Burton, Gary

Gary Burton has had a resounding impact on the recent history of jazz in many ways, not least through the unmistakably pure sound of his instrument, the vibraphone . Firstly, he developed a multimallet style—using four instead of the traditional two—which gave the vibraphone greater harmonic richness. Secondly, he integrated country and rock elements into jazz, helping to lay the foundation for what would be called “ fusion .” Thirdly, he developed a parallel career...