Peter Bernstein - Messengers in Jazz with Peter Bernstein at Termansens

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2024
Time: 71:00
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 167,4 MB
Art: Front

( 9:30) 1. Simple as That
(11:03) 2. One Step Ahead
( 9:00) 3. Blood Moon Wolf Blues
( 7:16) 4. Headin' Home
( 8:57) 5. This I Dig of You
(11:33) 6. Dragonfly
(13:38) 7. Old Devil Moon

Jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein was born September 3, 1967, in New York City. He got his first break while attending the New School when he met Jim Hall, who recruited him for a concert of guitarists as part of the 1990 JVC Jazz Festival in New York. The show was recorded by MusicMasters and issued as Live at Town Hall, Vol. 2. Bernstein quickly began playing with other jazz musicians, notably appearing on albums by Lou Donaldson, Michael Hashim, Larry Goldings, Mel Rhyne, Jesse Davis, and Geoff Keezer. He recorded his first album as a leader, Somethin's Burnin', for Criss Cross in December, 1992, as part of quartet with pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist John Webber, and drummer Jimmy Cobb.

After working with such artists as Patti Page, Walt Weiskopf, Brian Lynch, Laverne Butler, Eric Alexander, and Hendrik Meurkens in 1993-1994, Bernstein returned to his solo work with Signs of Life. Issued in May of 1995, the album once again found the guitarist backed by pianist Mehldau, along with bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Further work as a sideman with Ghetto Philharmonic, Trudy Desmond, Teodross Avery, Joshua Redman, Kevin Mahogany, Grant Stewart, and Mike LeDonne preceded the release of his third album, Brain Dance, in June 1997. This time, he led a quintet also containing organist Goldings, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, trombonist Steve Davis, and drummer Billy Drummond. Prior to his fourth album, Earth Tones, Bernstein recorded with Ralph Lalama and Eric Comstock, among others. Earth Tones, issued in August, 1998, found him fronting a trio with Goldings and drummer Bill Stewart.

Five years elapsed before the release of Heart's Content, Bernstein's fifth album as a leader, and he occupied the time working with a wide variety of musicians including Tom Aalfs, Group 15, Jimmy Cobb's Mob, David Bubba Brooks, Doug Lawrence, Sam Yahel, David Morgan, Jon Gordon, Michael Karn, Spike Wilner, Anna Lauvergnac, Harry Allen, Paula West, Nicholas Payton, Etta Jones, Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, Lee Konitz, Klaus Doldinger, and Ralph Bowen. Heart's Content, which was released in May 2003, was credited to "Peter Bernstein + 3," and the three were Mehldau, Bill Stewart, and bassist Larry Grenadier. The same year the album appeared, Bernstein could be heard on albums by Ryan Kisor, Wycliffe Gordon, Janis Siegel, and Martin Sasse, among others.

Stranger in Paradise, Bernstein's sixth album, was released in June 2004 by the Japanese Tokuma label, and employed the same lineup as that on Heart's Content. In addition to musicians with whom he had recorded before, Bernstein appeared on albums by Jim Rotondi and Dr. Lonnie Smith in 2004 and Kathy Kosins in 2005. On August 23, 2005, Mel Bay released the DVD Peter Bernstein Trio Live at Smoke, taped at a jazz club on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Among his many sideman sessions in the mid-2000s, Bernstein added dates with Joe Magnarelli, Alvin Queen, Planet Jazz, Anton Schwartz, John Pisano, David "Fathead" Newman, Don Friedman, Cory Weeds, and Andrew Suvalsky to the list of his credits, along with repeat appearances with others. In January 2009, the newly reactivated Xanadu label released Bernstein's seventh album, Monk, a tribute to Thelonious Monk featuring bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Bill Stewart.

In 2013, he paired with guitarist Joachim Schoenecker for the duo album Dialogues. A year later, he joined longtime associates Larry Goldings and Bill Stewart on Ramshackle Serenade. He then made his Smoke Sessions debut with 2016's Let Loose, a lively quartet date featuring pianist Gerald Clayton. Also that year, he collaborated with fellow guitarists Rale Micic, John Abercrombie, and Lage Lund on Inspired. For the guitarist's second Smoke Sessions date, Signs Live!, he reunited the band that had recorded his 1995 album Signs of Life, including pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Released in 2017, Signs Live! was the first time Bernstein and the members of the quartet had all played together in over 20 years. By William Ruhlmann https://www.amazon.com/Simple-as-That/dp/B0CVRWDYB2

Messengers in Jazz with Peter Bernstein at Termansens

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Dmitry Baevsky - The Composers

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:07
Size: 122,9 MB
Art: Front


(6:30) 1. Ojos de Rojo
(6:12) 2. Gaslight
(5:52) 3. Mister Chairman
(5:29) 4. To Whom it May Concern
(7:37) 5. Self Portrait (of the Bean)
(6:15) 6. Swift As the Wind
(4:17) 7. Smoke Signal
(6:02) 8. Three Wishes
(4:49) 9. Tears Inside

Personnel: Dmitry Baevsky: alto saxophone; Peter Bernstein: guitar; David Hazeltine: piano; John Webber: bass; Jason Brown: drums.

The Composers

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Benny Benack III - Third Times the Charm

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:52
Size: 149,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:21) 1. Third Time's The Charm
(3:54) 2. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
(5:30) 3. Scootin'
(7:08) 4. Catching Drift
(4:38) 5. Thank You For The Heartbreak
(3:34) 6. Gary, Indiana
(5:41) 7. In A Mellow Tone
(4:29) 8. It's Not Unusual
(4:58) 9. Twilight Blue
(4:41) 10. Roylike
(3:14) 11. Jade
(3:00) 12. American Woman
(4:24) 13. Giselle
(5:14) 14. Pretty Eyed Baby

Though the title of this third album from multihyphenate Benny Benack III might imply misfires with his first two go-rounds, the truth really runs contrary to that line of reasoning. One of a Kind (BB3, 2017), while flying under the radar, introduced some listeners to a talent far too large to be contained; and A Lot of Livin' To Do (La Reserve, 2020) proved to be a strong follow-up statement, earning greater attention and acclaim for a dashing leading man with the world on a string. Now, building on those past successes while capitalizing on his growing experience(s), Benack is in full bloom and truly coming into his own.

