Bob Berg
Web Site
March 2002

"When Horace hired me a couple years later, it was a different ballgame. The band was great, I was a bit more mature, (but not much), and Horace was a great guy and very supportive. This band was my jazz education. We did a lot of touring and the band played well consistently. Tom Harrell killed! It was kind of the end of an era, where you could play at clubs across the country for a week at a time. What a way to learn!"

By Mike Brannon

The probability that you've heard Bob Berg's distinctive, soulful, intelligent soloing is very high if you've heard the more contemporary work of Miles, Mike Stern, Chick Corea, Horace Silver, Cedar Walton, Gary Burton, Randy Brecker, Jaco and now a new version of the supergroup, Steps Ahead, with Mike Maineri, Marc Johnson, Peter Erskine, Elaine Elias from which a new release is due later this Spring.

But the chances that you might also see him with a surf casting rod on the far Eastern shores of Long Island or visiting an art museum close to one of his gigs are higher than ever, as well.

After having been a top call musician for over 30 years, a Grammy nomination in '93 for "Back Roads", playing with a virtual catalog of improvising artists and currently leading a quartet with monster pianist, Dave Kikowski, bassist Ed Howard and drummer Gary Novak, Berg continues to seek and explore new vistas in both writing and improvisation.

AAJ: Ok, I have to ask about the surfcasting. You're pictured with a 16 lb Bluefish on the website and you look pretty happy about it. So, what's the deal there? How long have you been fishing and how often and where do you go? (see http://www. bobberg.com/surfcasting.html)

BB: Good one. Well, in the late 80's I moved from NYC to a fairly small town on the east end of Long Island. It's pretty rural with some of the most beautiful beaches on the East Coast. After living in the city my whole life I was used to a lot of activity. Always something to do, but life is a bit slower in the country. I needed, (dare I say it), a hobby. After observing the some of the locals catching nice sized Striped Bass in the surf, I thought I'd give it a try. In a short time I became completely obsessed by surfcasting and can truly say it's a great way to experience the power of nature. A nor'easter at Montauk can be brutal. It's serene yet a bit dangerous. It's also a great way to put something on the table.

AAJ: Good answer. Sound like you really found something that's more than a hobby. I used to fish on Lake Champlain in Vermont every summer as a kid. There's a Metheny quote in his Songbook regarding the tune "Pretty Scattered' from "80/81": "Pretty Scattered - Written early 1980. During the period before the recording of "80/81", I did a number of gigs with different musicians at Ryle's, trying out new music. This piece was written for a gig that featured Bob Berg on tenor, one of my favorite players". Great comment and a great tune thats not really a snap. He didn't make it easy on you. Can you talk about those gigs/times?

BB: I remember having a great time with Pat on those gigs. Ryles is a small local joint (Central Cambridge, MA) and it was packed to the rafters. Played with a few different rhythm sections all of who sounded good. I got together with Pat on the day of the first gig and we went over the music. Some of the charts were tricky but Pat's such a natural at both writing and playing that things just fell into place. I remember these gigs as being quite inspirational. Very fresh and new. Some of the tunes had an Ornettish quality. Actually, Pat asked me to play on the 80/81 sessions but unfortunately I had a prior commitment that I just couldn't get out of. What a drag, it's a landmark record, I would have loved to have been part of it.

AAJ: Wow, you're kidding. I had no idea. That would've been great. Who else was on that gig?

BB: Sorry, don't remember the exact personnel. It's a long time ago.

AAJ: I take it you met Mike there? Who else were you gigging with then?

BB: Again, I don't know if that's the first time I met Mike. At the time I was pretty busy in NY, and touring mainly with Cedar Walton's band, which was an amazing straight ahead quartet. I really felt honored to play with these guys. Cedar, Sam Jones, Billy Higgins. These were some of the people I came up listening to, and it was a great lesson in swing. Actually, up to this point I was known solely as a straight-ahead player, after gigging extensively with Horace Silver and Cedar.

AAJ: That's right. You had the Miles gig together as well. It's been said that going through Miles' group prepares you to be a leader as well as anything. Can you describe that experience and what you learned from Miles?

