Before the first note is even played, pianist and composer George Burton’s commanding presence makes apparent that he is an innovative, risk-taking bandleader. His highly anticipated debut release on Inner Circle Music, The Truth of What I Am > (is greater than) The Narcissist takes its title and inspiration from jazz iconoclast Charles Mingus, who once said: ”In my music, I’m trying to play the truth of what I am. The reason it’s difficult is because I’m changing all the time.” The album is an antidote to the self-centered, narcissistic culture of “me,” and is a sonic portrait of the complexity and diversity of Burton’s artistic evolution that an artist’s vision is not solely about oneself. Most of the tunes on here are original compositions that are treated as vehicles for interplay with each tune being a departure and a return, a collaborative pushing of the boundaries of genre, and playing music for what music is, not playing it for what people perceive it to be, “The way I run my band is always about risk-taking. There’s no safety net. We trust each other to make sure we get to where we need to go,” states Burton. For The Truth of What I Am, Burton assembled an impressive lineup of acclaimed collaborators including guitarist Ilan Bar-Lavi, alto saxophonist Chris Hemingway, trumpeter Jason Palmer, bassist Noah Jackson, in addition to his fellow Philadelphia natives tenor/alto saxophonist Tim Warfield, trumpeter Terell Stafford, drummer Wayne Smith, Jr., and two-time Grammy winner, producer (and bassist) Derrick Hodge. With a few exceptions, the music on The Truth of What I Am was played live by the band at Sear Sound, sans touch-ups. The album unfolds in a kind of steady abeyance: He avoids points of landing, or settled relationships, or places of comfort. “In the jazz tradition, you write a melody, everybody solos, you go back to the head, and then the song is over,” Burton explains. “As a listener, you might even turn it off before the last melody: You know how it’s going to end. In my tunes, I like to make sure it keeps flowing, keeps pushing all the way to the end.”