Burton, Gary, 1943-
, American jazz vibraphone player, composer, and bandleader, b. Anderson,
In. Burton is self-taught on the vibraphone and studied piano during his
teenage years. He attended Boston’s Berklee College of Music from
1960-61 (and would return to teach there from 1971-2004, eventually becoming
its executive vice president). Burton made his first recordings with
pop-saxophonist Boots Randolph in Nashville, and then recorded and toured
with George Shearing and saxophone player Stan
Getz
from
1964-67. He formed his first quartet in 1967, recording a series of albums
that fused country, rock, and jazz influences, including the influential
1969 album Throb. Notable members of his quartet included
bassist/composer Steve Swallow and a young Pat Metheny, who began his career
as a jazz guitarist with Burton. In 1973, Burton partnered with Chick
Corea for what
would become eight solo recordings, six of which won Grammy awards. In 1994,
Burton came out as a gay man, one of the few openly gay jazz musicians. He
retired in 2017.
See his autobiography (2013).
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