Peter Bernstein

Jazzarian · 12-01-2007, 04:51 PM

Got any fans of Peter out there?

I love his unhurried style. It's so different than my own!

Great sound, great sense of swing. Somewhere between Jim Hall and Wes Montgomery might be a good description. Very warm style. Rockers won't like him at all!

I've got a few CDs of Peter with Larry Goldings (organ) and Eric Alexander (sax), that are just sheer excellence.

**Dirk** · 12-05-2007, 06:41 AM

He's a great player, great comping and tasteful solos. Here's a video of him with Eric Alexander:

**kaige** · 12-05-2007, 11:06 AM

Larry Goldings/organ, Peter Bernstein/guitar and Bill Stewart/drums on 'Light Blue'. Very tasty.
All three shine. I particularly like Stewart's drumming. Good example of people playing together and not getting in the way of one another.

Jazzarian · 12-05-2007, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by dirkji

He's a great player, great comping and tasteful solos. Here's a video of him with Eric Alexander:

That was great.

Strange looking guitar, I can't place it.

Ever notice how Bernstein looks like the actor Kevin Bacon?

**Bill C** · 11-05-2010, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by Jazzarian

Strange looking guitar, I can't place it.

It's a Zeidler

**Soco** · 11-05-2010, 09:11 AM

I always see him at Starbucks on 181st street.I think we share the same passion for coffee.
He sounds really good.

**docbop** · 11-05-2010, 10:19 AM

Peter is one of the most musical/lyrical guitarist around and i dig his playing. He's started doing solo sets at Small's Jazz Club and his quartet played there last week. Small's archives their past shows after a month or two so some of Peter's shows should be available now.

I have Peter's CD doing all Monk tunes and very cool.

**Reg** · 11-05-2010, 03:27 PM

Totally dig his playing... great phrasing and even better feel. I always trip on his technique... Reg

**paynow** · 11-15-2010, 10:43 PM

Great player. I just got the Monk CD and can't stop listening to it.

**Wes'MusicBox** · 11-21-2010, 02:27 PM

Peter has been my favorite guitarist for quite some time now, but I'm in LA so I've never had the pleasure of seeing him play.

His playing is so simplistic but he has managed to make it really complicated with his harmonic sense and his melodic lines that are always tasty as hell.
He NEVER overplays which is so rare in any guitarist, and every note has so much feel.
Another big thing is he only uses his chops when it's necessary to convey the idea he has, never to show off.
his comping is like a Piano player and his single lines are like a horn player!

Man, I could go on and on...

**docbop** · 11-21-2010, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by Wes'MusicBox

Peter has been my favorite guitarist for quite some time now, but I'm in LA so I've never had the pleasure of seeing him play.
.

Peter plays both solo and quartet sets at Small's Jazz Club all the time, Small's has a online live steam. I live on the Left Coast too and get to see/hear lots of great music on the Small's stream.

**jazzguyfromnc** · 11-22-2010, 04:10 PM

Bernstein is totally my favorite guitarist. I could listen to him all day. Check out Mike LeDonne's album Waltz for an Urbanite. Peter's playing is so tasty there....

**Jazzpunk** · 04-17-2012, 08:43 PM

A new recording featuring Bernstein was just released today:

Amazon.com: Prime of Life (feat. George Garzone, Peter Bernstein & Peter Slavov): Pete Zimmer: MP3 Downloads

**dmorash** · 04-17-2012, 08:58 PM

Beautiful player. I have the Monk Cd and it's mesmerizing to me - it does'nt sound like a guitar player playing over Monk tunes but rather a guitar player playing like Monk on the guitar over Monk tunes if that makes any sense. Cool vid that's posted above - I have to get more of his stuff.

**sgreb** · 04-18-2012, 03:45 PM

Totally dig this funky Peter Bernstein tune... "Bobblehead". Larry goldings and Bill Stewart @ Smoke. Can't listen to it enough times!

**Jazzpunk** · 04-18-2012, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by sgreb

Totally dig this funky Peter Bernstein tune... "Bobblehead". Larry goldings and Bill Stewart @ Smoke. Can't listen to it enough times!

That's a great DVD. 'Dragonfly' is the tune that always sticks in my head after watching it.

**sgreb** · 04-18-2012, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Jazzpunk

That's a great DVD. 'Dragonfly' is the tune that always sticks in my head after watching it.

Oh yes...that is a killer tune!!

**marcwhy** · 04-21-2012, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by Jazzpunk

A new recording featuring Bernstein was just released today:

Amazon.com: Prime of Life (feat. George Garzone, Peter Bernstein & Peter Slavov): Pete Zimmer: MP3 Downloads

+1 on this recording! I just grabbed it today -- excellent stuff, and features one of my fave sax players, George Garzone!

**jamieh** · 04-22-2012, 06:02 AM

One of my favorite players, he always get such a great sound.

**docbop** · 04-25-2012, 09:49 AM

Every time Peter plays its a lesson in great phrasing and tone.

**Rustic** · 04-30-2012, 05:02 AM

I couldn't agree more about Peter. My favorite album is his own called "Brain Dance", great compositions and great playing.

I'm sure it's an illusion but I get the sense that his concept and technique are marginally attainable by mortals, as opposed to the pryotechnics of a Martin Taylor or Joe Pass. As such, I find him my most inspirational player. Or maybe I just like his lines the best. Actually, I think that's it, what groove, what melodic intelligence...

**cpike** · 04-30-2012, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by Jazzpunk

A new recording featuring Bernstein was just released today:

Amazon.com: Prime of Life (feat. George Garzone, Peter Bernstein & Peter Slavov): Pete Zimmer: MP3 Downloads

Thank you for mentioning this recording. Got it over the weekend (it's on itunes, too) -- can't stop listening to it!

**David B** · 05-02-2012, 05:17 AM

Originally Posted by Jazzpunk

A new recording featuring Bernstein was just released today:

Amazon.com: Prime of Life (feat. George Garzone, Peter Bernstein & Peter Slavov): Pete Zimmer: MP3 Downloads

Bought this last night. It's great! In the UK, it worked out cheaper to download it direct from the label (Tippin Records - 320kbps + the full album booklet as a pdf) than through iTunes.

A couple of other great recent releases with Peter Bernstein are Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart 'Live at Smalls' and Mike Ledonne's 'Keep the Faith'.

**keil** · 05-02-2012, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by Rustic

I couldn't agree more about Peter. My favorite album is his own called "Brain Dance", great compositions and great playing.

I'm sure it's an illusion but I get the sense that his concept and technique are marginally attainable by mortals, as opposed to the pryotechnics of a Martin Taylor or Joe Pass. As such, I find him my most inspirational player. Or maybe I just like his lines the best. Actually, I think that's it, what groove, what melodic intelligence...

I've often wondered if that's why I'm interested in him as well.. I think now, though, that I just enjoy music played at a tempo within which there is space and time to appreciate what's happening. Sometimes with the blistering paced stuff, I just can't get a handle on what's going on.

One other thing; you almost never hear this guy flub a note, not press down fully on the fret, over slide and not get a clear tone. I hear other players with these occasional sounds on their recordings, but PB has really tremendous technique. Not to mention the harmonic inventiveness, and so on, and so on...