Burton was born in Anderson, Indiana, and taught himself to play vibraphone and marimba, citing pianist Bill Evans as an early influence. He graduated from Berklee College, and his early appearances were in Nashville for several country musicians. However, he was soon on the road with Stan Getz, before he formed his own quartet with bassist Steve Swallow, guitarist Larry Coryell and drummer Roy Haynes. Its debut album “Duster” was a mix of jazz, country and rock and displayed Burton’s penchant for fusing different styles together. Burton went on to play with a raft of jazz greats, including a four-decade partnership with pianist Chick Corea. Burton also taught at Berklee from 1971 to 2004, and retired after 50 years of performing in 2017.
