Jun 16, 2009 By Cory Frye

Burton first announced his presence—a harmonious four-mallet dab inspired by Bill Evans’ piano style—on 1961’s New Vibe Man in Town. One can forgive the title’s buckaroo swagger (what did Milt Jackson think of that!); after all, Burton was only 18 years old, one of the new young bloods. He had a fresh ear for multiple genres, including the one the older hepcats found most heinous: rock ‘n’ roll. More