Askold Buk
Askold Buk

This new release from Askold Buk introduces the guitarist to a music community who was already aware of him, via his highly regarded work as a guitar instructor. Buk, a regular contributor to Guitar World and Guitar World Acoustic, also appears in numerous instructional videos, including John Scofield: Jazz-Funk Guitar, and the B.B. King Blues Master Series.
Buk's debut CD reveals a remarkable self-discipline; despite virtuosic technique (Buk sounds as though he has a large amount of experience playing country/bluegrass music), the guitarist approaches the music from a minimalist perspective, and rarely displays the full fury of his fiery chops.
Stylistically, the fully-instrumental album drifts seamlessly through "guitar rock", bluegrass, funk, and jazz genres. The writing is strong throughout; Buk keeps the mood light and fun, and the result is a collection of tunes that are easily accessible, hummable, and highly enjoyable. Standouts include the somewhat Bill Frisell-ish sounding "Wondering", and the catchy "One More Bar", which sounds like a modern interpretation of a Wes Montgomery groove.
By including Hammond organ (Charlie Giordano), trumpet (Ken Fradley), and saxophone (Jack Waltrip, Bob Sherwin) on several tracks, Buk has added some nice additional colors to the recording. One minor quibble; occasionally the music drifts into an "Askold Buk plus rhythm section" atmostphere. It would have been nice to hear Buk in a somewhat more interactive environment, as most grooves have been set up so not a whole lot of interplay between players is possible. Having said that, Askold Buk's debut CD is a lot of fun, and if this CD is any indication, great things are on the musical horizon for the guitarist.