Peter Bernstein with the Jimmy Masters Trio at The Sandler Center

Jazz musicians often  have a musical conversation onstage. One musician introduces an idea, another responds, and the music develops through that back and forth. They listen closely to one another, picking up on rhythms, melodies, and small changes in the moment. The result can feel spontaneous and personal, as if the musicians are speaking to one another without words.

When guitarist Peter Bernstein joined the Jimmy Masters Trio, it felt like you were listening in on a conversation between old friends (Bernstein played with bassist Masters, John Toomey on piano and drummer Tony Martucci in 2018). The drummer for this performance was Frank Russo). They were constantly picking up on each other's ideas—Bernstein would play a phrase, the trio would respond, and then the guitarist would take that idea somewhere else. Nothing seemed forced or planned. They were just listening to each other and seeing where the music would go. That back and forth was what made the performance so enjoyable to watch and hear.