Jazz Articles about Peter Bernstein

Peter Bernstein: Live at Smalls

by William Carey
July 31, 2010

A live recording from an intimate venue--in this case, the well-respected Greenwich Village club, Smalls--is like comfort food.. Live at Smalls, from guitarist Peter Bernstein, doesn't disappoint, starting off with a blues to welcome everyone in, with solid solo turns from all members of the quartet, also including pianist Richard Wyands, bassist John Webber and drummer Jimmy Cobb. Yes, Jimmy Cobb on drums. Not your average, everyday sideman. These performances come from two nights in 2008 (December ...

Peter Bernstein: Peter Bernstein Quartet, Live at Smalls

by Laurel Gross
May 12, 2010

Peter Bernstein is one of the most pleasing and accomplished guitarists around, a must-hear, go-see for fans of straight-ahead jazz with a fresh, of-the-moment feel. A fixture on the New York scene and beyond, Bernstein deserves to be even better-known for his intricately beautiful melodic lines, harmonic sophistication, spot-on improvisation and good taste. Mentored early on by Jim Hall, Bernstein's never been a screamer. He plays quietly and intensely, with confidence, intelligence, elegance and rare sensitivity--all amply ...

Peter Bernstein

by Andrey Henkin
December 26, 2009

Last month, Peter Bernstein arrived at Smalls, armed with his guitar and a small amp, to play an intimate solo gig. The crowd was a good one for an early evening set on a Wednesday and was bolstered by the presence of legendary trombonist Roswell Rudd. As the Yankees were winning the World Series a borough away, Bernstein was deciding tunes on the spot, running through pieces like “It Could Happen To You" and Monk numbers like “Light Blue" and ...

Peter Bernstein: Monk

by George Kanzler
January 6, 2009

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 ...

Joe Magnarelli: Hoop Dreams

by David A. Orthmann
September 15, 2006

Over the past dozen years trumpeter Joe Magnarelli has gradually transformed a bebop-derived vocabulary into a highly personal style. Utilizing a full-bodied tone that never turns strident, Magnarelli invites the listener to focus on the substantive dimensions of his playing, rather than drawing attention to technique, velocity and influences. Beautifully crafted melodies spring from his horn in varying shapes and sizes. Sometimes he'll sustain a chain of thought for several measures; in other instances he'll parcel out a complete idea ...

Peter Bernstein Trio: Live at Smoke

by Tom Greenland
December 14, 2005

Peter Bernstein Trio Live at Smoke Mel Bay Records 2005

Peter Bernstein is the ultimate guitar anti-hero. Without the usual prestidigitation and pyrotechnics of his ilk, without an incessant impulse to chart new stylistic frontiers, Bernstein is nevertheless a guitarist's guitarist and a musician's musician. On his first DVD release, Peter Bernstein Trio: Live at Smoke, he makes a convincing case that less can be more, that old can be new.

Bernstein's trio, featuring ...

Peter Bernstein Trio: Live at Smoke

by John Kelman
September 8, 2005

Peter Bernstein Trio Live at Smoke Mel Bay Records MB20961DVD 2005

Since the early 1990s, guitarist Peter Bernstein, organist Larry Goldings and drummer Bill Stewart have clocked a lot of musical time together. Recording and gigging as the Peter Bernstein Trio, the Larry Goldings Trio, or the Bill Stewart Trio as the situation demands, they've evolved the kind of chemistry that can only come from a longstanding and purely cooperative relationship. With the only ...