Gary Burton

KUDOS: Wynton Marsalis elected into DownBeat Hall of Fame + Reader Poll Winners Announced

DOWNBEAT – DownBeat is proud to announce the results of its 82nd Annual Readers Poll. Wynton Marsalis topped the Trumpet category, and readers elected him into the DownBeat Hall of Fame.

“The results of this year’s Readers Poll are an indication of the incredible variety and depth of talent on the jazz scene today,” said DownBeat Editor Bobby Reed. “Wynton Marsalis’ induction into the DownBeat Hall of Fame is a reminder that he is not only a remarkable composer and bandleader, but also one of the most skillful musicians to ever pick up a trumpet. With his induction into the Hall of Fame, he joins timeless luminaries such as Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Billie Holiday.”

Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra will embark on a Big Band Holidays tour, which begins on Nov. 30 in Richmond, Virginia, and later makes stops in South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. The band will enjoy a residency at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater on Dec. 13–17. For more info, visit Marsalis’ website.

Several other TKA artists were Readers Poll winners as well, including:

Jazz Artist: Chick Corea

Organ: Joey DeFrancesco

Guitar: Pat Metheny 

Vibraphone: Gary Burton 

Miscellaneous Instrument: Béla Fleck (banjo)

Read the full article on DownBeat

Wynton Marsalis on TKA

Joey DeFrancesco on TKA

Pat Metheny on TKA

Gary Burton on TKA

Béla Fleck on TKA

AWARD: Gary Burton 2016 NEA Jazz Masters Recipient

The National Endowment for the Arts will honor four jazz leaders – including Gary Burton – with the 2016 NEA Jazz Masters award for their significant accomplishments in the field.

This year’s honorees range from fiery saxophonists who cut their teeth with the legendary John Coltrane, to a vibraphonist who reshaped the direction of jazz by introducing rock elements, to one who has dedicated her life to assisting jazz musicians in need.

The NEA Jazz Masters award is the highest honor that our nation bestows on a jazz musician and includes a cash award of $25,000 and an award ceremony and celebratory concert, among other activities. As part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ 50th anniversary events, the annual NEA Jazz Masters celebration will take place in April 2016 in the nation’s capital, in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Read the full summary at the National Endowment for the Arts

Gary Burton on TKA

REVIEW: Boston Globe on Gary Burton’s “Learning to Listen”

In the mid-1980s, Gary Burton was just entering middle age, but he’d had experiences as a jazz player to fill several lifetimes. Duke Ellington had treated him with kindness, Milt Jackson with suspicion, Miles Davis with a death threat. Burton’s memoir, “Learning to Listen,” tells these stories and situates its author’s own major contributions in jazz’s history.

Burton’s memoir, “Learning to Listen,” tells these stories and situates its author’s own major contributions in jazz’s history. After leaving Getz in 1966, Burton — with guitarist Larry Coryell and others — pioneered jazz-rock fusion and played venues like the Fillmore in San Francisco. As a player, he brought his four-mallet technique and “Burton grip” to the vibraphone and marimba, expanding the potential for those instruments in both lead and support settings. As a bandleader, he spotted and mentored the likes of Pat Metheny.

Read the full article on THE BOSTON GLOBE
Gary Burton on TKA