We would like to introduce you to George Burton, who will be joining us for our limited engagement performance, November, 28. We are elated to bring his talent to our Columbus audience.
Award-winning pianist, composer and bandleader George Burton has been called a lot of things— “formidable” (NPR),“charismatic” (The New York Times), “revolutionary” (Nextbop), “soulful” (Philadelphia Inquirer); his music “multidimensional” (Phila. Inq.), “sublime” (NPR).
What has become abundantly clear over the years is that, while Burton has established himself as a visionary and prolific force both on record and in the live jazz scene, attempting to categorize Burton’s artistry is not only limiting, but becomes increasingly impossible the more you hear. With a slew of film festival honors and a NAACP Image Awards nomination for his sophomore project, Reciprocity, in 2021, George Burton has secured notoriety as a standout amongst his peers who consistently turns heads across the jazz spectrum and beyond.
“Pianist George Burton is nonetheless a different beast in concert than he is on record. 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.” — THE WASHINGTON POST
For more than a decade, George Burton has been on the radar of everyone who keeps up with innovations in jazz. His dazzling virtuosity and breathtakingly eclectic approach to music reflect his experience in every aspect of the jazz spectrum: beginning with rigorous classical training, branching into his equally rigorous experience in the heady nightlife of the Philadelphia jazz scene, and earning him a place on the world stage with some of the most significant practitioners of bop, post-bop and beyond—from James Carter to Meshell Ndegeocello to the Sun Ra Arkestra—and has landed him on some of the most prestigious of stages with his own groups as a leader, including the Newport Jazz Festival in 2017.
Burton's own work is in a category by itself: he brings not only stunning technique, but music that is complex, uniting all the dimensions of his experience, filtered through the sensibility of a Romantic composer. His compositions are incomparably beautiful—make that scary-beautiful—and powerful—as in mesmerizingly powerful—and haunting—as in "where has this been all my life" haunting.
There is a dynamic quality to hearing Burton play in that just when you think you've spotted an influence or are ready to compare him to one of the greats, he takes a turn, blending modern and classical in a way that is both playful and transcendent. The vitality in Burton’s music is apparent in his effortless switch in tempo, each note carefully thought out, lingering, distinct and alive. He finds balance where others would waver, bringing the fullest expression of himself to the music he creates.
"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.” — JAZZIZ MAGAZINE
Burton shines on his highly anticipated debut album, The Truth Of What I Am > (read: "is greater than") The Narcissist, its title both a remark on today’s “me” driven culture and a nod to Charles Mingus who once said, “In my music, I’m trying to play the truth of what I am. The reason it’s difficult is because I’m changing all the time.” It is a statement highlighting the power of art to transcend the self.
Released in 2016 to much critical acclaim, The Truth Of What I Am... earned Burton a spot on the NPR Music Jazz Critics' Poll (a “Top Debut” that year), and was featured on multiple year-end “best of” lists. The album pushes the boundaries of genre and reveals what many reviewers have noted—Burton's ability to bring out the best in his band. Fully embodying the title, Burton takes listeners on a musical journey through various emotions, at once carefree, playful, despondent and volatile, a spirit trying to make sense of itself. Like all great art, the album shines a light on what we all are: layered, complex and ever-changing.
“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.” — THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
Everyone knows that there's no tougher act to follow than oneself. But with his groundbreaking, self-produced sophomore project, Reciprocity, George Burton more than proves his talent — creating a modernist landscape that draws on the trajectory of jazz going back to the blues — and establishes him as an oracular presence in a new generation of musicians.
Released in early 2020 along with the award-winning music video for its single, “Finding,” Reciprocity is a concept album woven together with threads of musical and worldly wisdom bestowed on the listener by Marshall Allen, the then-95-year-old leader of the Sun Ra Arkestra, with whom Burton spent two months on tour in Europe in 2019. Along with the soundbites of interviews Burton captured while on the road, the record is loaded with colorful, mind-altering soundscapes, unforgettable songs and solos and vibe, which collectively elevate the listener to the otherworldly realms Allen invokes. It was recognized as a Critics’ Pick by The New York Times and NPR Music; the stunningly creative animated music video (directed by Sigmund Washington) went on to win multiple film festival awards and honors; and in 2021, the album was nominated for Outstanding Jazz Instrumental Album by the NAACP Image Awards.
“George Burton represents what many of jazz’s most exciting figures hoped the genre would become: precarious, dynamic, revolutionary ... unable to be contained.” — NEXTBOP
Join us for conversation, dinner and a performance.
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
5-9 P.M.
Lincoln Theatre
769 East. Long Street., Columbus, Ohio
Tickets are Donations to Opera Project Columbus and are tax deductible.
TICKETS FOR ONE $100
TICKETS FOR TWO $175
Tickets can be purchased on our website at
www.operaprojectcolumbus.com
