Jim Santella

THE WAY IN (482 Music 1048) features pianist GREG BURK in a solo piano album that he recorded as is, allowing the muse of improvisation to take over and to open windows accordingly (Paper Piano/ Ballad for Gold/ Look for the Asteroid/ Ballad for Sand/ Walking the Earth/ Wuwei Out/ Serenity’s Distant Dawn/ Ballad for Water/ What is This Key In?/ Big Bird. 55:23). His recent albums (3/2005, p.107) and (3/2006, p.105) have also felt the free spirit that Burk summons up here. Three of the pieces on this program feature prepared piano, with very little change from the instrument’s usual timbre. Each allows Burk to express with a unique sound; yet, they still carry expected tonal reflections to the listener. His grand piano provides a lush quality throughout the session, as the artist explores the limits of its range and conjures up dense chords in various circumstances. Beauty remains at the top of his list, as Burk invents tone poems that cast impressions with connotations far and wide (Burk, p. July 2004, Cambridge, MA). The delicate touch of his keyboard and the care with which he operates the pedals allow Burk to communicate in a manner that we can all understand and enjoy.

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