Chris Bergson
By“Downtown" Bob Stannard, correspondent to BarrelhouseBlues.com 

Chris Bergson

If you have never heard of Chris Bergson, you’re gonna. There are only a few new players out there that have this man’s talent and they can all be seen in Bergson’s rear view mirror. He is a great song writer. He’s a better singer. And his guitar work will do just what it’s supposed to do; knock you out. He puts his heart and soul into each lick. It should come as no surprise that he is being acclaimed by the best of the best. It has been an honor to share the stage with Chris and it’s a greater honor to be able to introduce him and his work to you.

DTB: From where do you hail, Chris?

CB: I was born in New York City. When I was three and a half, my family moved to the Boston area and I spent most of my childhood in Somerville, MA.

DTB: How long have you been performing and when did you decide this was the career for you?

CB: I started young. When I was thirteen, I was in a rock band that played gigs around Boston. It was in my senior year of high school, that I decided I wanted to make music my career.

DTB: Who were your earliest influences?

CB: The Beatles, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Albert King, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Wes Montgomery, Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles, the Allman Brothers...

DTB: If you weren’t a great guitarist and song writer, what do you think you’d be doing today?

CB: I think I might be a writer.

DTB: Who are you listening today?

CB: Freddie King, Otis Rush, Howlin' Wolf, Hubert Sumlin, Son House, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Skip James, Taj Mahal, The Band, Otis Redding, and John Scofiled. I listen to a lot of jazz and classic soul. I also really like Derek Trucks, Bettye Lavette, and James Hunter.

DTB: Are you a straight ahead Blues player or do you play other genres?

CB: I also play a lot of Jazz and some rock and soul. I’m drawn to music that has soul and groove.

DTB: Who have you been performing with lately?

CB: I've been performing a lot with my own band with Bruce Katz on organ / piano, Jay Collins on tenor saxophone and backing vocals, Matt Clohesy on bass and Tony Leone on drums.

DTB: How long have you been at this?

CB: My current band was formed in 2004, with a few changes in personnel since then.

DTB: You have an agent or are you doing your own bookings?

CB: I am lucky to have a great manager and we work with some different agents here in the States and we also have a European agent.

DTB: The music business is one of the toughest lines of work out there. What advice would have for younger players thinking about becoming a Blues players instead of, say, a doctor or lawyer?

CB: There has to be no choice about it - you have to really want to be a musician to the point where that's what you need to do to be truly happy. Otherwise, there are obviously many easier ways to make a living. It is such a blessing to play music and I feel lucky that I've been able to support myself doing it for the last ten years.

My other advice to young musicians is to be on time and to be someone that people want to work with!

DTB: This spring you did a tour in the Netherlands. How were you received? What stood out on that tour that would make it different than playing NYC or Boston?

CB: We had a fantastic time on this last tour and we're hoping to come back soon. The audiences were great and the shows went really well. It was so nice to play for people that really love the music! It was also great to hear some of the other artists at these festivals like Watermelon Slim and James Hunter. To answer the second part of your question, there just aren't as many big, multi-day blues festivals here in NYC, unfortunately.

DTB: Tell us about your latest album.

CB: We recorded FALL CHANGES up at Levon Helm's studio in Woodstock, NY. Levon's barn is an amazing room to record in and I think you can hear the warmth of all the wood on there! Most of the record was cut live. A few days after the sessions, I got a call from Levon to come up and sub in his band at his Midnight Ramble concerts. He's one of my favorite musicians of all time so this was kind of a dream come true! Just to be in that rhythm section and play some of those shuffles with him was pretty amazing. He's such a master. Speaking of Levon, my band is going to be opening for him at his Midnight Ramble in Woodstock on Saturday, September 5th.

DTB: You’re appearing at BB King’s in NYC. This your first appearance at this prestigious club?

CB: No, I've played there before. I had the honor of opening for Etta James there a few years back. I play pretty regularly at Lucille's, which is their more casual lounge, next door to the main room. It's a nice hang - an oasis in the middle of Times Square. It's funny, you come out of there after a night of playing downstairs and the neon lights from The Lion King are just blinding!

DTB: Tell us about your best show ever.

CB: Wow, that's tough. Our show at Groningen Rhythm and Blues Night was definitely a highlight of our Netherlands tour. We played in a beautiful, great-sounding concert hall and the show was broadcast on National Dutch Public Radio. There's a clip from it up on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpMYthIEi4E
We played a really fun set a few weeks back at the New York State Blues Festival in Syracuse. There are so many factors and variables involved in what makes a good performance...you could have been driving all day or be really tired, but when it's time to play it's time to PLAY!

DTB: Anything else that you’d like to share with us?

