George Burton's non-corny 'Yule Log' is the Christmas album for "deep depression and drinking" [DEC 5 2023]

George sits down with Shaun Brady to chat about his latest album, The Yule Log. [Read more]

“The pianist George Burton has a shadow identity as a singer-songwriter, but he outsources the singing bit… Burton likes to use his jazz quintet to ends that don’t always fit a jazz quintet’s typical method, pulling indie rock and chamber music and occasional electronic soundscaping into the mix.” [Read more]

“George Burton's sublime sophomore project well represents his continual ascension. His magically exquisite "Finding" evokes warmth, comfort and empathy.” — J. Michael Harrison, WRTI

“Burton is painting with a vast palette … creating a variety of moods and textures. It’s clear that both exuberance and daring are in abundant supply.” [Read more]

“Burton’s jazz is multidimensional. It incorporates influences from hip-hop and R&B, electronic music and indie rock into a surprisingly cohesive sound shaped by his mastery of vibe — a soulfulness that underlies all of his tunes, whether the surface feels more like hard bop, avant-garde explosiveness, or blissed-out atmospherics (like his cover of Sigur Rós’ “Ti Ki”).” [Read more]

"[Burton's] vision, a smart melodic postbop with strong elements of R&B and hip-hop ... The Truth [Of What I Am] bursts with promise." [Read more]

"This critic has rarely, in 11 years and hundreds of concerts, seen a musician who fed off the energy of the room as voraciously as Burton. On Tuesday night at Blues Alley, he brought his band members in on the feast. ... The quintet made magic." [Read more]

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2016 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll

“The Truth Of What I Am > The Narcissist” voted #4 Top Debut [Read more]

"A fantastic statement of modern jazz." [Read more]

“The pianist finds truth in a world of phoniness.” [Read more]

"With piano finesse, rollick, impressionism, power and risk taking, George Burton made his rousing Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola debut ... taking delicious melodies for long rides." [Read more]

(translated to English) "Burton speaks the language of Logan Richardson and Ambrose Akinmusire - modern harmonic choices and rhythms with a strong influence of hip hop and R&B, the melody always at the center of the conversation." [Read more]

[Read full translation]

“Burton’s debut is an absolute joy to experience. Burton is at his most exciting when he is pushing the boundaries of the already limitless genre of jazz.” [Read more]

ALBUM REVIEW

“George Burton represents what many of jazz’s most exciting figures hoped the genre would become: precarious, dynamic, revolutionary...unable to be contained. … Burton's album is one of the most exciting debuts I have heard in years." [Read more]

Piano Towards the Future (translated to English). "It was a concert focused exclusively on music - without fussing, spectacular posing or extravagance. ... Burton gives the impression - it is obviously much more than an impression - that he masters a thousand facets of jazz. One often has the feeling that he considers his harmonic lines as a chorus that weaves with those of the horns.” [Read more]

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