BB: Yeah, Mike came back to the Miles gig after Scofield left. I kind of lobbied for him because I knew he'd be great and I'm a bit selfish. Anyway, it lasted for a while but I think Mike was ready to move on. During this time Mike and I were also doing some co-led gigs around NY, mainly at 7th Avenue South. We tried different rhythm sections and had a ball. It was at this point that we decided to work together at some juncture.

I'm not sure if the bands I was involved in with Miles were particularly encouraging for future leadership, but his earlier bands definitely had that effect. In the earlier bands I think the individual members had more input into the direction of the music. And leadership was a natural outgrowth of this input. This wasn't so much the case when I was there. The standout impression I have of the Miles years was how great it was to hear him play. For most of my tenure his chops were way up, and man, was that impressive.

AAJ: That's great, especially considering all the heat he took for other things, like changing styles of music and personnel. Did Miles ever write out charts for the band?

BB: Yeah, we had some charts with Miles...very sketchy but charts. I know I have them put away somewhere...but Miles didn't write out any of them...Bobby Irving or Sco. I remember Miles scribbling a couple of chord progressions for use over vamps...that's all he ever wrote for me. ogressions for use over vamps...that's all he ever wrote for me.

AAJ: The Stern/Berg band was very successful for many years. You were both regularly releasing solo albums that you'd both play on and touring. There was a lot of both critical acclaim, artistic success and one would hope financial rewards as well. It really was one of the most happening units in creative music for years. What happened to that group?

BB: Playing with Mike was really a gas. When we finally got it together after both having prior commitments, we were more than ready. I think we worked well together and had some kind of natural balance, which made things interesting. Yeah, we were pretty successful and people seemed to enjoy the chemistry. We had a good run. We worked on each other's records and Mike is not only a great player but writes his ass off. We wrote on our own, just suggested things to each other. Unfortunately, we had separate record deals and never did a Stern/Berg project. Not counting the bootlegs.

AAJ: Right. Still, as well as you guys blended, supported each other and seemed to be on the same wavelength, all the solo projects appeared to be co-led things. I know Mike's worked with Banacos and Grana for years. Did you ever hookup with them or other great teachers?

BB: The only really great teacher I had was Joe Allard. He was the dean of American saxophone teachers and a very inspiring guy. He was a genius at getting people to play in a correct but very natural way.

AAJ: You also worked with Leni on some of her initial releases. "Clarivoyant", "The Next Day" and "Secrets"; those were some nice recordings with players like Frisell, Harvie Swartz, Dennis Chambers, Wayne Krantz. Did you guys work much live?

BB: I only recorded with Leni, never had the chance to do any gigs. What a sweetheart, and writes some nice tunes.

AAJ: Absolutely. She's great, and has good taste in sidemen. After the band with Stern you started working with Chick. What were your experiences with that band: Patitucci, Weckl etc?

BB: I knew Chick for years and would run into him occasionally on the road. Sat in with him somewhere in France (when I was with Miles), and we had a great time playing. He's always been one of my favorite musicians, and people, so when he asked me to do a summer tour, with Gadd and Gomez, I jumped at the opportunity. We had such a good time that Chick decided to put together a regularly working quartet, myself included, John on bass, and eventually Gary Novak on drums. This band was some of the most fun I've ever had musically. I think the greatest leaders hire sidemen to be themselves and Chick always gave me the green light. It was also a personal groove with a real family vibe. Chick's writing killed me and the band could go anywhere. It was truly an adventurous unit. I really wanted to play again in an all acoustic setting so consequently I decided to give some time to Chick in lieu of the band I had with Mike. Both of these bands were great learning experiences.

AAJ: They had to be. The first time I ever ran across your playing was in Cedar Walton's "Eastern Rebellion" projects. That was a great group with Billy Higgins and Sam Jones. What were your experiences with that group and playing with players of that caliber at your age?

BB: I was 18 when I left Julliard after being offered a gig with Jack McDuff. Unfortunately I wasn't completely ready for life on the road. Travel was a bit different back in the late 60's and I was also a bit arrogant and stubborn about the style of music I wanted to play, (I was into late Trane at the time), so I left the band after only a short stay. Could have learned a lot more had I stayed. In one way it was good because I went back to NY and really had a chance to broaden my musical scope and further my skills. When Horace hired me a couple years later, it was a different ballgame. The band was great, I was a bit more mature, (but not much), and Horace was a great guy and very supportive. This band was my jazz education. We did a lot of touring and the band played well consistently. Tom Harrell killed! It was kind of the end of an era, where you could play at clubs across the country for a week at a time. What a way to learn!