CB: We'll be playing in my hometown of Somerville at Johnny D's on Thursday, October 29th. We're looking forward to playing in the Boston area again!

FALL CHANGES named MOJO's #1 Blues Album of 2008!
January 2009 issue

BLUES
Compiled by Tony Russell

1. Chris Bergson Band - Fall Changes (2 Shirts)
2. Ian Siegal - The Dust (Nugene)
3. Joe Louis Walker - Witness To The Blues (Stony Plain)
4. Various - The History Of Rhythm & Blues: Part 1: 1925-1942 (Rhythm and Blues)
5. Watermelon Slim & The Workers - No Paid Holidays (NorthernBlues)
6. Sterling Harrison - South Of The Snooty Fox (Hack Tone)
7. Harrison Kennedy - High Country Blues (Electro-Fi)
8. Various - The Downhome Blues Sessions Volume 5 (Ace)
9. B.B. King - One Kind Favor (Geffen/Universal)
10. Various - Bob Geddins' Big Town Records Story Acrobat)

MOJO - October 2008 - Blues album of the month
Chris Bergson Band - Fall Changes (2 Shirts)
  * * * *
A Brooklyn five piece you probably never heard of - but you have now, and will again.

One of the major themes in blues is a sense of place, and this band lay down their local credentials in the opening track about a Brooklyn neighborhood, Gowanus Heights.  The catchy melody, stabbing horns and fervent vocal also establish that these guys could strip down the engine of a soulbluesmobile and put it back together blindfold.  Ok so far, but there are several bands that fit that description.  The Chris Bergson Band's USPs [unique selling points] are their leader's craggy singing, a powerful spirit with flavours of Ray Charles and Tom Waits, and clever, uncliched songs devised by him and his writing partner, Kate Ross, such as the title number, Gowanus Heights, Latitude and Rain Beatin' Down, the last with Blind Willie Johnsonesque slide guitar.

- Tony Russell

Let the music of Chris Bergson take you back

Bluesman to play Woodstock's Colony Cafe

By John W. Barry • Poughkeepsie Journal • May 22, 2008

A sixth-grader whose parents took him to see Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie perform live has grown up to sing like Joe Cocker, Tom Waits and Dr. John.

Songwriter, guitarist and singer Chris Bergson is originally from Boston and now lives in Brooklyn. Between leaving and arriving in those two iconic towns, he lived in Manhattan with his grandmother, attended Oberlin College in Ohio on a music scholarship and studied at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie - for one semester.

"I originally planned to go to Vassar and get a liberal arts degree, and do music on the side," said Bergson, who will turn 32 Saturday. "It didn't pan out that way."

You can see how things panned out for Bergson at the Colony Cafe in Woodstock tonight. The Chris Bergson Band is scheduled to perform at 8.

Joining Bergson will be Tony Leone on drums, Jay Collins on saxophone and Matt Clohesy on bass.

"Chris kinda takes you back when you first hear him sing - it's like this deep authentic Mississippi Delta Blues voice coming out of this skinny white kid's body," said Tony Falco of Marlboro, who has presented four Bergson Band performances, two at private house concerts and two at Cluett-Schantz Park on Route 9W in Milton. "Chris subtly mixes jazz into his soulful blues. He's a real-deal talent. ... Aside from being an excellent performer, Chris and his wife, Kate, are some of the sweetest and most genuine people I know."

Bergson plays bare-knuckle blues and dishes out heaping ladles of soul stew. There is funk. And there is rock.

He sings with the voice of a weathered bluesman who is down on his luck, if not down for the count, but never too sad to sing.

The lyrics he sings are clever and catchy, but maintain an edge.

"One more day in Gowanus Heights," Bergson sings in "Gowanus Heights." "Changing quarters to dollars to get through the night."

Bergson credits his family with stoking his passion for music. His mother told him that as a 3-year-old, on family visits to a local museum, Bergson would always ask to see a painting by Edgar Degas of a guitar.

Also at age 3, Bergson took his uncle's classical guitar, placed it on the floor and strummed its strings.

Guitar lessons began at age 7. But Bergson does not know what he liked so much about the instrument that he asked for instruction.

"I'm not 100 percent sure," he said. "I was always drawn to the guitar."

Then came the live concerts and a record collection.

"My parents were big music lovers," Bergson said of his father, a lawyer, and his mother, a therapist. "They exposed me to a lot of great music. I remember when I was in fifth grade, they gave me a whole bunch of records, all in one year, maybe even for a birthday - Muddy Waters, "Fathers and Sons"; an Albert King record; Thelonious Monk; Miles Davis. I know I was listening to all that stuff at the same time and loving it. I think that had a lot to do with me wanting to be a musician and just sort of mixing different styles of music and not really drawing so many lines between different styles. I think kids tend to be open-minded and are sponges with what they're exposed to."

