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Bob Berg

Born in 1951, Bob Berg began his musical experience at the age of six, studying classical piano at his home in Brooklyn N.Y. He began playing saxophone at the age of 13, and soon thereafter attended the High School of the Performing Arts. In 1968, Berg was admitted to The Juilliard School, studying classical saxophone. While attending Juilliard, Berg was offered a tour with the organist Jack McDuff, which began his career as a jazz musician.

In 1973, Berg joined Horace Silver’s band and remained there for three years, appearing on three of Silver’s albums. It was in this period that Bob also became active on the New York jazz scene meeting other young musicians and playing and exchanging ideas with many of his peers. It also gave him the opportunity to work with some of the great bands working around the city.

In 1976, he replaced George Coleman in Cedar Walton’s classic quartet, Eastern Rebellion. Berg remained with Walton for five years, playing alongside the legendary rhythm section of bassist Sam Jones and drummer Billy Higgins. With this band, Berg toured the world extensively and recorded many albums.

In 1984, Berg joined the Miles Davis band. His association with Miles lasted three years and consisted of many world tours and several recordings. After leaving Davis, Berg embarked on a solo recording career and a well-known collaboration with guitarist Mike Stern. Bob and Mike produced many recordings together and toured extensively.

In 1992, Berg began his work with Chick Corea’s acoustic Quartet. Again, he has toured the world several times with this great band, also recording two CD’s with the band.

In the nineties Berg was invited to act as a cultural ambassador by the US Department of State. The “Bob Berg Quartet” toured the Caribbean Rim in 1992, and a large portion of the former Soviet Union in1994. The band met with much success in these regions.

At the current time, Berg is touring with his own Quartet and other special projects. The most recent project Bob is involved with is a new reincarnation of Steps Ahead featuring Mike Manieri, Peter Erskine, Eliane Elias and Marc Johnson.

Berg has played and recorded with many other great musicians, too numerous to mention. He has recorded ten albums as a leader, which have reflected his rather wide scope of interests in improvisational-based music. In 1993, Berg’s recording “Back Roads” was nominated for a Grammy Award for “best contemporary jazz performance.”

Melbourne band The Outernet, Yellow Jackets, Adam Holzman and Mike Stern

by Len Davis
December 15, 2023

Introducing Melbourne band The Outernet led by keyboard wizard Phil Turcio, We continue our feature on music from the year 2000 and beyond with Chick Corea Elektrik Band, Yellow Jackets, and Adam Holzman. Mike Stern, the late Bob Berg, the late Allan Holdsworth, plus Austrian guitarist Gerald Gradwohl and from France, guitarist Marc Guillermont. Playlist The Outernet “Menacing Images-Live" from Menacing Images (Self Produced) 00:00 Chick Corea Elektrik Band “Hound Of Heaven" from To the Stars (Stretchl) 06:54 ...

Album Review

Chick Corea: The Montreux Years

Read "The Montreux Years" reviewed by Doug Collette

by Doug Collette
September 26, 2022

If there is anything more ambitious than curating an extensive, comprehensive collection covering the history of an artist, it is collating selected works which vividly outline a particular timeline or theme. Chick Corea's The Montreux Years is a fine example of the latter; this seventh edition in the archive series devoted to the iconic festival not only reflects the late composer and pianist's technical skills, but also his eclectic stylistic tastes. And that is not to mention his fondness for ...

Radio & Podcasts

Continuing our visit to the '90s with Bob Berg, Adam Holzman and Tom Coster

by Len Davis
July 17, 2022

Continuing with our visit to the '90s with the late Bob Berg, Adam Holzman, Steps Ahead, Gary Willis and the late Allan Holdsworth.Playlist Bob Berg “Silverado" from Back Roads (Denon) 00:00 Adam Holzman “Iron Curtain" from The Big Picture (Escapade) 05:49 Bill Evans “Whisky Talk" from Starfish and the Moon (Escapade) 11:30 Steps Ahead “Vibe" from Vibe (NYC) 17:16 Vital Information “Listen Up" from Where we Come From (Intuition) 22:54 Tom Coster “Dennis The Menace" from From The ...

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Album Review

Bob Berg: Remembering Bob Berg

Read "Remembering Bob Berg" reviewed by John Kelman

by John Kelman
October 17, 2005

When saxophonist Bob Berg was tragically killed in December, 2002 at the age of 51, he'd just recorded two projects that would demonstrate just how passionate and far-reaching a contemporary post bop player he was. On one hand, trumpeter Eddie Henderson's So What (Eighty-Eights, 2003) was built on the kind of atmospheric and open-ended approach of Miles Davis' mid-1960s quintet with Wayne Shorter--a seminal influence on Berg. On the other hand, on vibraphonist Joe Locke's 4 Walls of Freedom (Sirocco ...

121

Album Review

Antonio Fara: Far Out

by Mark Corroto
January 2, 2003

The joyous occasion of this new disc by Italian pianist Antonio Faraò is unfortunately overshadowed by the tragic death late last year of saxophonist Bob Berg, his sideman for this recording. Berg, whose horn accented the bands of Horace Silver, Cedar Walton, and 1980s bands of Miles Davis, made his biggest splash with jazz/rock guitarist Mike Stern. His final recording features some very inspired playing.

Farao, a child prodigy now a jazz sensation in Italy, has slowly entered ...

235

Album Review

Bob Berg, Randy Brecker, Dennis Chambers, Joey DeFrancesco: The JazzTimes

by Jim Santella
July 1, 2000

When a tune has a catchy sound to it, the melody lingers on. Paul Bollenback, Randy Brecker, Joey DeFrancesco and Bob Berg each contribute memorable compositions to this album; compositions that catch your ear and leave you happy to hear them again. Berg placed his tune “Friday Night at the Cadillac Club" on two previous albums as well as on Dizzy Gillespie’s 1992 Rhythmstick album. The piece works. Like Brecker’s “The Ada Strut" and Eddie Harris’ “Freedom Jazz Dance," Berg’s ...

110

Album Review

Endless Miles: A Tribute to Miles Davis

Read "A Tribute to Miles Davis" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
October 1, 1998

A well--formed program of contemporary Jazz (for the most part anyway), presented for a good cause as well. A part of the net proceeds from Endlessmiles, recorded by a number of all--star groups at New York City's Birdland on May 26, 1998--the 72nd anniversary of the late trumpeter's birth--will be used to help establish an endowment for young musicians, the MilesDavis.com scholarship, to be administered by the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE). Two of the eight songs ...

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Obituary

Bob Berg: Saxophonist Killed in Automobile Accident

Source: All About Jazz
December 6, 2002

From Newsday.com

Acclaimed tenor saxophonist Robert Berg was killed yesterday morning in Amagansett when a cement truck skidded across a snow-slicked road and rammed into his sport utility vehicle, East Hampton police said.

Berg, whose career encompassed free jazz, soul jazz, jazz rock and straight- ahead playing, was driving east on Route 27 with his wife about 10:45 a.m. when the cement truck approached from the opposite direction, Police Chief Todd Sarris said yesterday.

The driver of the truck, Dennis ...
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