Alumni Spotlight: Mike Burton

Michael Burton, IU Soul Revue alum, completed both bachelor's and master's degrees in Jazz Studies under the renowned musician and professor David Baker at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

Trained in music from an early age, his mother is an original member of the legendary Mississippi Mass Choir, and his father a tenor saxophonist himself. Burton’s distinctive soulful saxophone performances, riveting grooves, and vocal productions are the result of this influence and the Jackson, Mississippi culture.

Currently touring with Patti LaBelle, Michael has also toured with Jill Scott, Mary J. Blige, and Anita Baker as well as with New Edition and PJ Morton. He’s also performed with Aretha Franklin, Fantasia, Young Jeezy, Tank, Russell Gunn, and Eric Roberson. He has appeared on The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, Inside the NBA on TNT, The Steve Harvey Show, Ellen, and Jimmy Kimmel. The Atlanta metro area resident has also played keys and saxophone for numerous Tyler Perry Stage and film productions. He can also be seen playing his saxophone in the HBO movie Bessie, NatGeo’s Genius Aretha, Bravo Reality TV Shows The New Atlanta and I Dream of NeNe The Wedding, as well as episodes on the IFC series Brockmire and STAR on FOX.

Burton has recorded with a long list of jazz, soul, pop, rhythm and blues, gospel, and hip/hop artists including Jennifer Lopez, Kirk Franklin, Lecrae (Gold Record for Anomaly), Fat Joe, Pitbull, Bria Lee, Will Downing, Deborah Cox, Polow Da Don, Ann Nesby, Jennifer Holliday, Avery Sunshine, Jeff Bradshaw, Candi Staton, Arrested Development, The Brown Boyz, Sho Baraka, Alyson Williams, John Driskell Hopkins (Zac Brown Band), Christian Paul, Marcus Johnson, Titus Showers, The Mississippi Mass Choir, LaShun Pace, Latrice Pace, Australian Pop Star Guy Sebastian, UK sensations Paloma Faith and Kaiser Chiefs, and many others. His soulful saxophone can also be heard on two Grammy-nominated projects, "Love Has Finally Come At Last," by Calvin Richardson as well as PJ Morton’s Gumbo album. Mike was also a featured soloist on Hidden Beach Recordings "Unwrapped Volume 5."

Other television credits include house band for season 2 of Fox’s The Masked Singer (2019), the house band for the 2013–2019 Trumpet Awards (which aired on TVone and Bounce TV), as well as seasons 6 through 10 of BET's hit show Sunday Best. He was also in the house band for the 2017 BET Her Fights, 2017–2019 Soul Train Awards (BET), 2019 Stellar Awards, 2019 Black Music Honors, 2018 and 2020 BET Awards, 2018 VH1 Dear Mama, 2011 Dove Awards, the 2015 UNCF honors (BET), and the 2015 McDonalds 365 Black Awards (BET). Michael frequently appeared on BET's The Mo'nique Show as a member of the house band (Big Jim's Penthouse Playas).

Michael has also served as an Artist in Residence in the US Virgin Islands, providing music education and mentorship to middle school, high school, and college students throughout St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. Mike serves on the Grammy Board of Governors for the Atlanta Recording Academy chapter. He’s also a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Burton has written and/or produced songs for Alex Bugnon, Terrell Carter, Paula Champion, Christian Keyes, Chandra Currelley, Bria Lee and others. Mike has released five independent projects: Sojourn, Soulful, The Producer, Say What?, and Walk With Me. In 2012, Mike, along a few of his musician friends, assembled the Good Times Brass Band, a horn driven band with a funky blend of New Orleans style second line and DC GoGo. They have one EP to their credit. Mike plays Java Saxophones, Jody Jazz Mouthpieces, and he uses Reunion Blues Gig Bags, Empire In Ear Monitors, and Dante Saxophone Neckstraps. He is a proud family man. He and his wife of 14 years, Razia, have two daughters, Layla Kai and Caden Rae. Learn more about Burton on his website.

Q: Tell us about your involvement with the IU Soul Revue.

A: I was at IU from 1996–2002. I got my bachelor's of music in jazz studies in 2000, and my master's of music in jazz studies in 2002. I believe there was only one semester in my entire time at IU that I wasn’t in Soul Revue. My freshman year, the great composer, Dr. Bill Banfield was the director. However, he was on sabbatical my first semester, so the amazing Angela Brown and Monika Herzig (the grad assistants) directed the group. Sophomore year, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson was the director. His resume was immense, and he brought a jazz sensibility to the group. Junior year, Johnny Griffith (one of the Motown Funk Brothers), was the director. From my senior year throughout my grad school years, Dr. Tyron Cooper was the director. I believe Dr. Cooper was only 27 years old when he took over the Revue. Being that he was only a few years older than us, we really related to him. He took the ensemble to a higher level of professionalism and showmanship. I played saxophone, and I was the AI/Horn Coach while I was working on my master's degree.

Q: What did you gain being in Soul Revue?

A: So much! The Soul Revue truly enhanced my time at IU. We were a family. I made some life long friends in this group. I met my wife in this group! The Revue also gave me a taste of what I would experience in the real world, as a professional musician. I’m a proud alumni of the Jacobs School of Music, but I’m truly grateful for Soul Revue because this ensemble provided an education about Black popular music and performance practice that wasn’t available anywhere else on campus. Even though I was a jazz studies major, I dreamed of touring and recording with R&B, Soul, and popular music artists. Since graduating, I’ve worked extensively with Patti LaBelle, Jill Scott, Mary J. Blige and several others. My training in Soul Revue prepared me for those stages. I also want to shoutout Dr. Charles Sykes (executive director of the AAAI) for sharing his knowledge and love for the Motown Sound, and making sure we had several performances every year. Dr. Sykes and Dr. Cooper provided me with my graduate assistantship, which helped pay for grad school, and I’m forever grateful.

Q: Do you have a favorite memory or story from your time in the Revue?

A: I can’t pinpoint one memory in particular, but I always looked forward to the Potpourri of the Arts shows in the fall, and the spring concerts at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. We felt like rockstars on that stage! It seemed like the entire Black student body was there to see us. The theater was always sold out, and it was so much fun to perform for our friends and classmates.

Q: Anything else you want to share about yourself or your experience in Soul Revue?

A: I just want to stress the importance of the Soul Revue, and the entire African American Arts Institute as it pertains to Indiana University. It is needed! When I was at IU, Black students made up less than 3% of the student body. It’s easy to get lost in the shuffle, and some of us did. The AAAI ensembles, along with the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center and the Black Greek letter organizations gave us an identity, a family. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have made it through college without them. I hope and pray that these groups remain a part of this great University forever.