An avid concertgoer

Bergson loves seeing and performing live music in New York City. While playing around the city years ago, he met Collins, a good friend with whom he has forged a strong musical relationship.

Bergson had known Leone years ago, from playing around New York City, but lost touch with him. He re-connected with the drummer through Amy Helm, a vocalist who is married to Collins and plays with Leone in the band Ollabelle.

Amy Helm's father is drummer Levon Helm. "Fall Changes," the Chris Bergson Band's most recent CD, was recorded at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock.

"Jay and I," Bergson said, "we sort of formed the band that is essentially the band I have now."

That band draws on many traditions.

"I've always been a really big blues lover," Bergson said. "The pure feeling and the soul - that's one of the strands that connects all of the music I love."

Did you know ....?

— Chris Bergson played with Norah Jones at nightclubs and bars in New York City before Jones had a hit with her Grammy-winning, multi-million selling record, "Come Away With Me."

— Jay Collins, saxophone player for the Chris Bergson Band, has performed with Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band and British soul singer James Hunter.

Local ties

Chris Bergson only spent a semester at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, but he has fond memories from his short stay in Dutchess County.

"I thought I was going to be an English major, a writer," said Bergson, who will perform with his band tonight at the Colony Cafe in Woodstock. "I really like writing - writing songs, writing lyrics can serve as an outlet."

Bergson also liked the fact Vassar was only a two-hour train ride to New York City. He often hopped on Metro-North to see live music in New York and for jazz guitar lessons in the West Village.

But Bergson left his mark around Poughkeepsie as well, playing at Matthew's Mug on the Vassar Campus as well as at the Dutch Cabin bar and restaurant on Fairmont Avenue in Poughkeepsie.

"I visited a handful of schools," Bergson said. "Vassar just seemed like a great school."

 http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008805230302

APRIL / MAY 2008 Issue

Chris Bergson Band - Rodeo Bar
New York City - Jan. 10

It takes a confident musician to pack his band with some of the hottest players in New York City, but singer/songwriter/guitarist Chris Bergson is equal to the company he keeps.  On this night, he shared the foreground of a tiny stage with saxophone wizard Jay Collins and Bruce Katz (a Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year nominee at this year's  Blues Music Awards).  The star power was anchored by drummer Diego Voglino and electric bassist Tim Luntzel, who shared their crowded space with cow skulls, a black velvet Elvis and a gigantic buffalo head in front of a packed house of cheering, whistling fans.

With his shy grin and mop of unruly hair, Bergson might remind you of your high-school boyfriend – at least until he straps on his shiny, red Gibson and steps up to the mike. Starting with the rocking “Gowanus Heights” from his recently released album Fall Changes, the young virtuoso took charge of the stage.  He growled out the vivid lyrics about Brooklyn street life and launched a series of dazzling flights of fancy on the guitar, playing as organically as if the instrument were a third arm.  On “Latitude,” a song about coming to grips with compromise, Bergson’s raucous guitar was the sound of ambivalence, like an argument where no one gives in.  The first set also featured a few selections from the band’s 2005  record, Another Day, including the moody title song, built around a spooky sax-and-guitar riff that moved between minor and major keys.  The beautiful “High Above the Morning” brought a guitar solo, thrilling enough to make you cry, while “Greyhound Station,” about searching for artistic inspiration, showcased Katz’s soulful organ playing.  Eyes closed and head thrown back, he catapulted the audience through several aural universes in a few brief moments. 

Bergson showed off his Delta blues skills on the ominous “Three Sisters” and the Mississippi Fred McDowell-inspired “Rain Beatin’ Down” from the new album. With only Voglino playing softly behind him, Bergson’s sensual slide guitar brought home the conjugal feeling as vividly as his passionate lyrics. The room hushed for “Sanctuary,” a love song embroidered by Katz’s tender piano and Collins’ provocative sax. On Collins’ “The Engine,” the band hit its explosive peak, Bergson’s slide threatening to careen out of control like the relationship described in the song.  Driven by the drums and Luntzel’s tough bass groove, Katz’s piano burst forth as if he had been building up to it all night.

The band had fun with covers like Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” and John Prine’s “Sweet Revenge.”  Another highlight was the Otis Redding chestnut “You Left The Water Running,” with Katz cooking on organ and Collins’ sly, playful baritone sax.  Side-by-side shouting by Bergson and Collins was perfect for this funky classic, showing how two rough voices can make for a sweet and soulful sound. The energy level didn't drop as the night progressed: Bergson’s last solo of the night – on Freddie King’s “The Stumble,” covered on his 2003 album Blues  – was just as fresh, inventive and fired-up as the first.

