Jeff Burak - Change Of Pace (1997)

Jeff Burak is a guitarist with no Latin or flamenco pretensions whatsoever. On his sunny, sugary and lovelorn debut Change of Pace, he employs an impressive rack-classical, twelve string, steel string and electric - mainly in the service of gentle melodies that are about as easy to absorb as their cliched titles are. Though the disc cover is all impressionistic pastel, Burak shows numerous intriguing signs of being like a Craig Chaquico - a rock and roller at heart who just wants to be a bit sentimental at times. On the closer, "Change of Pace," Burak opens with a Chaquico like steel string lilting flavor before plugging in and playing some of the best new age rock guitar this side of master of the genre, Paul Speer. Producer Mars Lazar, whose solo albums are classics of sound design, gives Burak some interesting, machine generated hip-hop atmospheres in which to frolic as well. Yet Burak saves his best moment for a sizzling, electric-driven duet with Greg Vail, whose sax and flute infuse the same sort of soulful power as they did for years with Kilauea.