Third Time's The Charm is the portrait of a debonair dynamo both strong and wise, able to power along or play with patience, all depending on what the music and the moment require. Tapping pianist Emmet Cohen's trio with bassist Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole, and adding some ace guests when the time is right, Benack brings his many talents as trumpeter, singer, lyricist, composer, arranger and producerto the fore. For starters he offers the title track a snazzy, swinging number that's chock-full of charm and a lovely, loyal take on "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" that leaves no doubt as to the power and poetry of a Bacharach-David tune in the right hands. The first two numbers on an album that presents 14, they bode very well for the balance.

Following those introductory offerings, Benack brings some more good friends into the fold. Guitarist Peter Bernstein, appearing on several numbers spread out across the program, drops by for some boogaloo action on "Scootin,'" plays the perfect chordal accompanist on the intimate and muted "Thank You For The Heartbreak," and proves key to the bossa-based beauty of "Jade." Tenor saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown makes for a well-matched frontline partner on the churning and waltzing "Catching Drift" and noir-ish, swirling "Twilight Blue." Vocalist and trumpeter Bria Skonberg complements and counters Benack in perfect form on an irresistible "In a Mellow Tone." And Michael Stephenson puts his tenor to good use on the funky "Roylike" and shares the vocal spotlight with the leader on scat-friendly closer "Pretty Eyed Baby."

Each of the aforementioned artists add volumes with their appearance(s), and in doing so they also reinforce Benack's elevated position and place in this music. Not that this all-rounder needs any help, of course. Even while sharing the spotlight, Benack is beaming. Whether gleefully singing and blowing the praises of "Gary, Indiana" with his piano pal by his side, delivering mellifluous and magical crooning over a "Poinciana"-influenced groove on "It's Not Unusual," jettisoning his whole crew (save for a mood-setting and song-grounding Hall) on a thrilling take on The Guess Who's "American Woman," or bathing the ears in tender balladry during "Giselle," this leader is always on point. His star power is absolutely undeniable. Benny Benack III is quite simply a force to be reckoned with, and Third Time's The Charm says as much or more. By Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/third-times-the-charm-benny-benack-iii-la-reserve-bandstand-presents

Personnel: Benny Benack III - trumpet; Emmet Cohen - piano; Russell Hall - bass.; Kyle Poole - drums; Ruben Fox - saxophone; Chad Lefkowitz-Brown - saxophone tenor; Peter Bernstein - guitar.

Third Times the Charm

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Martin Sasse Trio, Peter Bernstein - A Groovy Affair

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:34
Size: 152,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:43) 1. A Groovy Affair
(8:16) 2. Winter Waltz
(7:18) 3. Search For Love
(6:18) 4. Blues 4 H & H
(6:09) 5. Clear The Dex
(8:49) 6. Nightbirds
(7:07) 7. Body And Soul
(8:27) 8. There's A Small Hotel
(6:23) 9. The Modal Thing No. 2

Pianist Martin Sasse is a talented bop-based player and his trio with bassist Henning Gailing and drummer Hendrik Smock is excellent. However, on this set their guest, guitarist Peter Bernstein, consistently steals the show. Bernstein's solos on the straight-ahead material are fiery and inventive, and swing hard. Sasse contributed six of the nine numbers, several of which are based on common chord changes, including "The Modal Thing No. 2" (which is essentially "Impressions"). A medium-tempo version of "Body & Soul" is one of the many highlights on this fine modern hard bop date.By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-groovy-affair-mw0000041587

A Groovy Affair

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Dr. Lonnie Smith - The Art Of Organizing

Styles: Hammond b-3 organ
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:31
Size: 148,0 MB
Art: Front

( 8:42)  1. When We Kissed At Night
( 7:20)  2. My Little Suede Shoes
( 9:20)  3. This Ain't Right
( 5:14)  4. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
( 7:44)  5. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
( 8:21)  6. Turning Point
(11:11)  7. Night Song
( 6:36)  8. Too Damn Hot

Brace yourselves for The Art of Organizing, the very first appearance on Criss Cross by organ master Dr. Lonnie Smith. Guitarist Peter Bernstein and Billy Drummond, one of the more prolific and sensitive drummers of our time, completes the lineup. From his early days with George Benson and Lou Donaldson to the present day, Dr. Lonnie Smith has always been a driving force in jazz. The Art of Organizing, featuring Smith and trio on standards and a batch of strong new originals, is another contribution that will remain timeless. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/The-Organizing-Lonnie-Smith-Trio/dp/B002G5FLSS

Personnel: Dr. Lonnie Smith (Hammond b-3 organ); Peter Bernstein (guitar); Billy Drummond (drums).

The Art Of Organizing

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Wycliffe Gordon - Dig This!!

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:14
Size: 156,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:02) 1. Dig This!!
(7:58) 2. Mahajual
(8:21) 3. Old Man Blooz Take 2
(7:24) 4. Limehouse Blues
(4:20) 5. The Beautiful Souls
(5:07) 6. Jookin' The Blooz
(7:32) 7. Lonnie's Lament
(5:23) 8. I can't Get Started
(5:22) 9. Cone's Tune
(2:52) 10. Blues Etude #2
(7:47) 11. Old Man Blooz Take 1

Wycliffe Gordon is a trombone player who knows his instrument from the primordial playing of Kid Ory and Honore Dutrey through giants like Jack Teagarden and J.J. Johnson up to and including today's best like Steve Turre. This ability is nowhere better illustrated than on this new CD covering music as classic as "Limehouse Blues" and "I Can't Get Started" and as new as the originals composed for this late 2002 recording date.

As a jazz historian/antiquarian, I admit that my taste runs to the familiarity of the standard chestnuts that greet me like an old friend even when dressed up in the latest style, yet there are still contemporary composer/arranger/players such as Wycliffe Gordon whose modern masterpieces could well qualify as tomorrow's classic staples. "Dig This" and "Old Man Blooz" (which appears here in two takes) are prime examples of the best of 21st century jazz standards in the making.