Chris Bergson Band | Fall Changes

2 Shirt Records | www.chrisbergson.com
Roll's Quick Pick 3

Chris Bergson plays the kind of guitar you can build a house on; when he’s on rhythm with his Gibson ES–335, he holds it down hard…when he’s on lead, it’s B.B. meets Steve Cropper meets John Scofield…which is my cockeyed way of saying he’s good, y’all. (Plus, he’s a pretty damn good blues singer.) With half of the Organiks: Bruce Katz on piano/B3, Jay Collins on sax and background vocals, plus Ollabelle’s Tony Leone on drums, and bassist Chris Berger, Bergson turns in a tasty set of mostly originals recorded (by Justin Guip) at Levon Helm Studios, enhanced by covers of “Are You Experienced” and Levon–fave “When I Paint My Masterpiece.” With special guests Amy Helm and saxman Erik Lawrence, this release is soul–satisfying.

www.rollmagazine.com/march2008/chris_bergson_band.html

Chris Bergson is a serious talent.  The Brooklyn-based vocalist/guitarist also knows a thing or two about assembling a top-notch crew, and on his latest effort, Fall Changes, it all comes together in an intense outing that showcases Bergson's many talents and influences.

Bergson gives early notice to the listener on the album's opening cut, "Gowanus Heights", of his prowess as both a performer and songwriter.  With a horn section that would do the old Stax crew proud, Bergson lures the listener into his world of jazz influenced blues and doesn't let up until the final cut.

Joined here by a band that features Hammond B-3 maestro Bruce Katz and Jay Collins on saxophone, Bergson is not afraid to stretch out and cover some surprising territory, taking on Bob Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece" and even Jimi Hendrix's "Are You Experienced?"  But don't let that scare you away.

Bergson transforms the Dylan cut into a horn-drenched, swinging affair and even tones down the Hendrix cover thanks to Collins' soaring sax and Katz's warm organ tone, which allow Bergson to demonstrate his axe abilities without overindulging.

Both jazzy and bluesy with a slight dash of rock and massive amounts of melody, Fall Changes is a treat.

SPOTLIGHT - NewYork Stories: A NYC jazz guitarist mines the blues for inspiration

Chris Bergson Band
Fall Changes
2 Shirts 1003

Chris Bergson's youthful vitality combines with the gravelly voice and blues sensibility of an old soul.  He has a flair for writing songs that ring true, especially when played by his group of some of the hippest, most talented musicians on today's scene.  With Bergson's fiery guitar leading the way, Chris Berger (bass), Jay Collins (sax), Bruce Katz (keys), and Tony Leone (drums) work magic on this collection of mostly original songs that reflect the rhythms of their Brooklyn lives.

Fall Changes grabs hold immediately with the rocking "Gowanus Heights," a vivid portrait of urban life.  Its jazzy groove, cinematic lyrics, and dazzling choir of horns (Collins on tenor sax, Erik Lawrence on baritone sax and Kenny Rampton on trumpet) soulfully convey the sense of surprise waiting around every city street corner; it's anchored by Leone and Berger, who find the funky heartbeat of the 'hood.  "Sanctuary" is an unabashed declaration of love, and "Rain Beatin' Down," another upbeat love song, is goosed by Amy Helm's sweet 'n' sassy background vocals.

Like the season it describes, the title track harbors a melancholy feel, exuding both nostalgia and apprehension as Bergson's edgy vocal counterpoints Katz's sparkling piano and Leone's scatty beats.  The band tackles some interesting covers, including "When I Paint My Masterpiece"; Bergson hollers out Dylan's tale of love and art in a foreign land over Leone's funky drums and the joyful shouts of the horn trio.  Bergson's emotional delivery of Jimi Hendrix's "Are You Experienced?" is catapulted into another dimenion by Collins' otherworldly sax riffs.

Despite its subject matter, this album sports a relaxed, rural vibe that reflects the fact that it was cut at Levon Helm's studio in Woodstock, New York.  The disc's layers reveal themselves subtly through repeated listens, but Bergson's stirring voice and glorious guitar command immediate attention.

Chris Bergson Band
Fall Changes
(2 Shirts Records)

There’s a lot to hear on Fall Changes, and it just gets better with every play.  Bergson has recruited top drawer musicians, most with jazz roots, to play soulful songs behind his growly vocals and bluesy guitar with irresistible results.  Bergson’s voice (it’s just a rumor he was raised by wolves) and his soaring guitar are just a few of the elements that lift up this collection.  There are nine original songs about city life and love, and a few interesting covers of great ones from the vaults of artists as diverse as Bob Dylan (“When I Paint My Masterpiece”) Jimi Hendrix (“Are You Experienced?”) and Ray Charles (“Drown in My Own Tears.”)

