|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Home / Künstler / Jeff Berlin | |||
|
Jeff Berlin: BiographiesJeff Berlin | Danny Gottlieb | Richard Drexler Jeff BerlinA flexible and powerful electric bassist, Jeff Berlin has been one of the major fusion bassist since the mid-'70s. His father sang opera and his mother played piano. Berlin had nine years of violin lessons starting from when he was five and was considered a child prodigy, appearing with orchestras in New York City. However when he was 14 he switched directions and began playing electric bass; Jack Bruce was an early hero.
Berlin attended the Berklee College of Music for a time and then moved back to New York. For a short period he was in a trio with Allan Holdsworth and Tony Williams. In 1975 he recorded in Europe with Yes keyboardist Patrick Moraz and then in New York he became quite busy with studio work, club dates and record sessions. Berlin played with many top musicians including Pat Martino, Gil Evans, Toots Thielemans, Al DiMeola, George Benson, Earl Klugh, Larry Coryell, Bob James, Dave Liebman, Herbie Mann, Ray Barretto, the Brecker Brothers and others. Jeff Berlin was a regular member of Bill Bruford's band (which included Allan Holdsworth) for a couple years starting in 1977; four recordings resulted. Berlin moved to Los Angeles, worked in clubs with Scott Henderson and Frank Gambale, became an educator (helping to found the Bass Institute of Technology), played rock (including with Frank Zappa) and turned down an opportunity to join Van Halen. During 1985-86 Berlin recorded two fusion/rock dates for the soon-defunct Passport label. He moved to Florida in 1990 and has since toured with Yes, John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Kazumi Watanabe and other musicians from a wide variety of creative genres. In addition he started and teaches at the Players School. His third set as a leader, 1997's Taking Notes for Denon, is Jeff Berlin's most jazz-oriented set to date. Scott Yanow 
Danny GottliebHe studied percussion intensively, as a pupil of Mel Lewis and Joe Morello while still at school, and later at university. His professional career began while he was at the University of Miami, when he played with musicians such as Pat Metheny, Paul Bley and Jaco Pastorius. This was in the early 70s, and although whenever possible he worked in jazz, he also played in rock bands. In the middle of the decade he became a member of Gary Burton's quartet, recording 1976's Passengers, subsequently joining a band formed by fellow sideman Metheny. He remained with Metheny into the early 80s, recording albums such as American Garage. By the time he left, the group's popularity had helped establish Gottlieb's name around the world. Simultaneously he had begun a musical association with Mark Egan, a founder member of Metheny's group, and with him he formed a band named Elements. Overlapping his work with Egan he played with John McLaughlin (Mahavishnu), and Al DiMeola (Soaring Through A Dream). A strikingly eclectic player, Gottlieb has consistently worked in harmony with a wide range of performers, including Gil Evans, Stan Getz, Sting, the Blues Brothers, Ahmad Jamal and, in a late 90s recording session, John Abercrombie. A fleet and subtle drummer, Gottlieb is a very supportive player, ably finding appropriate backing for the many and diverse musicians with whom he works. In addition to teaching and organizing clinics, he has also appeared in instructional videos.
Richard DrexlerMulti-instrumentalist, composer/arranger and producer Richard Drexler, an Illinois native, has been based in Florida since 1985. A couple of long house pianist stints kept him busy for nine years in the Tampa Bay area, where he performed with many visiting artists. More recently he has done some touring with the Jeff Berlin Trio and with the Woody Herman Orchestra and trombonist John Allred, among others. He has been working as bassist in the Kenny Drew Jr. trio and regularly appearing as a bassist or pianist/vocalist in the jazz clubs of central Florida. Singers he has accompanied include Mel Torme', Tony Bennett, Diahann Carroll, Frankie Laine, Bob Dorough, Mose Allison, Roseanna Vitro, Vic Damone, Al Jarreau, Connie Francis and Dena DeRose. He has been active in the studios, appearing on dozens of CDs ranging from salsa to avant-garde to country and western to the thrash metal group Saigon Kick. He has assisted guitarist/composer/producer Richie Zellon on much of the Songosaurus label catalog, devoted to jazz fused with South American rhythms. On these projects he has recorded with Bob Mintzer, Paquito d'Rivera, Jerry Bergonzi, Gato Barbieri, Claudio Roditi, Alex Acuna and others. Richard produced his first album of originals, "Flaming Spirit" in 1978 with Dave Liebman, Tom Harrell, Steve laSpina and Clay Hulet. The list of noted jazz musicians Richard has gigged with runs in the hundreds. His playing has had very favorable reviews in magazines such as Jazz Times, Down Beat, Jazz Improv and Jazziz, and in dozens of online publications. A major direction in his music has been combining classical music with jazz and Latin forms, as in his upcoming Songosaurus CD "Senor Juan Brahms" and arrangements of works by Mahler, Chopin and other composers. |
|
|
|
|||
|
||
| |
|
made by jazzdimensions |
Jeff
Berlin 