Again, given my taste for the early giants of this music, it's no surprise that leader/trombonist Gordon and guitarist Peter Bernstein are familiar names. Maybe this also accounts for the fact that I find the Hammond B-3 organist Sam Yahel a fascinating revelation. While too many of the "jazz electric organ" players I hear today are leaning on the bassist and/or drummer for rhythmic impetus, Yahel makes proper use of the Hammond's pedal board to underlay the bass line. Other players, tenor sax man Seamus Blake and drummer Bell Stewart, while not as startling on first listening as Yahel, fulfill their function in the ensemble.

Certain to cause comment and interest is Gordon's unaccompanied trombone solo, "Blues Etude #2." Gordon, like Anthony Braxton before him and Johann Sebastian Bach before him, has shown the power of an unaccompanied line supplying its own melody, harmony and rhythm.

Yet the track I'll keep returning to is Wycliffe Gordon's statement of "Limehouse Blues," which alternates between single and double time. In his distinctive arrangement of this hit tune of 1924 imported from the United Kingdom and defined in recordings by the Benny Goodman Sextet and by the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, Gordon has given new life to a classic which now becomes part of the contemporary repertoire.By Joe Klee. ttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/dig-this-wycliffe-gordon-criss-cross-review-by-joe-klee

Personnel: Wycliffe Gordon - Trombone; Peter Bernstein - Guitar; Seamus Blake - Tenor Sax; Bill Stewart - Drums; Sam Yahel - Hammond Organ.

Dig This!!

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Judy Niemack - What's Love?

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:47
Size: 144,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:25) 1. Feelin’ It In Your Bones
(5:06) 2. Firefly
(4:17) 3. For All We Know
(4:25) 4. Catalyst
(5:01) 5. I’m Moving On
(5:35) 6. What’s Love Got to Do With It
(4:46) 7. Just When I Thought
(4:39) 8. With You
(5:07) 9. Let Life Lead You
(4:27) 10. Blues That Soothe My Soul
(4:34) 11. I’ll Love Again
(4:38) 12. Born to Be Blue
(4:40) 13. Right Here, Right Now

Jazz vocalist Judy Niemack presents a collection of rhapsodic romantic songs on her upcoming album release, What’s Love, due out October 28 on Sunnyside Records. Following Niemack’s lauded 2018 release New York Stories with pianist Jim McNeely and Danish Radio Big Band, What’s Love represents a vulnerable side of the lifelong vocalist’s artistry. In an embrace of her distinctive sound, Niemack’s rich collection of original lyrics paired with select standards offers a glimpse into her resilient and inventive vocal prowess.

An exploration of the healing powers of love, What’s Love presents as a musical reconciliation with the boundless, yet relatable, challenges that continually loop through our lives. While conceptually, What’s Love is a beacon of effervescence, its sound is both capricious and exhilarating. Niemack takes to exploring the many varieties of love in her life on each selection, while also seizing an opportunity to explore her vocal range. Her trademark sound clear, yet warm with a cloudy edge is softer here. Employing this lower timbre, Niemack is keenly aware of her newfound sense of expression: “I haven’t lost my high notes, but gained lower ones,” she adds.

Niemack is joined among the highest level of jazz musicianship for the affair; What’s Love hosts Peter Bernstein on guitar, Sullivan Fortner on piano, Doug Weiss on bass, Joe Farnsworth on drums and Eric Alexander on alto saxophone.

“This is my view of love which, of course, is unique,” the singer, author and professor shares while discussing her inspiration for the title, which also borrows from her arrangement of the Tina Turner hit, “What’s Love Got To Do With It, a high moment on the date for the leader, who takes a slower and more contemplative approach to Turner’s question.

“Michelangelo famously said that he saw the sculpture hidden in a piece of marble and simply revealed it by taking away the stone, bit by bit. Composing for me is similar I have a feeling I want to express, which leads to a poem, words, which then are set to music that I discover on the piano. It just comes to me. My songs grow out of emotion.”

An overt lyrical message of moving ahead after loss, the track “I’m Moving On” gives generous space for each band member to contribute solos that grapple with the notion of moving forward, making the track a more gentle and evocative standout off the record. With Bernstein and Fortner at the instrumental helm, Niemack’s gifted scatting is guided effortlessly throughout “I’ll Love Again” and “Right Here, Right Now” are two examples, where lush instrumentation is met by silken vocal intonations.

While recording at the Van Gelder, Alexander joined the band as a special guest alto saxophonist. He contributes his optimistic original composition “Let Life Lead You.” Though the cheerful message was originally penned ‘Little Lucas,’ a note to Alexander’s son, Niemack was galvanized by its universality. Contributing a new lyric and title, she sings about embracing risk and remaining grateful in moments of opportunity a key sentiment that prevails across the record.

Highlighting her propensity for articulation and translucence as a songwriter and vocalist, Niemack outrivals herself on What’s Love. A deliberate and tasteful meditation on life's various chapters, What’s Love captures the essence of a talent with an unrequited passion for the sounds of storytelling. Judy Niemack, through her confident command and glistening vocal range, is inviting us to think about what ‘love’ means, yet by her own seamless and magical invention, once we accept her call, all we really have to do is listen.

Personnel: Judy Niemack - vocals; Peter Bernstein - guitar; Sullivan Fortner - piano; Doug Weiss - bass; Joe Farnsworth - drums; Eric Alexander - alto saxophone (9)

What's Love?

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Sasha Dobson - Girl talk

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:15
Size: 107,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:27) 1. Better days
(5:27) 2. Sweet and lovely
(4:22) 3. Girl talk
(3:35) 4. Perhaps perhaps perhaps
(4:19) 5. You're the death of me
(4:08) 6. The great city
(5:04) 7. Softly as in a morning sunrise
(6:18) 8. Time on my hands
(4:48) 9. Autumn nocturne
(4:41) 10. The boots are made for walking

Sasha Dobson is an American jazz singer from Santa Cruz, California, now based in New York City. Dobson comes from a musical family. Her father, Smith Dobson was a pianist who recorded with Mark Murphy and played with Bobby Hutcherson and her mother Gail is also a singer, and her brother Smith is a tenor saxophonist, drummer, and vibraphonist. The family performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1991 when Dobson was twelve. Her debut album, Modern Romance, was released in August 2006 by Jesse Harris's Secret Sun Recordings label. Dobson participated in the Norah Jones The Fall tour, providing guitar, percussion, and vocal harmonies and she was the opening act on the tour. Her album Aquarius was released in 2013 and another Into The Trees was released in 2014. In 2020, she released an EP https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/sasha-dobson

Personnel: Sasha Dobson (vocals); Peter Bernstein (guitar); Ian Hendrickson-Smith (alto sax); Steven Bernstein (trumpet, flugelhorn, slide trumpet); Smith Dobson (vibes); Mauro Refosco (perc.); Neal Miner (bass); Dred Scott (drums) + Kenny Wollesen (drums - 2 tks); Norah Jones (backing vocal on Girl Talk).