When Bergson sings about Brooklyn street life (“Gowanus Heights,” “The Bungler”), you can smell the gritty streets and feel the craziness waiting around the corner.  And his charming love songs (“Sanctuary” and “Rain Beatin’ Down”) are touching and real, as songs written by the recently wed often are.  His spare and lovely guitar parts, particularly on these songs, are a tour de force.  But on nearly every track, Bergson’s secret weapons are the amazing musical skills of his bandmates.

Jay Collins’ sweet saxophone phrases intertwining with Bruce Katz’s sparkling piano manage to be both hot and classy, and on the title track, in the space of a few bars, they transform a melancholy reverie on change and loss to a hopeful celebration.  On Collins’ “The Engine,” Chris Berger’s acoustic bass holds the song’s signature riff over Tony Leone’s angry beat while Bergson snarls the lyrics.  Nearly everything about this record is fresh and inventive, but it’s also a treat to dig Bergson’s homage to Jimi (and Duane) on “Are You Experienced?” over Leone’s rolling drums.

The MOJO Playlist - December 2007

"The best songs on the box, at the movies, on album and on-line right now..."

MOJO'S TOP 10

#5 GOWANUS HEIGHTS - CHRIS BERGSON BAND

Gut-busting, horn-bedecked NY blues outfit.  If they sound a bit like early Blood, Sweat and Tears, so what?  Time was when BS&T set the pace. 

www.mojo4music.com

Chris Bergson Band - Fall Changes (2 Shirts)

While some albums merely stand the test of time others are timeless.  There exists a rich vein of (only) American contemporary music that cannot be defined by its time, place or genre and which cloaks itself in the full spectrum of new world musical traditions, in the process producing the finest that “rock” can offer.  This magnificent collection by Chris Bergson, recorded at Levon Helm’s Woodstock studios, follows the Band in drawing intuitively and seamlessly from blues, country, folk, funk, soul and jazz.  Bergson has the kind of voice that can be sepia-tinted, whiskey soaked or nicotine stained to fit the requisite style and mood, standing alongside Gregg Allman, Dr. John, Van Morrison and Danko / Helm. A neatly balanced set of self-penned numbers and entirely justified covers (‘Are You Experienced’ is a revelation!) are immaculately played by a tight and energetic band complimenting excellent guitar work with washes of organ and honking sax.  Crisply but roundly produced, Fall Changes is an undeniable pointer to a talent with major league potential.

www.leicesterbangs.co.uk/jan08-3.html

Allman Associates to join Chris Bergson

Guitarist Chris Bergson has recruited a stellar group of musicians to perform with his band at New York’s Jazz Standard this evening.  For both his 7:30 and 9:30 PM shows, Bergson, who recently participated in one of Levon Helm’s Midnight Rambles and recorded with Amy Helm, will be joined by Gregg Allman collaborators Bruce Katz and Jay Collins and Ollabelle drummer Tony Leone, among others.  Looking ahead, the guitarist has also confirmed that Spin Doctors drummer Aaron Comess and bassist Richard Hammond will perform with him at New York’s Rockwood Music Hall on December 20, while he will rejoin Katz and Collins for a January 10 gig at New York’s Rodeo Bar.

SOVER SCENE: The gritty wonder of Chris Bergson
Inventive yet seasoned blues come to Bennington
February 21, 2008

By ANNE LAWRENCE GUYON

Chris Bergson, shown here at Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble in Woodstock, NY in 2007, performs this Saturday at the Sage Street Mill in North Bennington. Photo: Photo by Ahron R. Foster

Imagine it's a weekend afternoon, you're hanging out in your Brooklyn flat, maybe munching on an H & H bagel, and the phone rings and it's Levon Helm, cordially inquiring as to whether you might be able to hop in the car and drive up to his Woodstock, New York studio to sit in on a few sessions.

This is precisely what happened to guitarist and songwriter Chris Bergson, who at only 31 is the remarkably accomplished leader of the Chris Bergson Band, a quintet of consummate blues, country, rock and jazz musicians that in only a few years has earned high praise from colleagues, critics and fans alike.

One glance at the weighty list of luminaries and venues that populate Bergson's bio — Etta James, Norah Jones, The Blue Note and the JFK Center For Performing Arts, to name just a few — and it makes perfect sense that a music industry icon like Levon Helm would ring him up. That and the fact that when Bergson and his bandmates were laying down tracks for their latest album, "Fall Changes," just a few days before in Helm's recording studio barn, the man himself had wandered over and obviously liked what he heard.

