Aron Burton

All Music Guide:

Long recognized as a rock-solid bassist (and a master landscaper for the Chicago Park District), Aron Burton has begun to emphasize his vocal talents more prominently of late. His 1993 Earwig album Past, Present and Future showcased both of Burton's specialties, eastablishing him as bandleader instead of bandsman. Burton left Mississippi for Chicago in 1955. He got his feet wet as a singer and bassist in the late '50s with Freddy King at Walton's Corner on the West side (King bought Aron his first bass). He got drafted in 1961, came out four years later, and got back into playing with various rock (notably Baby Huey & the Babysitters) and blues (Junior Wells, Fenton Robinson) groups. Burton did sessions with Wild Child Butler, Jackie Ross, Carey Bell, and a 45 of his own for Eddy Clearwater's Cleartone logo ("Garbage Man"), but it was his signing on as a charter member of Albert Collins' Icebreakers in 1978 (Aron's brother Larry was the band's rhythm guitarist) that catapulted him into the spotlight. He played on Collins' landmark Alligator LP Ice Pickin' and toured extensively with the Master of the Telecaster before getting restless and leaving the band. Burton did sessions with Johnny Littlejohn, James Cotton, and Fenton Robinson before taking a three-year European hiatus in the late '80s. That's where he cut his debut LP, Usual Dangerous Guy, with Champion Jack Dupree guesting on piano. Since returning to Chicago, Burton has picked up where he left off -- he's playing, singing, and leading his own band instead of backing others.

Wikipedia:

Aron Burton (born June 15, 1938) is an American electric and Chicago blues singer, bass guitarist and songwriter. In a long career as a sideman he has played with Freddie King, Albert Collins and Junior Wells, and has released a number of solo albums, including Good Blues to You (1999, Delmark). His own recorded work has been nominated four times for a Blues Music Award in the 'Blues Instrumentalist - Bass' category.

Biography

Burton was born in Senatobia, Mississippi, United States. He sang in a number of local churches, and was a co-founder with his cousin of the group, the Victory Travelers. Burton relocated to Chicago, Illinois, in 1955. His musical career commenced the following year, playing the bass backing for Freddie King. King purchased Burton's first bass guitar.

Burton served in the United States Army between 1961 and 1965, but upon discharge found employment variously playing with Baby Huey & the Babysitters, Junior Wells (with whom Burton toured between 1969 and 1972) and Fenton Robinson. Burton also undertook recording sessions with George "Wild Child" Butler, Jackie Ross and Carey Bell (Heartaches and Pain, 1977). Burton also recorded a solo single, "Garbage Man", which was released by Cleartone Records.

In 1978, Burton joined his brother, Larry, in Albert Collins' backing band, the Icebreakers, and Burton appeared on Collins's Grammy Award nominated album, Ice Pickin'. He also toured with Collins before leaving his ensemble in the early 1980s. In the meantime, Burton worked as a horticulturist for twenty years in Garfield Park Conservatory, under the auspices of the Chicago Park District. Burton found further work playing with James Cotton, Johnny Littlejohn and Fenton Robinson (again), before relocating to Europe for a time in the late 1980s. Whilst there, Burton recorded Usual Dangerous Guy, with Champion Jack Dupree playing the piano accompaniment.

By the early 1990s, Burton had returned to Chicago, and Earwig Records issued the compilation album, Past, Present, & Future (1993). It included material recorded between 1986 and 1993, both in Europe and the United States, and established Burton as a frontman rather than supporting musician. Burton appeared at the Chicago Blues Festival in 1994, where he was joined on stage by Liz Mandville Greeson. She also sang on a couple of tracks of Burton's live album, Aron Burton Live in 1996, which was recorded at Buddy Guy's club, 'Legends'. The following year, Burton and his brother played at the Chicago Blues Festival. This led on to Delmark Records releasing Good Blues to You in 1999.

Burton co-wrote a track on Too Slim and the Taildraggers' 2000 album, King Size Troublemakers.