Although he retired some two years ago from the teaching faculty of Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he pursued a distinguished career as an educator beginning in the 1970s, Gary Burton has not given up performing so there is still a chance to see this remarkable musician in live performance. You won't be disappointed; at his best he can be stunning, but then it was always that way, as this CD which combines New Vibe Man in Town, his debut as leader in 1961, with the extremely rare Hank Garland album Jazz Winds in a New Direction from 1960, makes clear. Country music guitarist Hank Garland's alter ego was a highly gifted jazzer; his accomplished playing on ‘Move’ enough to silence even the most doubting of doubting Thomas. But not only does Garland's playing defy expectation, so too does the 17 year-old Burton, who fl ies through the changes of ‘All The Things You Are’ with the confidence and creativity of a seasoned pro. Almost exactly a year later he made his debut as a leader in his own right, demonstrating with just Gene Cherico on bass and Joe Morello on drums that he was every bit the accomplished virtuoso of Jazz Winds and more. There are not too many recording debuts by young, 18 year-old musicians that top this performance as Burton's spins seemingly effortless lines off pieces like ‘Joy Spring’, ‘You Stepped Out Of A Dream’ and ‘Like Someone In Love’ that are as startling for their melodic invention and coherence as the sheer creative élan he brings to music making.