Jazz Articles about Shelly Berg

Ken Peplowski: Noir Blue

by C. Michael Bailey
April 10, 2010

Noir Blue is a slight coloring outside the lines for clarinetist/saxophonist Ken Peplowski. His most recent recordings (with Arbors and Nagel Heyer) have focused on older swing forms and repertoire. Presently, Peplowski is playing pure jazz quartet music with pianist Shelly Berg, bassist Jay Leonhart, and drummer Joe La Barbera. The song choice is anything but standard, thought it never ventures too far from Peplowski's comfort zone.

Noir Blue is heavy on the Ellington/Strayhorn book, clocking in with a third ...

Shelly Berg: The Nearness Of You

by Bruce Lindsay
July 31, 2009

Pianist Shelly Berg's career as a professional musician stretches back for 40 years. He began playing professionally in his early teens and has since been a solo performer, a bandleader, arranger and accompanist. In 2007 he became Dean of the Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music, University of Miami. Despite this long and varied career, The Nearness Of You is his first solo CD. Berg takes on production duties in addition to performing and arranging, to create a fine ...

Lorraine Feather: Language

by Nicholas F. Mondello
June 7, 2008

Lorraine Feather Language Jazzed Media 2008

By its very title, Language, from singer and lyricist Lorraine Feather, implies that Feather and company believe that they have the musical and linguistic chops to take on such a sophisticated concept for our entertainment. So it's good to find that Feather is a heavyweight who--with a championship caliber crew in her corner--delivers a resounding KO.

To some ears, story songs--word-intense tunes--may seem overly Broadwayesque and ...

Shelly Berg: New Moon Over Miami

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
January 28, 2008

This title refers to the radical changes that are about to occur in music education, now that Shelton G. (Shelly) Berg has become dean of Miami University's school of music.Although Berg is widely considered one of the most eloquent, swinging, and accomplished pianists in jazz, to date he's more famous as an educator. Berg was President of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) from 1996-98; he spent eight years chairing the department of jazz studies at the ...

Shelly Berg & Frank Potenza: First Takes

by Michael P. Gladstone
May 3, 2006

In the liner notes to this piano-guitar duo album, Shelly Berg notes that there “often exists a love/hate relationship between the guitarist and pianist in a jazz band, with each jockeying for supremacy in creating chords and accompaniment." Upon reflection, I would have to say that this may be a reality on some occasions, but when two like-minded musicians pull off an album like this one, the results can be quite the opposite. Considering the collaborative efforts of Bill Evans ...

Shelly Berg: Blackbird

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
October 13, 2005

It's evident from the first track that Blackbird is a superior trio release, as classy and swinging as they ever get. Seasoned with brilliance and sprinkled with wit, this recording is artfully paced and nicely balanced between ballads and burners--all of which is immediately obvious. What emerges only later, after reaching for the CD again and again, is that this music is truly universal: all-encompassing and satisfying, it works in all kinds of moods, and for all kinds of occasions. ...

Shelly Berg at Catalina's

by Jim Santella
January 27, 2005

Shelly Berg Trio Catalina Bar & Grill Hollywood, California January 20, 2005

Celebrating the release of Blackbird , his new CD on the Concord label, Shelly Berg brought his trio to Catalina's on a Thursday night for an intimate evening among friends and fans. With bassist Chuck Berghofer and drummer Gregg Field, the pianist interpreted familiar standards, contemporary pieces, and fresh originals. The session offered a balanced mixture of up-tempo romps and slower, romantic ...