Girl talk

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Caesar Frazier - Tenacity: As We Speak

Styles: Soul, Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:46
Size: 110,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:38) 1. Dat Dere
(5:05) 2. Mergin' Traffic
(6:07) 3. Festival el Spanol
(5:17) 4. Just Passin' Thru
(6:56) 5. Polka Dots & Moonbeans
(1:07) 6. Dat Dere (Reprise)
(4:51) 7. A Thought in Minor
(4:19) 8. Excuse Me
(3:14) 9. One Easy Morning
(6:08) 10. Poinciana

Hailing from Indianapolis, Ceasar Frazier was a funky soul-jazz organist who recorded several albums for the Eastbound/Westbound label family during the '70s. First making his mark in 1972 with one of saxman Lou Donaldson's funkier bands, Frazier cut his first album Hail Ceasar! later that year, which featured musicians commonly associated with the Prestige label's jazz-funk outings Melvin Sparks (guitar), Houston Person (tenor), and Idris Muhammad (drums).

The follow-up, Ceasar Frazier '75, featured the likes of guitarist Cornell Dupree and drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie; the album's key track, "Funk It Down," was later sampled by jazz-obsessed hip-hoppers Gang Starr for their "Ex-Girl to the Next Girl." In 1978, Frazier resurfaced as a smooth soul/disco vocalist with the LP Another Life, and while he showed some affinity for the idiom, it failed to reinvent him as a commercial force outside the jazz-funk marketplace. In addition to recording on his own, Frazier also played keyboards in Marvin Gaye's backing band. Thanks to the rare-groove revival, his rare original LPs now fetch generous sums on the collectors'market.
~Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ceasar-frazier-mn0000536319/biography

Tenacity: As We Speak

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Pat Bianchi - In the Moment

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:54
Size: 138,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:43) 1. Humpty Dumpty
(7:20) 2. Blue Gardenia
(7:29) 3. Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing
(3:46) 4. Mr. PM
(7:51) 5. Barracudas (General Assembly)
(5:25) 6. Crazy
(6:51) 7. No Expectations
(5:43) 8. I Want to Talk About You
(7:11) 9. Fall
(4:29) 10. Four in One

If you glance at the tracks listed here, you may be tempted to start out with two notable collaborations and one Willie Nelson-penned country classic. Not a bad move, as it turns out. The cameos by vocalist Kevin Mahogany, who died in late 2017, and guitar legend Pat Martino, organist Pat Bianchi’s mentor and bandmate, swiftly live up to expectations, albeit in sharply contrasting performances.

And the thoroughly reinvigorated reprise of Nelson’s “Crazy” somehow manages to salute both Patsy Cline and vintage organ-combo traditions with as much ingenuity as ease. It’s just one of several reminders of Bianchi’s flair for devising fresh, compact arrangements. Over the course of 10 tracks, Bianchi and a seasoned cast of session mates cover a lot of ground. Besides Nelson and Billy Eckstine the prime inspiration for Mahogany’s luxe, soulful rendering of “I Want to Talk About You” In the Moment features compositions by Chick Corea (“Humpty Dumpty”), Stevie Wonder (“Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing”), Miles Davis/Gil Evans (“Barracudas [General Assembly]”), Wayne Shorter (“Fall”), and Thelonious Monk (“Four in One”).

Throughout, Bianchi, guitarist Paul Bollenback, and drummer Byron Landham make an agile, tightly cohesive trio. The keyboardist and guitarist often display a mutual talent for offsetting resonating atmospherics with flashing chromaticism, while Landham is busy neatly negotiating dynamic tempo shifts and tricky rhythmic displacements. It soon becomes clear that the trio’s special guests are prepared for similar challenges. So don’t be surprised when guitarist Peter Bernstein, vibist Joe Locke, and drummer Carmen Intorre, Jr. suddenly snare, and reward, your attention. ~ Mike Joyce https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/pat-bianchi-in-moment-savant/

Personnel: Pat Bianchi (organ); Paul Bollenback (guitar); Byron Landham (drums). With special guests: Peter Bernstein (guitar); Carmen Intorre Jr.(drums); Joe Locke (vibes); Kevin Mahogany (vocal); Pat Martino, (guitar)

In the Moment

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Steve Davis - Bluesthetic

Styles: Trombone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:46
Size: 146,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:39) 1. Encouragement
(6:35) 2. Silver at Sundown
(6:25) 3. Maybe So
(6:47) 4. Bedford Strolle
(5:57) 5. Faraway Dream
(8:20) 6. They Wore 44
(7:30) 7. Off the Cuff
(5:22) 8. Indigo to Azure
(5:57) 9. Bluesthetic
(6:10) 10. A Star for Chick

Trombonist/composer Steve Davis has long been a first-call sideman. Chick Corea, as one example, tapped Davis for his revived Spanish Heart Band a couple of years ago. But, like the members of this esteemed sextet, Davis is a bandleader too, in his case with close to twenty-five albums under his name. On each of his three previous releases for Smoke Sessions Records, Davis assembled a stellar sextet with modern jazz’s most vaunted players. He repeats that here with Bluesthetic, but in an interesting way, shunning additional horn players on the front line, instead, he creates interesting harmonic possibilities with guitarist Peter Bernstein and vibraphonist Steve Nelson, a reunion of sorts as both appeared on his 1998 album Vibe Up! years. Rounding out his elite sextet is the formidable rhythm section of Geoffrey Keezer, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Willie Jones III. All of these players had convened in various configurations over the past three decades.

