Jazz Articles

Chuck Bernstein: Delta Berimbau Blues

by Woodrow Wilkins
January 2, 2009

It's good when it's possible to step out of a comfort zone to appreciate (if not love) unfamiliar styles. The same can be said of artists who break from instruments they're known for. Chuck Bernstein goes one further with Delta Berimbau Blues.Bernstein is a versatile drummer, but for this project, he employs the berimbau, a single-stringed gourd instrument popular in Brazil and similar to the Diddley bow, an early blues instrument. Bernstein, who once led the Monk's Music ...

Monk's Music Trio: Monk On Mondays

by Jerry D'Souza
September 28, 2007

Drummer Chuck Bernstein, pianist Si Perkoff and bassist Sam Bevan --collectively known as Monk's Music Trio--have been playing the music of Thelonious Monk at the Simple Pleasures Café in San Francisco on Monday nights since 1999. That makes them the longest of the repertory bands performing Monk's music. Time has also given them an insight into the compositions, enough for them to give them a twist and keep them interesting.

The trio is comfortable in the zone of Monk's music. ...

Monk's Music Trio: Monk's Bones

by Jerry D'Souza
February 14, 2006

The music of Thelonious Monk has been constructed, reconstructed and deconstructed over the years. Some players have tried to ape him, which is quite natural, but not necessarily successful. Others have filtered his music through their own prisms and have succeeded in introducing different constructs.Among the latter group are Chuck Bernstein, Si Perkoff, and Sam Bevan--known as Monk's Music Trio, a name that makes their reason for their being quite clear. On this, their third outing, they bring ...

Monk's Music Trio: Monk's Bones

by David A. Orthmann
February 9, 2006

Except for a surrealistic version of “Friday The 13th, Monk's Bones offers straightforward interpretations of nine Thelonious Monk compositions. The third recording by Monk's Music Trio adds the trombones of Roswell Rudd, a longtime exponent of Monk's work, and Max Perkoff, the son of the band's pianist, Si Perkoff.

All of the tracks profit from the differences between Rudd's eccentric Dixieland-to-1960s-avant-garde effusions and the younger Perkoff's full-bodied, more conventional style. Some of the record's finest moments consist of the slippery ...

Monk's Music Trio: Monk's Bones

by Mark F. Turner
February 7, 2006

Think of One: A swinging trio with two outrageous trombones.

If you're wondering whether this is just another Thelonious Monk tribute, think again, because the Monk's Music Trio ups the ante in every way, continuing to creatively explore the music of one of jazz's most celebrated pianists. Monk's Bones is the trio's third release, following Harmony of Odd Numbers and Think of One. Led by jazz drummer Chuck Berstein, pianist Si Perkoff, and bassist Sam Bevan, the latest recording is ...

Monk's Music Trio: Think Of One

by Mark F. Turner
January 8, 2005

Without a doubt, there is nothing quite like the music of Thelonious Monk. The unconventional pianist created music that still flourishes today, marked by his percussive style, odd rhythmic patterns, and a unique sense of melody that has influenced countless musicians and enthusiasts. It continues to thrive on the new release Think of One by the Monk's Music Trio.

The trio was formed by San Francisco veteran drummer Chuck Bernstein and produced the well-received recording Harmony of Odd Numbers (CMB, ...

Monk: Harmony of Odd Numbers

by C. Michael Bailey
June 25, 2003

San Francisco Bay Area fixtures Chuck Bernstein, Si Perkoff, and Frank Passantino join forces to produce the finest Thelonious Monk recital of the new millennium. Gleefully, this trio has avoided the tried and true Monk classics; so do not expect to hear "’Round Midnight," "Blue Monk," or “Straight, No Chaser." Familiarity with these pieces only helps, but listening to this disc will readily provide you with all of the musical elements characteristic of the composer.

Spearheaded by drummer Chuck Berstein, ...