Gary Burton | Artist

Gary Burton is an American jazz vibraphonist, composer, and educator born 1943 in Anderson, Indiana. Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the prevailing two-mallet technique. This approach caused him to be heralded as an innovator, and his sound and technique are widely imitated. After completing formal musical studies at Berklee, Burton began playing with established jazz names such as George Shearing and Stan Getz, and he appeared in the movie Get Yourself a College Girl playing "Girl From Ipanema" with Astrud Gilberto. In 1967 he formed the Gary Burton Quartet with guitarist Larry Coryell, drummer Roy Haynes, and bassist Steve Swallow. Predating the jazz-rock fusion era of the 1970s, the Quartet's first album, Duster, combined jazz, country and rock styles. However Burton's work from as far back as 1966 had already shown his inclination toward such experimentation. A prolific recording artist, Burton has released 56 solo, group and collaborative albums, working with many of the leading jazz names of the period. Standout albums include Duster, Throb, Crystal Silence, Passengers, Common Ground and Guided Tour. Burton was named Down Beat magazine's Jazzman of the Year in 1968 (the youngest to receive that title) and won his first Grammy Award in 1972. The following year Burton began a forty-year collaboration with pianist Chick Corea. Their eight albums won Grammy Awards in 1979, 1981, 1997, 1999, 2009, and 2013.

Artist Website: garyburton.com

Featured Albums: Gary Burton

Related Artists: Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Ralph Towner, Gary Burton Quartet