Biography by Scott Yanow
One
of the two great vibraphonists to emerge in the 1960s (along with Bobby
Hutcherson), 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 Hank
Garland when he was 17. From there, he started recording regularly for
RCA in 1961, beginning with his debut, New Vibe Man in Town.
Despite
his burgeoning solo career, he continued work as a sideman, touring
with George Shearing's quintet in 1963. He also gained some fame while
with Stan Getz's pianoless quartet during 1964-1966, and then put
together his own groups. In 1967, with guitarist Larry Coryell, he led
one of the early "fusion" bands, releasing albums like A Genuine Tong
Funeral, Duster, and Gary Burton Quartet in Concert. Coryell would later
be succeeded by Sam Brown, Mick Goodrick, John Scofield, Jerry Hahn,
and Pat Metheny.
During the '70s, Burton continued to release a
steady stream of albums including the impressive solo session Alone at
Last, Ring with Eberhard Weber, and the quintet date Dreams So Real:
Music of Carla Bley. He also collaborated often during the '70s, touring
and recording duet sets with Chick Corea such as 1972's Crystal Silence
for ECM. There were similarly influential dates with Ralph Towner,
Steve Swallow, Paul Bley, Keith Jarrett, and others. Among his sidemen
in the late '70s and '80s were Makoto Ozone, Tiger Okoshi, and Tommy
Smith. 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 GRP.
Moving into the '90s, Burton
stuck with GRP, issuing albums like the Paul Bley duo date Right Time,
Right Place, 1993's It's Another Day with vocalist Rebecca Parris, and
1995's Face to Face. He then shifted to Concord 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 Astor
Piazzolla, 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 Makoto Ozone.
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 Metheny and
bassist Swallow on Concord. In 2012, he released Hot House, another duet
recording with Corea. In August of 2013, the vibraphonist released
Guided Tour by the New Gary Burton Quartet on Mack Avenue Records. His
new bandmates included drummer Antonio Sanchez, bassist Scott Colley,
and guitarist Julian Lage. Two years later, he joined Metheny, Jan
Garbarek, Paul McCandless, the SWR Big Band, and others in a concert
marking bassist Eberhard Weber's 75th birthday. It was released as
Hommage à Eberhard Weber on ECM. After a 50-plus-year career, Burton
retired from performing in 2017, following a farewell tour with pianist
Ozone.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gary-burton-mn0000738182#biography
01. Autumn
02. Reunion
03. Origin
04. Will You Say You Will
05. House On The Hill
06. Panama
07. Chairs And Children
08. Wasn't Always Easy
09. The Chief
10. Tiempos Felice (Happy Times)
11. Quick And Running
Credits:
Gary Burton (Vibraphone, marimba);
Pat Metheny (Guitar);
Mitchel Forman (Piano, keyboards);
Will Lee (Bass guitar);
Peter Erskine (Drums, percussion).
1989
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