During a recent conversation, I asked Bergson — who brings his band to North Bennington's Sage Street Mill on Saturday night — what it was like to hear those widely revered husky tones at the other end of the phone.

"When he first called I was totally thrown into it," he exulted. "It was 4 p.m. on a Saturday and I'd just gotten home from recording our album up at Helm's studio and he said, 'It would be great if you could come up tonight,' so I didn't really have time to get nervous."

Bergson's accelerated career seems to be saturated with similarly pivotal moments, the sort that can only come from professional connections borne of steadfast diligence, well-honed aspirations and profound talent. When I asked how he came to record the album in the hallowed halls where Helm's famous Midnight Rambles concerts take place, I wasn't surprised to find it was yet another link in that connective tissue.

"Helm's daughter Amy is the wife of my sax player and as I got to know her she said we should come up and check out her dad's studio," Bergson explained. "I'd been up to a couple of Rambles and Levon is among my biggest influences so to actually record there was an honor."

Bergson's music is inspired by numerous genres and icons, from The Band — Helm's legendary rock collaboration with Rick Danko, Robbie Robertson, et al. — to Delta bluesman Muddy Waters, jazz icon Miles Davis and even those demi-gods of folk-rock, the Grateful Dead.

I figured this appreciation of the past and such multifaceted sensibilities must have had beginnings that started long before Bergson was old enough to get into most music clubs.

"I'm very grateful that my parents exposed me to a lot of jazz and blues when I was very young. They were big music lovers and took me to hear a lot of greats like Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie," he recalled. "When I was in fifth grade, for my birthday they gave me records by Albert King, Muddy Waters, Thelonious Monk, Davis and they had a lot of jazz LPs."

Having started playing guitar at age 7, Bergson studied jazz in earnest, all the way through high school. "I moved to New York City when I was 18 and it was an exciting time, when there were a lot more jazz clubs than there are now."

With a band that brings vivid perspectives from varied musical traditions, Bergson is able to integrate his formal training with other types of music that have greatly influenced him over the years. Indeed, the Chris Bergson Band is anchored by some mighty impressive resumes. Saxophonist Jay Collins tours with country rock great Gregg Allman, keyboardist Bruce Katz regularly works with Helm and bluesman John Hammond, Tony Leone brings his percussion expertise from bluegrass gospel band, Ollabelle, and bassist Chris Berger has performed with folks like Maynard Ferguson and Richie Coles.

Bergson exudes a respectful wonder when speaking about his bandmates and the breadth of experience they bring to his songs. "I'd always been really into different kinds of blues, like Muddy Waters and The Allman Brothers, so it's come full circle because this band has such a diverse background. Jay Collins tours with Allman, but he can turn around and play incredible jazz like Eddy Harris, so we draw on a lot of different styles."

"Fall Changes" is a dense and delicious case in point. Nearly every song is a rich slab of musical strata, with ragged street-smart rock, raw Delta anguish and fluid jazz coloring, all sewn together by Bergson's forceful, sandy voice. With what seems like a few extra decades from the school of life packed into wise, forthright phrasing, his delivery is an inviting balance of boyish energy and slightly world-weary reflection.

Often collaborating with lyricist Kate Ross, Bergson writes solid, piquant tunes that can be intimate and sultry or cynical or brash, and that are always embedded with just the right ratio of hooks, spaces and untethered solos.

His improvisations have an unpredictable and compelling edge, like heated discussion between maestro and instrument. After an expressive, masterful, melodic debate, he'll lean into the mike as if returning to the lyrics then suddenly gets tugged back to playing as if the conversation wasn't quite over.

"The music has a lot of room for improvisation," Bergson attests, "but we don't want to have anything gratuitous, not solos just for the sake of solos — the goal is to serve the song. With this band, the songs are rarely exactly the same from night to night and the improvised element keeps it fresh."

Everything on the new album has room for both composition and exploration, with gritty social observations peppered by moments of poignancy. Often infused with themes of despondency and hardship, some tunes are thoughtful inner contemplations while others read like urban poetry.

In "Gowanus Heights" — which British music arbiter Mojo Magazine put at No. 5 on its 2007 playlist — the pathos is torn right out of a Bukowski notebook:

The junkie blonde and her tough brunette

Counted up their money to see what they'd get

Out in pajamas on a Saturday night

Just cruisin' 'round waitin' to feel all right

The Chris Bergson Band also has the musical mettle to tackle landmark tunes such as "Are You Experienced" from an entirely innovative angle, in this case with a glittering, sax-woven interpretation that impels us to lend a more earnest ear to Jimi Hendrix' lyrics.