AAJ: I heard somewhere you weren't going to put "Friday Night at the Cadillac Club" on the "Short Stories" record, but it's a great tune. What's the deal there?

BB: "Friday Night" is my homage to the organ trio thing, which was quite popular in the late 60's. For some reason when I first heard that sound as a teenager it seemed very exotic and really hip. This is coming from someone who grew up in an Italian-Jewish blue-collar neighborhood in Brooklyn. We didn't hear much, if any, jazz in Bensonhurst, so when I heard these, what for me, were new sounds on the local NY jazz station, I was mesmerized. The first gig I did get to play with McDuff was at a club in Newark NJ called the Cadillac Club. I was 18. Man, talk about culture shock. The joint was packed with pimps, whores and jazz fans and it was rockin'. I tried to capture that feeling in this tune. I don't recall not wanting to record it but I'm quite self-critical about my composing so anything's possible.

AAJ: That's a great story. Interesting that you were struck the way that it seems usually hits guitar players. I can really relate. Some of my favorite albums of all time are those organ trios with Wes & Jimmy Smith, Don Patterson and Benson, Martino, or Burrell on guitar. Who was on guitar when you played with McDuff? Martino, used to play with him a lot. Did you ever get a chance to meet or play together?

BB: You know, I don't remember who was playing guitar at the time...only did the gig for a short time...but if Martino had been there at that time, I would have stayed, to be sure. I met Pat at a shared gig at the Blue Note last year...great guy, great player...we talked about doing something but haven't yet.

AAJ: Pat's really incredible. One of my all time favorites for many years. How do you go about composing?

BB: I don't have any particular method to composing. Tunes can be inspired but a certain melodic motif, or a groove, or a general impression. For me, it's a lot of work to write. I think of myself more as an interpreter than a composer. I never did study composition formally - probably should. Just do a lot of listening.

AAJ: What is your philosophy of music, touring, teaching and life as a musician?

BB: To me, music is the most emotionally immediate of the arts. We as musicians get to communicate to others our innermost feelings and impulses. I feel this is a great gift. I've always tried to be honest and true to the musical ideals I've admired in the masters. I've tried to follow these principles in all my musical pursuits, playing, teaching, etc. I know it sounds corny, but I think music is some kind of sacred thing. I know from personal experience that at it's best, music can elevate the spirit. That's what I was drawn to when I was a kid. Of course, life as a musician can sometimes be tough, but I'm constantly reminded by the music about priorities.

AAJ: Right; tough and great and back again. But it's like if the spirit of it gets to you, you seem to have to follow it. Who were you original influences?

BB: The first records I heard were Bird, Mingus, and Horace Silver. This goes way back to Junior High School where my music teacher was a big jazz fan. He saw some potential in my playing so he laid these records on me. Shortly after this I asked my Dad to pick up the most current Coltrane record when he went to work in Manhattan. He came home with "A Love Supreme". I think hearing that record changed my life. What a powerful statement. I became a complete Trane nut, but realized sometime later that I had to check everyone out. My main saxophone influences.Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Bird and Cannonball to name a few. Some others: Miles, Chick, McCoy, Elvin, Sinatra, Bartok. Occasionally, I see myself referred to as a "Brecker influenced" player, which strikes me as inaccurate. Mike's one of my favorite players, and a great guy, (we did quite a bit of hanging and playing together in our formative years), but we both have similar influences and have honed our styles from similar sources. I'm influenced by everything I hear but feel my style of playing is an extension of the musicians I heard while growing up. I also spent a lot of time listening to ethnic music. I mean the real thing, not so-called "world music". Tribal music of Africa, Indian Classical, Japanese Noh and Gagaku. Man, I love it all. I still listen to my "old faves", but try to check out as many of the new things as I can. I've always enjoyed vocal music; maybe because I'm instrumentalist, guess Sinatra is still my main man. Classical still amazes me, from Mozart to Ravel to Bartok. Talk about composing!

AAJ: No kidding. Just Bach alone. Can you talk about the new Steps Ahead group?

