Chris Burnett

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Chris Burnett (born Christopher LeRoy Burnett on November 2, 1955) is an American saxophone player, composer, veteran of US military jazz bands and band leader. Born in Olathe, Kansas, Burnett's family moved relatively frequently during his early childhood due to his father being a member of the active US military service. His sibling family lived at places such as: France, Michigan, and Colorado prior to settling permanently back home in the Kansas City metro area.

Burnett was first exposed to music at an early age through the piano by his mother (Violet Lorraine Burnett), and later studied vocal music through the youth choir program at his church under the direction of Nevada Rosbia. Burnett took to music intuitively and his introduction to saxophone and clarinet began through the instrumental music program at school. James R. Fuchs was his primary music teacher who also exposed him to some of the local and internationally recognized professional saxophone players like Charles Molina and Gary Foster who visited the school periodically during the early 1970s. Unable to afford college tuition, prior to graduation from high school in May of 1974, Burnett auditioned for and was accepted to the music programs of both, the US Air Force and US Army bands.

Initially joining the U.S. military bands was intended to provide funding for college using the G.I. Bill education benefits that were available at that time. However, Burnett excelled musically and due to his background of being from a military family, he was successful in meeting the demands required of service as a uniformed musician as well. Burnett was able to maintain a balance between his responsibilities to the music and to the military. Thus, his skills continued to develop throughout his entire 20-year career toward his mastery of most all of the areas required of a person engaged in working within the music profession (performance, composition, arranging, teaching, management and leadership). He concluded his career at the rank of First Sergeant and in the position of Enlisted Bandleader, which was the highest position attainable for performing artists working in the military music system. He is a highly decorated military veteran, who has performed thousands of concerts and whose formal honors include: the Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medal and (two awards of) the Army Meritorious Service Medal, among many other awards, certificates and letters. Burnett with his wife, Terri, moved back home to his native Kansas City area in 2001 and has been based out of the KC area since that time. Although he has led several groups over the years, his main group Chris Burnett Quartet began in 2001 and is still active today.

He has proven business experience, and has recorded a highly successful debut album titled, "Time Flies". Initially influenced by the work of saxophonists Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley and the styling’s of trumpeter, Miles Davis; Burnett has also performed and been influenced by many other styles of music beyond the genre of jazz. He incorporates many elements from his classical studies on saxophone and clarinet, along with his knowledge as a trained composer and arranger of music into the current language he presents to listeners. Burnett does not believe that music is limited in the way that most of the commercial marketing of it often presents to the majority of the world. He also believes that any person of his generation and age, (or younger,) can only "get so close" to the jazz music that was made before they were born without having a direct relationship with a person who was actually living during that particular musical era. Burnett is dedicated to presenting jazz music from his generational perspective and context, within a paradigm of creativity as the focus. His own work is focused on contributing to the music of his African-American heritage and Midwest traditions in such a manner that it is approachable by most listeners, yet not so watered down to the point of having little remaining genuine artistic substance.

Burnett's study of the Joseph Schillinger System of Musical Composition under O'tress L. Tandy from 1983-1985, has proven to be a cornerstone of his original artistic and compositional concepts. He is the 1995 5-Star Award of Merit winner of the National Federation of Music Clubs for his original composition and arrangement for big band titled, "Daedalus". Burnett has also stated that his main concern as a performer, who is also a legitimate composer, is to present his own original music parallel to the traditions of the generations before him. He states that approaching this goal requires that one become a teacher of sorts by developing one's own approach to the musical language - not merely to imitate the melodic and harmonic statements of the established masters as a less mature student might be satisfied to do.

Burnett's work around 2001, such as Time Stamps, is significant for a melding of his more mature style of writing with his ability to place emphasis on both the improvisational and composition structural aspects of jazz music. He achieves this by giving each instrumentalist the inherent responsibilities and enough freedom to create musical content over rich harmonic and melodic compositional bedrock. He continues to explore these and other concepts with his own ensembles.

Burnett is of a generation that brings much substance to American music because his is the first generation who grew up as adults with full Civil Rights and full access to the bounties of US society. He is one of the musicians of this generation who: have successfully served their country, have successfully raised families, are productive citizens, and continue to grow their gifts as an original artist. With over 150 original compositions, 30 of which are registered BMI Works, it is logical to assume that there will be much more music to investigate from Chris Burnett for many years to come.

[edit] Further Information and References

Source: BMI Registered Works Catalogue - Christopher L. Burnett

Source: Drum Room (Hilton President Kansas City - Featured Artists

Source: Lomax Classic Mouthpieces - Artist Endorser, New York Jazz Model

Source: International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) - Professional Musicians - Clinicians

Source: International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) - Artist Outreach Network Listing - Chris Burnett

Source: Kansas City Star - Chris Burnett 2007 Entertainment Calendar Listing

Source: Jazz Ambassador Magazine feature article - The Kansas City Saxophone, Part One; Chris Burnett: Bringing His Point of View Home to Kansas City, by Roger Atkinson, editor

Source: JAM article - Burnett in Wine and Jazz Festival

Source: Kansas City Jazz Ambassador Magazine - JAM: October/November 2004 Hear and There

Source: GoPro Music listing - Member of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada

Source: The National Archives - Military Service Records and Official Military Personnel Files (OMPFs, DD Form 214)

Source: US Army Museum The Registry of the American Soldier - USAM Honoree