In taking on someone else's tune, Bergson manages to honor the core vision of the songwriter while still pushing into unexpected, innovative territory. On their previous album, "Another Day," his song "Three Sisters / Death Letter" is an eloquent homage to Son House, yet more sparse than the original and exquisitely crafted.

With roots that wrap gently around the heritage of his Delta elders, Bergson branches intrepidly into eclectic directions, with nods to Eric Clapton, Van Morrison and Creedence Clearwater Revival along the way, and a strong current of Stevie Ray Vaughan running through every limb.

When he asks if we've "ever been experienced" and then warns "Well, I have" — we believe him.

CHRIS BERGSON BAND
“FALL CHANGES”
(2 Shirts Records - CD1003)

Without doubt this album is one of the best things I have heard this year - and thanks must be to the good folk of “Mojo” magazine, who listed opening cut “Gowanus Heights” in their “Mojo Playlist” page in the December issue (and the artiste himself!). The Brooklyn-based Chris Bergson and his excellent band bring to the table a sound rooted in the blues - but diverse enough to have jazzy and classic rock leanings.

The guitarist and vocalist recorded in upstate Woodstock, at the studio of The Band drummer, Levon Helm, and the eleven cuts contain a mix of originals co-written with Kate Ross, with some carefully selected covers - including a particularly interesting horn-laden version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced?”, and the gorgeous “Drown In My Own Tears” - forever associated with the late, great Ray Charles.

Chris Bergson’s band features the tenor saxophone of Jay Collins and the great Bruce Katz on piano and B-3 organ, for many years a stalwart of Ronnie Earl’s Broadcasters, with the tight rhythm section of Chris Berger on bass and Tony Leone (drums) - all fine players.

Bergson possesses a lovely tone in his guitar playing, often touching into BB King territory, and lovely jazzy licks, as evidence on the title cut, “Fall Changes”; with the mellow “Sanctuary” almost being in gospel territory. The funky feel of “Latitude” is another standout, with Jay Collins laying down some soulful sax lines.

He takes us down to the delta on the stark “Rain Beatin’ Down”, with exquisite slide guitar; with Bruce Katz’s piano getting the spotlight on the New Orleans-flavoured “The Bungler”. The previously-mentioned “Drown In My Own Tears” wraps things up in fine style with Chris Bergson’s chops as tasteful as they throughout the album.

A great release well worthy of a listen - and it would be great to see this fine musician and his band reach our shores next year - promoters get to it!

- GRAHAME RHODES

www.bluesinthenorthwest.com

CHRIS BERGSON BAND
Fall Changes
2 Shirts

Special thanks are given to Levon Helm for his contribution and the album was recorded and mixed at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, so no wonder you can feel the warm style of The Band coming though.  Amy Helm also makes an appearance, adding vocals on two of the tracks.  Tremendous!  The latest and second album from New Yorker Chris Bergson and his band starts off with 'Gowanus Heights', a funky Blues showing Bergson's fine gravely voice and understated guitar work.  The title track, 'Fall Changes', comes in with a tasteful horn intro followed by a bit of classy funk with some pointed guitar.  There are two covers on the album, the first being Dylan's 'When I Paint My Masterpiece', which is a platform for Bergson's fine vocals, some good sax and some tasty guitar.  The other is Hendrix's 'Are You Experienced?' - a fine run through of an old favorite.  For me, the best tracks are the Bergson-penned ones, as the band seems to relate to them more, and I would highlight 'Rain Beating Down', a slide based song featuring Bergson with backing from Amy Helm.  "Fall Changes" showcases the Chris Bergson Band's personal blend of contemporary Americana, highlighting Bergson's crafted writing, some soulful vocals and the first class musicianship of a class band.

www.bluesmatters.com

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Chris Bergson's band has a new album out titled Fall Changes.  The album was recorded at Levon Helm Studios with several of the musicians from The Levon Helm Band sitting in, including the wonderful Amy Helm.  Bergson has also been performing with Levon at the Midnight Rambles, and Levon and Amy are both credited with a "special thanks" on Fall Changes.  The music is rootsy and funky, with strong vocals and guitar from Bergson and brilliant playing from the Chris Bergson band (Tony Leone on drums, Bruce Katz on B3 and piano, Jay Collins on sax and Chris Berger on bass).  I particularly liked the opening track, an original titled "Gowanus Heights" and the inventive cover of Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece".  Highly recommended!  Available from amazon.com.

