This album dovetails neatly with Burton's New Vibe Man in Town (American Jazz Classics 99046), which contained the vibist's debut as a leader with his first collaboration with guitarist Hank Garland, Jazz Winds From A New Direction. Who Is Gary Burton? is his second album as a leader, and includes his second collaboration with Hank Garland, The Subtle Swing. It features the teenage prodigy in fast company, a septet format with established stars such as Clark Terry, Phil Woods, Tommy Flanagan and Joe Morello where he effortlessly holds his own. Burton's was a special talent, which seemed to arrive almost fully formed. Since the 1970s he divided his time between teaching in academia and performing, so his profile has suffered, but in his prime he was undoubtedly one of the great instrumentalists in jazz. As with New Vibe Man in Town, it is his work on the Garland album that grabs the attention – not only was the Country & Western guitarist a top notch improviser, but Burton, who had been working with him throughout the summer of 1960 prior to continuing his studies in Berklee College of Music in the fall, has an easy rapport with the guitarist built of nightly performance and is a little gem – Burton's playing as a 17-year-old is simply astonishing and has to be heard to be believed. There are also five quintet tracks from Joe Morello's album It's About Time from 1960, on which Burton was a sideman alongside Phil Woods.