Article: Uncle Jam; What happens when writers turn to music? Greg Tate's answer is the sprawling, genre-blending brew of Burnt Sugar.(VARIETY / FREETIME)

Byline: Rod Smith

Special to the Star Tribune

Greg Tate denies that he resembles a high priest in the slightest.

"I'm like Mickey Mouse in `The Sorcerer's Apprentice,"' Burnt Sugar's founder and conductor explained by phone from his Manhattan apartment. "I've got the hat and the wand, the floodgates are open and I have no idea of what I'm going to do next."

He's selling himself short. Sure, Mickey Mouse's fluidly magisterial broom-conjuring gestures in Disney's "Fantasia" stand among the most spectacular achievements in the annals of animation. But when his trick backfires, the fledgling wizard panics.

Tate's moves (and ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!