Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
In Memoriam: Al Foster, 1943–2025
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
Gary Burton and Makato Ozone. Burton has announced that his current U.S. tour will be his last.
(Photo: Courtesy of the artist)Vibraphonist Gary Burton, a perennial leader in the annual DownBeat Critics Poll, has announced his retirement from the jazz world. The seven-time Grammy Award winner has made clear in a statement that his current U.S. tour, which began March 1 in Washington D.C., will be his last.
“I have been preparing for this for the past two years, gradually reducing my commitments and making the final decision for when to step back from my six decades of performing,” Burton wrote on his website. “Let’s just say, for health reasons, this is the right time to start a new chapter in my life.”
His final stop will be on March17 at the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis, Indiana, bringing the longtime South Florida resident back to the state of his birth for one last curtain call.
Burton will be joined on the tour by collaborator pianist Makoto Ozone. The duo has recorded a number of albums together over the course of their three-decade musical partnership, including 1995’s Face To Face (GRP) and 2002’s Virtuosi (Concord). The tour includes multiple stops on the East Coast and a quick jaunt into the Midwest.
A complete list of dates is below:
March 8–11: Birdland, New York
March 12: Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport, MA
March 14: Space, Evanston, IL
March 15: Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, Minneapolis, MN
March 17: The Jazz Kitchen, Indianapolis, IN
For more information, visit Burton’s website. DB
Foster was truly a drummer to the stars, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.
Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
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