The ten Davis originals each bear a story of their own. The breezy “Encouragement” hails the emergence of the pandemic with an uplifting melody. “Silver at Sundown” is dedicated as you may guess to Horace Silver and may not guess the Hartford jazz community from which Davis emerged under the mentorship of many, most notably Jackie McLean, whose lines course through the previous tune. In the liners, Davis references Silver’s trio playing in Hartford at The Sundown, a club where Silver led the house band in the early 1950s. It was there that Stan Getz saw Silver play and invited him on tour, a key moment in the pianist’s now-legendary career. Silver later recounted the story to Davis, who lived in Hartford for more than 25 years before moving to his current home in Stamford. “It’s a very cool piece of jazz history connected to a city that I spent a lot of time in,” Davis says.

The tune “Maybe So” comes from two words Davis uttered upon waking up. It glides along briskly with shimmering turns from each front liner as well as a pizzicato statement from the ever articulate McBride, who in turn engages his rhythm mates through a few choruses before Davis returns with the melody, passing the baton to Bernstein and Nelson in the hard-swinging beauty. Just three tracks in, Davis displays a remarkable sense of melody.

Commenting on the free-flowing, relaxed nature of the music McBride compares many of these compositions to those of pianist James Williams and Bobby Watson of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers because the compositions have the feeling of soul and R&B mixed with post-bop blues. Speaking of McBride his waling bass line is perfect for “Bedford Stroll,” named for the bustling street where he and his wife live in Stamford, CT, and where he often develops his melodic ideas on late night walks. Low tones from the trombone usher in “Faraway Dream,” another nocturnal one as if floating on Nelson’s resonant vibes and Bernstein’s ringing guitar, with Keezer sitting out and Jones whispering on brushes.

The aptly muscular “They Wore 44” draws on a passion for sports that Davis shares with McBride. The recent death of legendary right fielder Hank Aaron, who wore the number 44 during his long tenure with the. Davis, a die-hard Red Sox fan, would likely have loved to mention one from his team but none measure up to those listed above. It features featuring lively soloing, especially both Keezer and Nelson.

Bernstein carves out a bluesy solo and Willie Jones III creates a maelstrom on his kit. “Off the Cuff” is a spontaneous free-wheeling tune pulled together near the end of the session, features spirited soloing from each band member. The aching ballad “Indigo to Azure” explores the full spectrum of the blues, with some of the leader’s most sensitive and lyrical playing, matched by his band members led by Keezer’s elegant comping, Nelson’s inspiring notes, and subtle support from the rhythm tandem as Bernstein sits out.

The title track Bluesthetic captures a combination of the appreciation of artful beauty suggested by “aesthetic” combined with the foundational influence of the blues. Interestingly in the liners, he alludes to the first concert he ever saw – electric Muddy Waters at Tanglewood. Finally, and inevitably given the close association between Davis and Chick Corea, “A Star for Chick” bids the icon a warm farewell. Davis was initially tapped for a three-year stint in Corea’s band Origin in late 1997, then later took part in the keyboardist’s orchestral piece “The Continents” and his Grammy-winning, Latin-inspired Spanish Heart Band. He played with Corea for over twenty years and earned the nickname “Davissimo the Melody Man” from Corea. Davis certainly lives up to it in this well-constructed session.~Jim Hayneshttps://glidemagazine.com/275863/master-trombonist-steve-davis-assembles-remarkable-sextet-on-all-original-post-bop-bluesthetic-album-review/

Personnel: Steve Davis – trombone; Peter Bernstein – guitar; Steve Nelson – vibraphone; Geoffrey Keezer – piano; Christian McBride – bass; Willie Jones III – drums

Bluesthetic

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Larry Goldings,Peter Bernstein,Bill Stewart - Perpetual Pendulum

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:00
Size: 149,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:08) 1. United
(7:07) 2. Let's Get Lots
(5:03) 3. Libra
(5:28) 4. Prelude
(5:06) 5. FU Donald
(5:20) 6. Come Rain or Come Shine
(5:54) 7. Little Green Men
(5:35) 8. Reflections in D
(6:05) 9. Perpetual Pendulum
(5:25) 10. Lurkers
(7:43) 11. Django

Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, and Bill Stewart celebrate over three decades as a trio with PERPETUAL PENDULUM, a scintillating program combining clever originals with fresh takes on jazz classics. And, while 30 years is not quite an eternity in jazz terms, it might as well be they show no signs of slowing down.

PERPETUAL PENDULUM is also their debut release on Smoke Sessions, which has some historical significance related to their origins as a trio. Smoke Jazz & Supper Club, the label’s parent venue, was opened on the former site of Augie’s Jazz Bar, where Goldings, Bernstein and Stewart first performed together and established their rapport on a regular Thursday night gig starting in 1989. They also recorded this album at New York’s Sear Sound Studio A, which is where they recorded their second outing together, 1992’s "Light Blue" and was also 30 years after the release of their debut album, Goldings’ 1991 album "The Intimacy of the Blues."

If it’s hard to imagine a band with the kind of longevity that Goldings, Bernstein, and Stewart share, it’s even more rare to find one maintaining their brilliant level of musicianship and chemistry and that is not lost on the trio. “We all really dig each other, and that's probably the most important thing,” Goldings says in an attempt to explain the trio’s indefinable chemistry. There’s a lot of crossover in what we like to play and listen to, and our individual visions of jazz tend to align. It’s hard to say, because we never really discuss it; we just try to make good records. We came up together.”

Bernstein concurs. “I think we all share a pure feeling of gratitude. With these cats, I feel pressured to play my best because they’ve heard everything I can do. At the same time, I feel comfortable trying anything with them because I know whatever I do, they're going to hold it together. We’ve all grown through our individual experiences, but we always come back to this. And it's only getting better.”

