Abraham Burton
Abraham Augustus Burton Jr. (born March 17, 1971) is an American saxophonist and bandleader.
Biography[]
Burton was born in New York City on March 17, 1971,[1] and was raised in Greenwich Village.[2] He studied at the Hartt School from 1989 to 1993, graduating in music.[1][3] His teachers there included Michael Carvin and Jackie McLean.[3] During the early 1990s he played with Nat Reeves' band, and from 1991 to 1995 he performed with Art Taylor's Wailers.[1]
In 1994 Burton formed his own band, known later as Forbidden Fruit, whose members at various times included pianists Marc Cary, , and James Hurt, the double bass players and , and the drummer .[1] With that band he toured internationally and recorded several albums.[1] His first recording as a leader was Closest to the Sun, which was released by Enja Records in 1994.[3] This was followed around two years later by The Magician, also for Enja.[1][3] In the late 1990s he also performed in ensembles led by Louis Hayes, Ali Jackson, and Santi DeBriano.[1] For Cause and Effect, released by Enja in 2000, Burton switched from alto to tenor saxophone.[4]
Burton is a faculty member at the Hartt School.[5][6]
Playing style[]
Grove wrote: "Burton's most obvious influence is his mentor McLean, but elements drawn from the style of John Coltrane are also evident. His recordings reveal him to be a highly capable ballad player; on fast pieces he performs with an inspired level of controlled abandon."[1]
Discography[]
As leader/co-leader[]
- Closest to the Sun (Enja, 1994)
- The Magician (Enja, 1995)
- Cause and Effect (Enja, 2000)
As sideman[]
With Lucian Ban
- Mystery (Sunnyside, 2013)
- Songs from Afar (Sunnyside, 2016)
With Louis Hayes
- Quintessential Lou (TCB, 1999)
- The Candy Man (TCB, 2001)
- The Time Keeper (18th & Vine 2009)
- Return of the Jazz Communicators (Smoke Sessions, 2014)
- Serenade for Horace (Blue Note, 2017)
With Mingus Big Band
- I Am Three (Sunnyside, 2005)
- Live in Tokyo (Sunnyside, 2006)
- Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard (2010)
- Mingus Sings (Sunnyside, 2015)
With Art Taylor
- Mr. A. T. (Enja, 1992)
- Wailin' at the Vanguard (Verve, 1993)
With Jack Walrath
- Heavy Mirth (SteepleChase, 2010)
- Forsooth! (SteepleChase, 2011)
- To Hellas and Back (SteepleChase, 2013)
- Unsafe at Any Speed (SteepleChase, 2015)
With others
- Steve Davis, For Real (Posi-Tone, 2014)
- Santi Debriano, Artistic License (Savant, 2001)
- Duane Eubanks, Things of That Particular Nature (Sunnyside, 2015)
- Dusko Goykovich, Bebop City (Enja, 1995)
- Ali Jackson, Groove@Jazz En Tete (Space Time, 2000)
- Jimmy Smith, Damn! (Verve, 1995)
- Horace Tapscott, Aiee! The Phantom (Arabesque, 1996)
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h *Gary W. Kennedy. "Burton, Abraham (Augustus, Jr.)", Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed October 11, 2015), (subscription access)
- ^ Bribetz, Sid (December 1994). "Abraham Burton". JazzTimes. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Dillon, Charlotte. "Abraham Burton". AllMusic. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
- ^ Corroto, Mark (July 1, 2000). "Abraham Burton – Eric McPherson Quartet: Cause and Effect". All About Jazz. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
- ^ "Abraham Burton". hartford.edu. University of Hartford. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
- ^ Hale, James (February 2002). "Hartt School Extends McLean's Legacy". DownBeat. Vol. 87 no. 2. p. 78.
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- 1971 births
- Living people
- American bandleaders
- American jazz alto saxophonists
- American male saxophonists
- Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni
- University of Hartford Hartt School alumni
- Rutgers University alumni
- Jazz musicians from New York (state)
- 21st-century saxophonists
- 21st-century American male musicians
- American male jazz musicians