Peter Bernstein

Peter Bernstein - Brain Dance (1996) {Criss Cross Jazz CRISS 1130 CD}
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© 1996 Criss Cross Jazz | CRISS 1130 CD
Jazz / Straight-Ahead Jazz / Guitar

For his third Criss Cross release, guitarist Peter Bernstein leads an all-star organ combo that also includes tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, trombonist Steve Davis, organist Larry Goldings, and drummer Billy Drummond. Some of the music that the quintet performs is typical for this type of hard bop/soul-jazz group, including a hot minor-toned blues, "Means and Ends," and Percy Mayfield's blues ballad "Danger Zone." However, a few of the other selections (particularly Bernstein's four originals) are more complex and serve as evidence that the music was being performed in 1996, not 1966. The musicians all play up to their capabilities and Goldings shows that he was one of the most inventive organists of the decade.

How and by whom a piece of music is presented profoundly influences how it's heard. This would seem to be a truism, but it is one often contradicted. Case in point: a band begins playing a Duke Ellington standard and there's recognition and approval from the audience, the "I like Duke" effect. When this happens with a singer beginning "Satin Doll" the irony is lost. Ellington disliked those Johnny Mercer lyrics so much he rarely presented a vocal version of the piece himself. Which bring us to Thelonious Monk…

Larry Goldings & Peter Bernstein & Bill Stewart - Toy Tunes (2017) {Pirouet PIT3100}
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© 2017 Pirouet Records | PIT3100
Jazz / Soul Jazz / Cool / Hammond Organ / Guitar / Drums

Just look at the cover art—the swirl of colors, the bodies drawn to the eye as misshapen designs, the beauteous blotches, the sturdy rhythms of angularity. In some ways it's almost inconceivable to imagine all of that acting as one, yet these images form a perfectly perceivable whole—a picture that feels like home yet sits in its own space, artfully different yet accessible and inviting. It's a perfect parallel for the work of these three master musicians, collectively viewed as the most creatively durable organ trio in jazz.

Peter Bernstein has long been a unique voice in jazz music, and this album provides listeners a fresh, unfiltered view of his approach. Bernstein weaves beautiful melodic lines through rich harmonies and lush chord voicings. The rubato intros on many of the tunes artfully set the tone for a gracefully stated melody, leading way to some swinging improvisations where the time is thick and one can almost hear the rhythm section. In this solo setting, Bernstein's harmonic freedom and inventiveness is readily apparent both as he pays homage to Monk and Coltrane…