I wanted this recording to have a real unified character," says Burk, who can also be heard on the Either/Orchestra's new release, Afro-Cubism. Not just all straight-ahead, or all free, or all groove, but music that involved all of those things. I think you can hear how the different styles inform each other. The simpler melodic material informs the free playing and the free playing gives a certain freshness and spontaneity to the inside playing. There's a continuity of intent that makes different styles sound equally musical. Hopefully, the CD will be enjoyed by people with different tastes."
The music, of course, is very much a shared enterprise among the trio members, but Greg's compositions are the catalyst for the trio's exploration," writes jazz journalist Ed Hazell in the liner notes. As natural as they make this musical gear-shifting sound, it's no easy feat. Without the trio's deep feel for the jazz tradition and without their strong personal voices, the variety would sound directionless. Obviously, they each have the solid grounding and the individuality to combine familiar elements of jazz in refreshingly original and unexpected ways. The result is music filled with complex feelings and ideas, played by musicians who take creative risks, listen to each other, and communicate openly and spontaneously."
Burk, a former student of Yusef Lateef, Danilo Perez and Paul Bley, who paid his early musical dues with musicians like drummer Gerald Cleaver and saxophonist James Carter in the 1990's Detroit/Ann Arbor scene, calls Robinson probably the greatest bass player no one has heard of. He's a really intuitive musician with incredible ears and incredible time. Having played with him so much I could imagine how he would treat the material before we recorded. And Bob is an inspirational player. He's so well rounded and he's studied all different kinds of music, but even beyond that he has really personalized the drum set. I knew that they were similar musicians with similar influences and experiences and I just imagined they would play well together."
Soul Note releases are distributed in 25 countries worldwide. For more information on Greg Burk, please log on to http://www.gregburk.com.
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