The Instrumental Chapter - Chris Burness
On top of running one of the most successful open mics in the area, organising a music festival and being one of the most consistently supportive figures in the local scene, Chris Burness has also somehow in the last year managed to write an 11 track album.
The album is called The Instrumental Chapter and it is set to be released very soon. Many of you will know Chris as a confident singer songwriter, playing and singing in front of large audiences…however this hasn’t always been the case. The Instrumental Chapter is a reflection on a period of Chris’s musical journey where he was yet to find the confidence to sing. Chris himself has said that recording this album was his way of putting aside these previous doubts, allowing himself to embark in a new direction with his music.
Writing an instrumental album is a challenging task. To keep an audience engaged without relying on lyrics and a vocal melody can be tricky, yet Chris’s new album is an adventure to listen to. Tempest, his first song he released, is a perfect example. The song starts with a solo guitar, playing a gentle yet sinister melody and then suddenly, after a brief moment of silence, the track descends into a fully orchestrated, fast paced and dramatic arrangement. Throughout the album, you really don’t know where each song will go next, and for that reason it is incredibly exciting to listen to.
Chris’s dedication to his craft is noticeable throughout the album, especially in the complexity of his guitar playing. Although he credits laziness as a key early influence (practicing acoustic guitar involves a lot less setting up than electric guitar!) seeing Chris play these songs live definitely suggests that he is being modest.
Similar to Mark Knopfler, he holds and picks the guitar in a manner that would seem alien to most guitarists, but works perfectly for his own music. His playing style is highly innovative and considered, often exploring a myriad of alternate tunings and techniques that you can hear in the album. Over the years Chris has developed what so many guitar players strive for, a style and way of playing that is truly unique to him.
If you watch Chris live now, you’ll notice how he has managed to combine his finger style guitar playing with his more recent development as a singer. In particular his cover of Mad World, which starts with a complex guitar part, is the perfect synthesis of his instrumental style and his new musical direction. It will be exciting to see where the next chapter takes him…we can be sure there’s a lot more original music on the way. This is only the beginning.
Chris is hosting an album launch on the 8th of March at The Tavern in Rendlesham. Other musicians in Suffolk who perform instrumental music, such as Brett Smerald and Lockey, will be playing and supporting him. As well as this, our next Spotlight event will feature an unplugged set from Chris at The Sweffling White Horse. At both of these events, there will be CD copies of the album available to buy
