry Hahn</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3t58jfUhoMLYVO14XaUFLA">Pat Metheny</a>.

During the '70s, Burton continued to release a steady stream of albums including the impressive solo session Alone at Last, Ring with <a href="spotify:artist:2BPSfZHtSYon5DKvp95xXT">Eberhard Weber</a>, and the quintet date Dreams So Real: Music of Carla Bley. He also collaborated often during the '70s, touring and recording duet sets with <a href="spotify:artist:5olDKSsFhhmwh8UCWwKtpq">Chick Corea</a> such as 1972's Crystal Silence for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22ECM%22">ECM</a>. There were similarly influential dates with <a href="spotify:artist:1tbxopipOkDjnRDfMKj535">Ralph Towner</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6mrjnfLYDl91oh10EIeKPV">Steve Swallow</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4HCwj3Nt6DTTmJCpHuQOeM">Paul Bley</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0F3Aew9DSd6fb6192K1K0Y">Keith Jarrett</a>, and others. Among his sidemen in the late '70s and '80s were <a href="spotify:artist:7Gv9weyLTeDrDjABqHnged">Makoto Ozone</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:48KWEv6tfYHcKejao0jWFJ">Tiger Okoshi</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2LbRiVusjtrdBlE4lkXxfO">Tommy Smith</a>. Very active as an educator at Berklee upon joining its faculty in 1971, Burton remained a prominent performer over the next few decades, releasing albums like 1982's Lyric Suite for Sextet, 1986's Whiz Kids, and 1988's Times Like These for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22GRP%22">GRP</a>.

Moving into the '90s, Burton stuck with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22GRP%22">GRP</a>, issuing albums like the <a href="spotify:artist:4HCwj3Nt6DTTmJCpHuQOeM">Paul Bley </a>duo date Right Time, Right Place, 1993's It's Another Day with vocalist <a href="spotify:artist:5CcOC21gUoZkNlGehI3wO9">Rebecca Parris</a>, and 1995's Face to Face. He then shifted to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Concord%22">Concord</a> for a bevy of well-regarded efforts, including 1997's Departure and 1998's Like Minds. Two years later, Libertango, his tribute to tango master <a href="spotify:artist:7dsugSamBB7enWE2IrlbFg">Astor Piazzolla</a>, arrived. The very personal album For Hamp, Red, Bags, and Cal was issued in 2001, and in 2002 he explored classical music with the duet album Virtuosi, recorded with pianist <a href="spotify:artist:7Gv9weyLTeDrDjABqHnged">Makoto Ozone</a>.

The year 2004 found Burton back on familiar ground with the release of Generations, a bop-influenced album featuring a quartet of younger musicians. Burton paired with the same group for 2005's Next Generation. In 2009, Burton released Quartet Live featuring guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:3t58jfUhoMLYVO14XaUFLA">Metheny</a> and bassist <a href="spotify:artist:6mrjnfLYDl91oh10EIeKPV">Swallow</a> on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Concord%22">Concord</a>. In 2012, he released Hot House, another duet recording with <a href="spotify:artist:5olDKSsFhhmwh8UCWwKtpq">Corea</a>. In August of 2013, the vibraphonist released Guided Tour by <a href="spotify:artist:754N8DmL5ThvxMqjd0pLHB">the New Gary Burton Quartet</a> on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Mack+Avenue+Records%22">Mack Avenue Records</a>. His new bandmates included drummer <a href="spotify:artist:19KpCg8O15A2eZ416EyFdw">Antonio Sanchez</a>, bassist <a href="spotify:artist:7AxNB7slEfo3WsWmZf4TSs">Scott Colley</a>, and guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:2TSuAchdgVzsAa9wDK1IeT">Julian Lage</a>. Two years later, he joined <a href="spotify:artist:3t58jfUhoMLYVO14XaUFLA">Metheny</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7MEyCD4G0Zl6kmikEAZsym">Jan Garbarek</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0V9fDzVz0TmKcWZLKyjEXx">Paul McCandless</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4WnYuKbhxAKXJ8yAvvOsfW">the SWR Big Band</a>, and others in a concert marking bassist <a href="spotify:artist:2BPSfZHtSYon5DKvp95xXT">Eberhard Weber</a>'s 75th birthday. It was released as Hommage à Eberhard Weber on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22ECM%22">ECM</a>. After a 50-plus-year career, Burton retired from performing in 2017, following a farewell tour with pianist <a href="spotify:artist:7Gv9weyLTeDrDjABqHnged">Ozone</a>. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi