"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." Buk 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." In 2004, "Volcano," the third track from the CD, was added to the playlist of the Groove Boutique, a nationally-syndicated radio show hosted by Rafe Gomez. It airs on New York's flagship smooth-jazz station CD 101.9, among many others. Not surprisingly, the CD was also added to over 20 national and international jazz and smooth jazz playlists. In fact, "A.F.B." [Track 9 on the CD], was recently included on the Philips/CMJ compilation CD Streamium (alongside songs by Medeski, Martin & Wood, Jason Mraz, Karl Denson and others). Buk is no stranger to instrumental music - his compositions and guitar work have been heard on ABC Primetime and the Emmy-winning PBS series Frontline, as well as numerous independent films and TV commercials. He's also recorded with jazz trumpeter Hugh Masakela and the "world beat" group Baturé (including guest artists Wayne Shorter and Alex Acuña). Recent projects have included writing, performing and producing the music to "Ike's Rules," featuring champion fisherman Mike Iaconelli, and the music for the website of "Fashionistas," a Paramount film currently in production. Buk also developed a series of highly-acclaimed guitar videos, where he interviewed and played with luminaries such as B.B. King, John Scofield, Albert Lee, Steve Morse, Jack Bruce and Hank Marvin. In addition, he is the author of The Advanced Guitar Case Chord Book and Practical Pentatonics, which are distributed internationally.