Personnel: Larry Goldings - organ; Peter Bernstein - guitar; Bill Stewart - drums

Perpetual Pendulum

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Jesse Davis - As We Speak

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1992
Time: 65:47
Size: 105,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:40)  1. Wake-Up Call
(6:55)  2. You are Too Beautiful
(6:50)  3. As We Speak
(4:44)  4. Quasimodo
(8:17)  5. Dear Druann
(7:59)  6. 'Tudes
(7:25)  7. Hipnotism
(6:14)  8. Lush Life
(6:04)  9. Recession Blues
(5:33) 10. I know that You Know

This is a good straight-ahead session that comprises the second album by alto saxophonist Jesse Davis, who hasn't gotten as much ink as many other young lion players. The menu features pre-rock and bop anthems, plus hard bop originals keyed by Davis' aggressive, often soothing solos and fine assistance from trombonist Robin Trowers, pianist Jacky Terrasson, guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist Dwayne Burno, and drummer Leon Parker. ~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/as-we-speak-mw0000614344

Personnel: Alto Saxophone – Jesse Davis;  Bass – Dwayne Burno; Drums – Leon Parker; Guitar – Peter Bernstein; Piano – Jacky Terrasson; Trombone – Robert Trowers

As We Speak

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Ralph Bowen - Five

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:50
Size: 146,5 MB
Art: Front+ Back

( 9:59)  1. Step Lightly
( 7:46)  2. Baby Girl
( 7:58)  3. First Hiatus
( 9:43)  4. Free Time
( 7:13)  5. Blues Cruz
(12:28)  6. Drowning Man
( 8:40)  7. Rahsaan's Run

A member of Out of the Blue in the 1980s and an oft-employed freelancer in the ‘90s, Canada-born saxophonist Ralph Bowen has been steadily blazing his own path through the mainstream jazz scene. With FIVE, Bowen continues his reinvigoration of the jazz organ group sound, with leanings not toward classic soul-jazz (Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff) but rather towards the more adventurous end of the spectrum (Larry Young), namely hard bop with tinges of fusion. Bowen’s combo, including ultra-modern organ ace Sam Yahel and guitarist Peter Bernstein, burns brightly and intelligently throughout. ~ Mark Keresman http://www.allmusic.com/album/five-mw0000785118
 

Personnel: Ralph Bowen (tenor saxophone); Peter Bernstein (guitar); John Swana (trumpet); Sam Yahel (organ); Dana Hall (drums).

Five

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Jimmy Cobb's Mob - Cobb's Groove

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:39
Size: 132,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:04)  1. Cobb's Groove
(5:29)  2. I Miss You, My Love
(5:28)  3. Willow Tree
(6:28)  4. Sweet and Lovely
(5:56)  5. Jet Stream
(5:53)  6. Moment To Moment
(8:07)  7. Minor Changes
(6:51)  8. Bubblehead
(6:20)  9. Simone

Some decisions are good, others bad, and a few are quite simply inspired, such as producer Todd Barkan's decision to invite tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander to join drummer Jimmy Cobb's Mob on its latest album, Cobb's Groove. I can picture the session as being a pretty good one without Alexander sitting in; with him, it rises far above that, moving toward the adjectival equivalent of superlative. And that's no knock on Cobb, pianist Richard Wyands, guitarist Peter Bernstein or bassist John Webber, each of whom is a standout. But it is Alexander's overshadowing presence that sets the album apart and makes it special. One must, of course, allow for a certain bias here. As unofficial spokesman for the Eric Alexander Fan Club, I've been praising his talents for a number of years now, and others must agree, as Alexander is not only one of the best but also one of the busiest tenors on the New York scene, a throwback to the days when musicians would wind up a gig, then take their horns or whatever to another location and blow until sunrise and beyond. In short, this is one player who clearly loves what he is doing, and it shows. 

What I admire most about Alexander, aside, that is, from his gorgeous tone, impeccable technique and endless stream of persuasive ideas, is that he seems always to have something fresh to say, some new and unexpected twist that lets one know that he is not standing still but constantly working to enhance his artistry. Stylistically, Alexander is straight-on but never dull, forswearing flashy histrionics in favor of beauty and intelligence to underscore his musical point of view. Best of all, he invariably comes to play. Of course, Cobb and his Mob come to play too, and Groove would be a rather tedious session without them. While perhaps not as well known as such contemporaries as Art Blakey, Max Roach, Roy Haynes, Philly Joe Jones and others, Cobb is a tasteful and experienced timekeeper who adds class to any group. Bernstein, who has been with the Mob from its outset, is a staunch team player and resourceful soloist, as are Wyands and Webber. 

They're an impressive group on their own terms, an even better one with Alexander on board. Seven of the nine tunes on Groove are originals'three by Bernstein ("Jet Stream," "Minor Changes," "Bobblehead") and one each by Cobb ("Cobb's Groove"), Wyands ("Willow Tree"), Steve Batten ("I Miss You, My Love") and Frank Foster ("Simone"). Completing the program are Henry Mancini's "Moment to Moment" and another standard, "Sweet and Lovely." Alexander puts on the gloves and trades punches on every number, and he never fails to deliver a knockout blow. Cobb's Groove is a paradigm of swinging, straight-ahead contemporary jazz, superbly performed by five world-class musicians. Warmly recommended. ~ Jack Bowers  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/cobbs-groove-jimmy-cobb-fantasy-jazz-review-by-jack-bowers.php#.U44Dkiioqdk
 

Personnel: Jimmy Cobb: drums; Richard Wyands: piano; Peter Bernstein: guitar; John Webber: bass. Special guest: Eric Alexander, tenor saxophone.

Cobb's Groove

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Jimmy Cobb's Mob - Only for the Pure at Heart

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:07
Size: 149,5 MB
Art: Front

( 8:07)  1. Delilah
( 5:51)  2. Say Little Mama Say
( 6:07)  3. Only For the Pure At Heart
( 4:03)  4. Stars Fell on Alabama
( 4:46)  5. Gingerbread Boy
( 6:10)  6. Johhny Red
( 5:58)  7. Smile
( 6:16)  8. Ma Turk
(10:58)  9. Vida Blue
( 6:48) 10. Riverside

Jimmy Cobb was in his late sixties when he recorded Only for the Pure at Heart, but the veteran drummer was still playing with the type of enthusiasm that had characterized his work with Miles Davis, Wes Montgomery, Cannonball Adderley, and other big names 35 and 40 years earlier. Of course, enthusiasm is easier to come by when you have as solid and cohesive a band as Cobb does on this often relaxed bebop date, which employs Richard Wyands on piano, John Webber on bass, and the Grant Green-influenced Peter Bernstein on guitar. Cobb called this working band Jimmy Cobb's Mob, although it shouldn't be confused with the Cobb's Mob that Texas tenor saxman Arnett Cobb led in the 1950s (when bassist George Duvivier wrote the song "Cobb's Mobb" for him). 

