"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."
Askold certainly creates that mood on his eponymously-titled debut CD, which has garnered very positive reviews, most notably from famed critic Nat Hentoff, who wrote in the May 2000 Guitar World: "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."
As well as being a recording and performing artist, Askold Buk composes and produces music for episodes of the award-winning PBS series Frontline, ABC 20/20, Primetime with Diane Sawyer, and Peter Jennings: In Search of America. He also scored the full-length documentary feature "Obscene," which premiered at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival.
Buk's songs have been placed in television and film, most recently in the PBS series P.O.V. and in national boutique Martin+Osa’s in-store video lounges.
Askold also toured with Universal recording artist Hayley Westenra, opening for Il Divo on their 2006 North American tour.
Recently, Askold joined forces with songwriter/producer Deb Ferrara to form 901 Music , a production company that is currently collaborating with Disney artist April Start . This inspired partnership has already led to placements with Ricola and Paramount.
Askold developed and appeared in a series of acclaimed guitar videos, playing with and interviewing luminaries such as B.B. King, John Scofield, Albert Lee, Steve Morse, Jack Bruce and Hank Marvin, and wrote "The Advanced Guitar Case Chord Book" and "Practical Pentatonics" (Music Sales), which are distributed internationally.
