Gary Burton

Professions :

Musical Artist

Born :

January 23, 1943

Improvising musicians are musical travelers, voyagers. There is a freedom to wander the musical landscape.

landscape jazz music

Without doubt, the foremost band for decades has been the One O'Clock Lab Band at the University of North Texas. Through its many incarnations and under various leaders, they have demonstrated the highest qualities of musicianship imaginable, plus a willingness to balance their big band tradition with creative exploration. Astounding ensemble work, insightful interpretations of the arrangements, imaginative writing, and above all, a loving attention to musicality . . . these people play beautifully.

texas play writing

Most people learn to improvise on their own, listening to records, endless hours of noodling on their instrument in the bedroom with all their spare time. That's traditionally how people learn.

records listening people

I've made more than 50 records with a wide range of music. I've o... by Gary Burton

I've made more than 50 records with a wide range of music. I've often veered to check something out.

range checks records

There are a few things that I will hopefully be credited for as a pioneer. One is my four-mallet playing. Another one is the starting what was first called jazz rock in 1967 when I started my first band, later became jazz fusion by the 1970s.

pioneers fusion rocks

I've discovered all kinds of music and done all kinds of music over the past 40 years, from playing tango with Piazzolla to all the different bands I've had.

different past years

I was surprised when I finally moved to Boston and the East Coast, to discover that there weren't that many vibraphone players around. And I was the only one playing with four mallets.

boston east player

I think I always have been someone who likes to push at the edges of things, looking for something different.

likes different thinking

I was a big fan of Jim Hall as well. I liked his comping style, his accompanying. And that he played, generally, four note chords, the top four strings of the guitar.

style guitar fans

Certainly one of the more common experiences in the jazz field is discovering someone new. Improvising musicians are capable of being musical travelers, voyagers. We want to join in on whatever we hear. There is a freedom to wander the musical landscape.

common-experience musical fields

I know of musicians who have played together for decades who hate each other. The Modern Jazz Quartet for one.

musician hate together

But if you listen to great piano players, both classical and jazz, theres a huge range of dynamics and colors and emotional expression thats possible with the instrument.

emotional player expression

It keeps me in touch with younger musicians who are constantly saying, 'Have you heard this new artist, or this new guitar player?' It keeps you reaching.

guitar artist player

It hasn't been hard getting nominated, but winning it is another... by Gary Burton

It hasn't been hard getting nominated, but winning it is another thing. The competition is tough.

tough competition winning

I grew up in a farm town in Indiana. In the early years I played by myself, because there were no other musicians around.

indiana musician years

I felt like I was a teacher. But nowadays, I am as much a student of his. He writes a lot of what we play.

i-am student play teacher

Burial

Butch Hancock

Buddy Bolden

Bud Flanagan

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