June 1999

John R. Burr
Piedmont Avenue
Compass Records

By Jim Ferguson

Burr's subdued, seamless piano playing casts a wide net, drawing from gospel, blues, pop, folk, and jazz. On a few tracks-including originals like "Ireland," "Counting the Days," and "Point of Departure"-woodwinders Paul McCandless and Kim Park turn Burr's typically articulate but undemanding solo musings into animated discussions that especially catch the ear and the imagination.