Many Worlds by Greg Burk

04 Jan

Written by Glenn Astarita
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Now residing in Rome, American pianist Greg Burk shines as a musical visionary throughout this compelling studio date. A supreme improviser, Burk can swing with just about any jazz derivative while imparting an evocative sense of individuality along the way. Indeed, Many Worlds is an album that transmits a broad inference, containing ritualistic world-beat grooves, and abstract musings of a tropical wilderness on the opener "Sonny Time." And Burk engineers brisk, free-bop works along with his associates fire-storming approach, rounded out by whirling reeds, asymmetrical rhythms and arching crescendos. With the piece "Look ToThe Lion," Burk and Henry Cook (flute) gel to a delightful melody line atop an undulating pulse. Here, the soloists spice it up with polytonal call and response measures in concert with swirling choruses. The pianist presents a multifarious track mix erected on defiantly rendered free-form methods of discovery or briskly-paced search and destroy missions.

Burk is a thinking-man’s pianist, possessing a sharp compositional pen. Nonetheless, variety and subtle surprises serve as a prominent factor throughout. For example, the quartet’s dissonant and edgy ballad "Particular," offers a preamble to the high-impact "The Spirit Will Take You Out, featuring Burk’s blustery block chords and lush phrasings. Moreover, they fuse a take no prisoners’ mindset with memorable hooks and hyper-mode improvisation segments to sweeten the pot. Effectively, Burk doesn’t dawdle or harp on a core format. He sustains loads of interest via these high-caliber compositions that generate a yin-yang like aura. (Zealously recommended.... )

Additional Info

Artist / Group Name: Greg Burk
CD Title: Many Worlds
Genre: Progressive
Year Released: 2010
Record Label: 482 Music
Musicians: Greg Burk (piano, small percussion), Henry Cook (alto and soprano saxophones, flute, alto flute, washint), Ron Seguin (contrabass, electric acoustic bass, percussion), Michel Lambert (drums, percussion)
Label Website: http://www.482music.com
Rating: Four Stars