Jazz Articles about Shelly Berg

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 ...

Shelly Berg: Blackbird

by Jim Santella
January 18, 2005

This program of sensual ballads gives the Shelly Berg Trio plenty of room to express deep feelings about the music and about how jazz has given each member a long and fruitful career doing what he loves. Each solos frequently and passionately, but with subdued emphasis. A ballad caress needn't be amplified or swung hard. The meaning becomes clearer when an audience is given the chance to absorb it gradually. Here, the pianist, bassist, and drummer set these wheels in ...