London Jazz Festival: Peter Bernstein

A New York native, Peter Bernstein is widely regarded as one of the finest exponents of modern jazz guitar alive today. After studying at Rutgers he completed his degree at the New School in New York where he studied with iconic guitarist Jim Hall who, in 1990, asked Peter to play with him at the New York JVC Jazz festival, saying afterwards that Peter was "...the most impressive guitarist I’ve heard". Shortly after that he was hired by saxophonist Lou Donaldson to tour and record and following on from that the 90's and 2000's saw him working with a who's who of international jazz stars, including the likes of Joshua Redman, Diana Krall, Jimmy Cobb, Lee Konitz, Roy Hargrove, Tom Harrell, Joe Lovano, Nicholas Payton, Jack McDuff, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride and Sonny Rollins. His long standing organ trio with Larry Goldings and Bill Stewart has been described by the New York Times as “the best organ trio of the last decade” and his warm guitar tone and faultless, flowing, lyrical, melodic lines have been heard on more than 90 recordings and innumerable festivals, concerts and club performances. A truly innovative and complete musician, as a leader or co-leader he has released over a dozen albums under his own name. Fellow guitarist Randy Napoleon summed up the regard that Peter is held in when he said “Peter is the most universally respected and admired jazz guitarist of his generation...with an unmistakable and fresh perspective...he has honed his playing to the essential core of the music”. It is with enormous pleasure that we welcome this giant of the jazz guitar to the Club this evening.

"This jazz guitarist, among the most sought after in New York, has a feather light touch, an encyclopaedic knowledge of chords and the ability to play standards like he’s inventing them on the spot." LA Daily News;
"Bernstein is a guitarist who tends to dignify and energize whatever he touches...[with] his fluid, nimble, clean-toned playing..." Jazz Times