Askold Buk's fiery guitar playing is propelled by one of the most captivating rhythm sections in New York City, the powerhouse tandem of Gene Eames (bass) and Steve Williams (drums). Gene Eames' slinky basslines have been featured on projects by singer-songwriters such as Chris Stills and Adam Cohen. Steve Williams previously worked as the drummer / musical director for the Grammy award winning jazz hip-hop group Digable Planets. Steve has also toured and recorded with Ivan Neville and Keith Richards - and has recently been performing with Sade. 

Askold Buk's eponymously-titled debut CD of original compositions (featuring bassist Gene Eames and drummer Brian Shanley, as well as Ken Fradley-trumpet and flugelhorn, Charlie Giordano-keyboards, Jack Waltrip-tenor sax, Bob Sherwin-alto sax, and Greg Witchel-harmonica) was officially released on November 20, 1999.

"I think that a lot of today's instrumental music either takes itself so seriously that it intimidates people or it's so sterile and processed that it lacks passion and soul," observes guitarist Askold Buk. "That's quite a change from the great R&B instrumentals that I remember, tunes that made you smile and dance and just plain feel good. What I wanted to do with this record was to recapture that vibe, so I started writing instrumental songs that were catchy, fun to play, and hopefully, fun to listen to."

The CD is already generating positive reviews. Famed jazz critic Nat Hentoff (Jazz Times, The Wall Street Journal) writes: "Askold Buk plays with the passion born of complete mastery of his instrument so that—as Dizzy Gillespie once said of superior players—he knows what notes not to play. Buk communicates with great presence, but without showboating or otherwise indulging in technical virtuosity for its own sake."

Soundsamples here:

http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/211/askold_buk.html