What to Do Tonight: Bill Burke

Erie-based Bill Burke isn’t your usual guitar player. For starters, he does his thing on an eight-string touch guitar, which is played like a piano, with the left hand hitting the bass notes as the right picks at the treble strings. Although he’s mostly known as a jazz artist, Burke draws much inspiration from progressive rock musicians like Steve Howe or Michael Hedges, but with a stronger classical influence than most of his peers. He uses plenty of loops to create sonic textures, like on “If A Is B,” which includes a repeated pattern that allows plenty of room for improvisation. “The Subway: On the Platform-Brooklyn” draws from a more experimental atmosphere, with many extraneous sounds and effects. The best thing about catching Burke live is you can see how he approaches the instrument by running his hands up and down the neck as he creates some monster grooves. Burke performs at 8 p.m. at the Winchester (12112 Madison Ave., 216.226.5681, winchester.net). Tickets: $10. — Ernest Barteldes