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The Keith Burton Orchestra

Keith Reginald Burton known professionally as 'Keith' (28th September 1950 - 13th January 1998) was a (now largely forgotten) British jazz and rock guitarist / multi instrumentalist who was a pioneer in the early years of recorded TV library music

Biography

Keith Reginald Burton was born into a pre-internet life of privilege, raised in the Kent countryside. A product of the English public school system, the expectation of his family for him to achieve the respectability of an upper middle class professional career was shattered when he discovered rock & roll and jazz. His 'black sheep' family credentials were further enhanced as he left half way through a law degree at the prestigious Oxford University to begin a session guitar and saxophone career in London, his career sadly derailed in the 1960s as a result of alcohol and drug addiction. After a spell in rehabilitation, he returned driven and enthused to eventually lead his own 'Keith Burton Orchestra' providing low budget TV library music to the early pay for view channels in Europe and beyond. His influences guitar wise were wide and varied, Wes Montgomery to Frank Zappa and this is reflected in the stylistic output of his work. A musical chameleon with his own well equipped recording studio, he easily turned his hand to providing large quantities of sometimes banal, yet always musical, background stock music. Much of his recording catalog is administered by his family estate and has been remastered and released via online streams.

Burton died on 13th January 1998 after choking on an olive.

Discography

· Car Chase (CDBaby 2012) · Passing Wind (CDBaby 2013) · The Blues and Booze Years (CDBaby 2018) · Cowboy Nights (CDBaby 2019) · Pump De Clutch (CDBaby 2019) · The Whole Kaboodle (CDBaby 2019) · To Be Frank (CDBaby 2020)