BURKE WRITES: I'm a southern singer/songwriter who writes jazz, funk, and Americana music. I grew up in New Orleans and have lived most of my life there. I get my mail now in Point Clear, Alabama and work as website developer and technical communications professional.

My music is my love -- it is not exactly work. I play and write using the jazz structures commonly found in New Orleans and try to emphasize that feel with the leisurely wisdom of the Deep South. I also have a folk/Americana side with less 7th chords and more story lines. I like to think that people of all ages and all backgrounds can find something they like about my songs.

My voice gets compared to a few people -- Michael Franks and Paul Simon come up a lot. Songwriters I really like are Mose Allison, David Wilcox, John Gorka, Jeff Tweedy, Steve Earle, and Danny Barker.

My lyrics come from a library filled with Thomas Merton, Flannery O'Connor, C.S. Lewis, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Faulkner, Augustine of Hippo, and a lot of those thick $30 computer books. Although I don't do liturgical or "praise and worship" music, I have been featured on EWTN's "Life on the Rock" and "Backstage" to play some songs I wrote about St. Francis of Assisi and the themes of a Catholic worldview such as forgiveness, mystery, and the contingency of our lives.

My past few recordings have been in collaboration with producer/musician Cale Pellick. We met about twenty years ago while studying music at U.N.O. Cale produced my 2005 release, Independence, Louisiana and also wrote and arranged the string parts. My most recent recording, Jazz Animals, has more of a live band sound, the focus being on the camaraderie and fun I have jamming with my good friends, playing the songs that I spent much time crafting and getting just right.