However, Jimmy Cobb's Mob of the late '90s isn't unlike the bands he'd helped bring to life in the 1950s and 1960s, and straight-up bop is exactly what the drummer provides on material ranging from "Smile" and "Stars Fell on Alabama" to Bernstein's catchy "Vida Blue" and Webber's moody "Johnny Red." In fact, much of the CD sounds like it could have been recorded 40 years earlier. Only for the Pure at Heart is the work of an accomplished drummer who, at 68, continued to excel by sticking with the tried and proven. ~ Alex Henderson  http://www.allmusic.com/album/only-for-the-pure-of-heart-mw0000038556

Personnel: Jimmy Cobb (drums); Richard Wyands (piano); Peter Bernstein (guitar); John Webber (bass).

Only for the Pure at Heart

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Peter Bernstein - Heart's Content

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 57:20
Size: 105,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:42) 1. Little Green Men
(7:09) 2. Heart's Content
(8:41) 3. Relativity
(8:12) 4. Consant Conversation
(7:12) 5. Dedicated To You
(8:32) 6. Simple As That
(6:59) 7. Public Domain
(2:50) 8. Blood Count

Jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein was born September 3, 1967, in New York City. He got his first break while attending the New School when he met Jim Hall, who recruited him for a concert of guitarists as part of the 1990 JVC Jazz Festival in New York. The show was recorded by MusicMasters and issued as Live at Town Hall, Vol. 2. Bernstein quickly began playing with other jazz musicians, notably appearing on albums by Lou Donaldson, Michael Hashim, Larry Goldings, Mel Rhyne, Jesse Davis, and Geoff Keezer. He recorded his first album as a leader, Somethin's Burnin', for Criss Cross on December 22, 1992, as part of quartet with Brad Mehldau (piano), John Webber (bass), and Jimmy Cobb (drums). After working with such artists as Patti Page, Walt Weiskopf, Brian Lynch, Laverne Butler, Eric Alexander, and Hendrik Meurkens in 1993-1994, he issued his second solo album, Signs of Life, on May 2, 1995, working again with Mehldau, along with Christian McBride (bass) and Gregory Hutchinson (drums). Further work as a sideman with Ghetto Philharmonic, Trudy Desmond, Teodross Avery, Joshua Redman, Kevin Mahogany, Grant Stewart, and Mike LeDonne preceded the release of his third album, Brain Dance, on June 24, 1997. This time, he led a quintet also containing Goldings (organ), Eric Alexander (tenor saxophone), Steve Davis (trombone), and Billy Drummond (drums). Prior to his fourth album, Earth Tones, Bernstein recorded with Ralph Lalama and Eric Comstock, among others. Earth Tones, issued August 25, 1998, found him fronting a trio with Goldings and Bill Stewart (drums).

Five years elapsed before the release of Heart's Content, Bernstein's fifth album as a leader, and he occupied the time working with a wide variety of musicians including Tom Aalfs, Group 15, Jimmy Cobb's Mob, David Bubba Brooks, Doug Lawrence, Sam Yahel, David Morgan, Jon Gordon, Michael Karn, Spike Wilner, Anna Lauvergnac, Harry Allen, Paula West, Nicholas Payton, Etta Jones, Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, Lee Konitz, Klaus Doldinger, and Ralph Bowen. Heart's Content, which was released May 27, 2003, was credited to "Peter Bernstein + 3," and the three were Mehldau, Bill Stewart, and Larry Grenadier (bass). The same year the album appeared, Bernstein could be heard on albums by Ryan Kisor, Wycliffe Gordon, Janis Siegel, and Martin Sasse, among others. Stranger in Paradise, Bernstein's sixth album, was released June 8, 2004, by the Japanese Tokuma label, and employed the same lineup as that on Heart's Content. In addition to musicians with whom he had recorded before, Bernstein appeared on albums by Jim Rotondi and Dr. Lonnie Smith in 2004 and Kathy Kosins in 2005. On August 23, 2005, Mel Bay released the DVD Peter Bernstein Trio Live at Smoke, taped at a jazz club on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Monk Among his many sideman sessions in the mid-2000s, Bernstein added dates with Joe Magnarelli, Alvin Queen, Planet Jazz, Anton Schwartz, John Pisano, David "Fathead" Newman, Don Friedman, Cory Weeds, and Andrew Suvalsky to the list of his credits, along with repeat appearances with others. On January 13, 2009, the newly reactivated Xanadu label released Bernstein's seventh album, Monk, a tribute to Thelonious Monk featuring all Monk compositions. Although Monk was a pianist, of course, the Bernstein recording was made with a pianoless trio consisting of himself, Doug Weiss (bass), and Bill Stewart.

Personnel: Peter Bernstein (G); Brad Mehldau (P); Larry Grenadier (B); Bill Stewart (D)

Heart's Content

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Brian Lynch Quintet/Sextet - At The Main Event

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:54
Size: 130,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:20)  1. Dance The Way U Want To
(8:09)  2. At The Main Event
(7:00)  3. Blues For Woody And Khalid
(9:59)  4. Cry Me A River
(7:50)  5. Nite 'Vidual I
(8:50)  6. Ecaroh
(7:43)  7. Nite 'Vidual II

Brian Lynch, one of the top hard bop-oriented trumpeters of the 1990s, is heard interacting with tenor saxophonist Ralph Moore, guitarist Peter Bernstein, organist Melvin Rhyne, drummer Kenny Washington, and (on three of the seven selections) Jose Alexis Diaz on congas. Lynch is a powerful player and, on this set with the legendary organist Rhyne, he gets to show off some of his soulfulness too. Lynch contributed the first three songs, the band performs two versions of Rhyne's "Nite 'Vidual," and the group also stretches out on "Cry Me a River" and Horace Silver's "Ecaroh." Although not innovative, this music easily fits into the modern mainstream of the period and is quite creative within the genre. Then again, all Brian Lynch recordings are well worth acquiring by straight-ahead jazz fans. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/at-the-main-event-mw0000100102

Personnel: Brian Lynch (trumpet); Peter Bernstein (guitar); Ralph Moore (tenor saxophone); Melvin Rhyne (organ); Kenny Washington (drums); Jose Alexis Diaz (congas).