BB: Playing with Manieri, Erskine, Eliane, and Marc is great fun. We'll be touring later on this year, mainly in Europe. We did a big tour a couple of years ago, and recorded just about every night. Mike just sent me the tapes and it all sounds excellent. We'll be releasing an album in the next few months.

AAJ: That's great. Put me on the list. What about the Jazztimes group with Randy Brecker and Dennis Chambers?

BB: The Superband was a good idea. Monster players, and a lot of gig offers. Somehow things didn't really take off, management wise, and it kind of fizzled out. Too bad.

AAJ: That's hard the believe. Who's in that group and what where are you playing?

BB: I've been touring with my quartet on and off for the last several years. It's been some of the most fun I've had. The usual lineup has been, Dave Kikoski, Ed Howard and Gary Novak, the band that's on the CD "Another Standard", which I feel is my best recorded effort to date. We'll probably be going back out later on this year although we usually head overseas. Right now I'm writing some new music but there are no immediate dates scheduled.

AAJ: Same guys I heard with Roy Haynes about 5 years ago. Kikowski's a great player. Both of them are. Do you get involved with the design of your disc art work and/or web design at all?

BB: I've been a bit involved with the visuals on albums although I'm obviously no expert. Sometimes, as in all things, less is more, and some of my favorite album covers are the simple ones. I am very interested in art, especially painting, from pre-renaissance to abstract expressionism. Spent my share of time in museums and galleries. One of the great things about traveling is that you can visit a cathedral in Italy, or a mosque in Istanbul, a Temple in Tokyo. Some of the best art can be found in these places, if you have the time.

AAJ: Absolutely. I'm always interested in what extra musical pursuits inspire a favorite musician and what other mediums they are creative in themselves. You mention art...what artists do you favor, if any? I guess I lean torwards Klee, Modigliani, Miro, Matisse, Pollack, Picasso, Van Gogh (got to tour the VG museum when it first opened in the mid 80's).

BB: It's funny you should mention Pollock...he lived about five minutes from my house, (I'm in East Hampton). Willem DeKooning lived on the next street till he died a few years ago...my kids used to trick or treat at his house. My taste in art runs a stylistic gamut...I love early renaissance Italian painting, Vermeer, Impressionism, Expressionism. I've always loved Kandinsky...Klee, too.

AAJ: That's amazing. Did you know that before moving there? Looks like a great place to reflect, work and think.

BB: You know, I've heard it repeatedly said that the light on the East End is special. I've heard that this is one of the main reasons that so many artists were drawn to the area. Some of the best DeKooning's I've seen were painted right here. Abstract landscapes and such. It's interesting...if you visit the local cemetery you can see the gravesites of many of the abstract expressionists...Pollock, Lee Krasner, Barnett Newman, Stuart Davis, and I think, DeKooning. I've personally felt inspired by the area at different points...most pronounced on a CD called "Back Roads" ('93 Grammy nominee)...but I'm a city boy by nature and feel my music has been shaped in the most part from my NYC upbringing. I still love the place, guess it's in the blood. The older I get, the more I appreciate a wide spectrum of disciplines.

AAJ: Exactly. I guess it's the progression of artistic development and appreciation.

BB: Have you been to the Met in NY?

AAJ: Years ago and also MOMA but haven't seen the Guggenhiem. It's on the list.

BB: They have one of the best collections of tribal art I've seen. Great masks from Africa to Oceania.

AAJ: Cool. And what's amazing is that artists including Picasso, Miro, Matisse, Klee, Modigliani, Henry Moore and others all owned and used African tribal sculpture for inspiration in their own work. I guess wherever inspiration comes from is as good a place as any. Thanks very much for your insights. I appreciate it. Great stories, too.

BB: It's been really nice working with you and I can see we have a lot of common interests. We should keep the lines open... and if you're coming this way let me know.

AAJ: For sure. Thanks for your time, Bob, and all the best with the record and touring and everything.

For more info, on tour schedules and new releases, visit Bob's website at - http://www.bobberg.com

Mike Brannon is guitarist/writer for the Synergy Group. The latest release is "Barcodes" w/ Trey Gunn of King Crimson and Jeff Coffin of the Grammy-winning Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Synergy's followup, "Later", w/ special guests, Harvie Swartz, Paul Wertico and others will be released in late '02.