At The Main Event

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Peter Bernstein - Somethin's Burnin'

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:03
Size: 137,7 MB
Art: Front

( 9:08)  1. This Could Be The Start Of Something Big
( 5:08)  2. Afterglow
(10:01)  3. Booker's Little Blues
( 7:18)  4. Mr. Kenyatta
( 7:02)  5. On A Misty Night
( 6:38)  6. Isn't This A Lovely Day
( 6:31)  7. Love For Sale
( 8:13)  8. Sideburns

Guitarist Peter Bernstein, who was 25 at the time, made his recording debut as a leader on this CD. He plays quite well, as does his friend, the up-and-coming pianist Brad Mehldau. Teamed with bassist John Webber and drummer Jimmy Cobb, Bernstein and Mehldau (who was almost recognizable at this early point) play three of the guitarist's originals, four jazz standards, and Lee Morgan's "Mr. Kenyatta," all in the modern hard bop style. Although Bernstein (who often sounds a bit like Wes Montgomery) and Mehldau would grow quite a bit from where they were in 1992, this was a fine start for their careers. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/somethins-burnin-mw0000110257

Peter Bernstein Quartet: Peter Bernstein (guitar); Brad Mehldau (piano); John Webber (bass); Jimmy Cobb (drums).               

Somethin's Burnin'

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Peter Bernstein & Guido Di Leone Quartet - Tribute to Jim Hall

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:46
Size: 144,0 MB
Art: Front

(11:52) 1. I'm Getting Sentimental over You
( 6:21) 2. Bon ami
( 6:25) 3. Two's Blues
( 6:22) 4. All Across the City
( 8:14) 5. I Hear a Rhapsody
( 6:01) 6. Waltz New
( 9:19) 7. How Deep Is the Ocean
( 8:10) 8. St Thomas

Jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein was born September 3, 1967, in New York City. He got his first break while attending the New School when he met Jim Hall, who recruited him for a concert of guitarists as part of the 1990 JVC Jazz Festival in New York. The show was recorded by MusicMasters and issued as Live at Town Hall, Vol. 2. Bernstein quickly began playing with other jazz musicians, notably appearing on albums by Lou Donaldson, Michael Hashim, Larry Goldings, Mel Rhyne, Jesse Davis, and Geoff Keezer. He recorded his first album as a leader, Somethin's Burnin', for Criss Cross in December, 1992, as part of quartet with pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist John Webber, and drummer Jimmy Cobb. After working with such artists as Patti Page, Walt Weiskopf, Brian Lynch, Laverne Butler, Eric Alexander, and Hendrik Meurkens in 1993-1994, Bernstein returned to his solo work with Signs of Life. Issued in May of 1995, the album once again found the guitarist backed by pianist Mehldau, along with bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Further work as a sideman with Ghetto Philharmonic, Trudy Desmond, Teodross Avery, Joshua Redman, Kevin Mahogany, Grant Stewart, and Mike LeDonne preceded the release of his third album, Brain Dance, in June 1997. This time, he led a quintet also containing organist Goldings, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, trombonist Steve Davis, and drummer Billy Drummond. Prior to his fourth album, Earth Tones, Bernstein recorded with Ralph Lalama and Eric Comstock, among others. Earth Tones, issued in August, 1998, found him fronting a trio with Goldings and drummer Bill Stewart.

Five years elapsed before the release of Heart's Content, Bernstein's fifth album as a leader, and he occupied the time working with a wide variety of musicians including Tom Aalfs, Group 15, Jimmy Cobb's Mob, David Bubba Brooks, Doug Lawrence, Sam Yahel, David Morgan, Jon Gordon, Michael Karn, Spike Wilner, Anna Lauvergnac, Harry Allen, Paula West, Nicholas Payton, Etta Jones, Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, Lee Konitz, Klaus Doldinger, and Ralph Bowen. Heart's Content, which was released in May 2003, was credited to "Peter Bernstein + 3," and the three were Mehldau, Bill Stewart, and bassist Larry Grenadier. The same year the album appeared, Bernstein could be heard on albums by Ryan Kisor, Wycliffe Gordon, Janis Siegel, and Martin Sasse, among others. Stranger in Paradise, Bernstein's sixth album, was released in June 2004 by the Japanese Tokuma label, and employed the same lineup as that on Heart's Content. In addition to musicians with whom he had recorded before, Bernstein appeared on albums by Jim Rotondi and Dr. Lonnie Smith in 2004 and Kathy Kosins in 2005. On August 23, 2005, Mel Bay released the DVD Peter Bernstein Trio Live at Smoke, taped at a jazz club on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Among his many sideman sessions in the mid-2000s, Bernstein added dates with Joe Magnarelli, Alvin Queen, Planet Jazz, Anton Schwartz, John Pisano, David "Fathead" Newman, Don Friedman, Cory Weeds, and Andrew Suvalsky to the list of his credits, along with repeat appearances with others. In January 2009, the newly reactivated Xanadu label released Bernstein's seventh album, Monk, a tribute to Thelonious Monk featuring bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Bill Stewart. In 2013, he paired with guitarist Joachim Schoenecker for the duo album Dialogues. A year later, he joined longtime associates Larry Goldings and Bill Stewart on Ramshackle Serenade. He then made his Smoke Sessions debut with 2016's Let Loose, a lively quartet date featuring pianist Gerald Clayton. Also that year, he collaborated with fellow guitarists Rale Micic, John Abercrombie, and Lage Lund on Inspired. For the guitarist's second Smoke Sessions date, Signs Live!, he reunited the band that had recorded his 1995 album Signs of Life, including pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Released in 2017, Signs Live! was the first time Bernstein and the members of the quartet had all played together in over 20 years.~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/artist/peter-bernstein-mn0000317924/biography

Personnel: Peter Bernstein (guitar); Guido Di Leone (guitar); Dario Deidda (bass); Andy Watson (drums)

Tribute to Jim Hall

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