(Translated from Dutch)

Chris Bergson, coming from Brooklyn, is a name you may remember as colleague and site-owner Freddy has already written praise concerning the predecessor "Another Day". These new sessions, recorded at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, exceed Chris’ previous three pieces of work once again.  With a real Muscle Shoals sound and a voice which recalls the heyday of The Band revive these "Fall Changes"; I dare say that this is the high level of a small master work.  This is an artist who is always changing and now seems to have found his own sound.  There was formerly talk of jazz and blues, but this is not really true anymore, both genres are still present, intertwined with Memphis Stax rhythms.  The big influence on this CD, it seems to me, is the sound of the former Band.  This may have a lot to do with the fact that the album was recorded at Levon Helm Studios, I do not know, but coincidence can be difficult.  The production, however, is not this man, but of themselves - Bergson and blues guitarist Dave Rubin.  The band consists of Bergson on vocals and guitar, bass player (and almost namesake) Chris Berger, tenor saxophonist Jay Collins, drummer Tony Leone, and last but not least, the great Bruce Katz, about the best Hammond B3 player in the world.  "Gowanus Heights" the first song on this CD, still has its roots deep in Americana, while "Float Your Mind" shows strong Stax influences, and Bergson shows what a good guitarist he is.  On the title track "Fall Changes", The Band influence is the highest, while at the same time blues and jazz elements are intertwined.  The peaceful "Sanctuary" has slight gospel influences and Ray Charles style vocals, which is also translated into the cover of Ray Charles’ blues "I'll Drown in My Own Tears", equipped with B.B. King guitar licks and with that, the CD ends.  Still covers, but Chris puts his own stamp on them as on Hendrix’s "Are You Experienced", a showcase for saxophonist Jay Collins, and Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece".  "Rain Beatin 'Down" is the second real blues number here, a Delta song with gospel backing vocals, sober but very beautiful.  Even "The Bungler" bursting with the influences of The Band, a New Orleans trip, where mostly Katz on piano can shine, along with Collins on saxophone.  All in all, an impressive piece of this Chris Bergson, who belongs to the “big leagues”, a candidate for year’s best. 

www.rootstime.be

Gibson Recommends Chris Bergson Band Fall Changes

Sean McDevitt | 09.13.2007

When Brooklyn-based Chris Bergson headed upstate to Woodstock, New York, to cut his latest album of rootsy rhythm & blues at the recording studio of Band drummer Levon Helm, the guitarist and vocalist made sure to bring the sounds of Muscle Shoals and Memphis along for the ride. Aside from showcasing some seriously street-smart songwriting and Allman-esque vocal prowess, Fall Changes also suggests an artist in creative transition: While those who have caught one of Bergson’s New York City club gigs know that he’s equally adept playing jazz or the blues, this album is decidedly neither. Sure, flashes of both genres—along with a host of other musical strands—infiltrate from time to time, but they never threaten the big picture. And at day’s end, this release (produced by Bergson and blues guitarist Dave Rubin) works hard to remain varied while simultaneously resisting categorization. The soaring tenor saxophone of bandmate Jay Collins serves as the perfect complement—and sometimes foil—to Bergson’s tasteful guitar lines, which he skillfully coaxes from his dotneck reissue ES-335. The opening “Gowanus Heights” and the tempo-shifting “Latitude” are firmly rooted in Americana, Collins’ horn lines emanating a Stax vibe; the groove-laden “Float Your Mind,” where Bergson’s guitar chops are firmly on display, is a straight-ahead rocker; the gentle “Sanctuary” offers a meditative, almost gospel-like quality; keyboardist Bruce Katz shines on “The Bungler,” a trip down to New Orleans; and “Rain Beatin’ Down,” with its stark instrumentation, irresistible tension and release (and pronounced bottom end), feels like something Delta blues master Charley Patton might have played—had he lived to see the dawn of the electric guitar. While the originals speak volumes about Bergson’s musical ambition, his choice of covers says every bit as much: He digs deep into Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” reimagines Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced?” as a horn excursion, and treats Ray Charles’ “Drown in My Own Tears” with tasteful, economical B.B.-like guitar lines. A fully-realized effort from a rising artist.

Click here to read the review at Gibson.com: www.gibson.com/en%2Dus/Lifestyle/Recommends/ChrisBergson/

New Release: Chris Bergson Band - Fall Changes

I don’t usually feature jazz releases on the Bus. Then again, Chris Bergson’s new release Fall Changes covers so many genres of American music that is defies categories.

Brooklyn-based guitarist/singer/songwriter Chris Bergson has played with such jazz greats as Annie Ross, Dena DeRose, and Norah Jones. His two jazz CDs on the Juniper label received wide acclaim and he has appeared on many other releases as a sideman.

In 2002, Bergson was appointed a Jazz Ambassador of the United States by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the U.S. State Department. His trio was sent on a tour of eight countries performing concerts and holding clinics for local musicians.

His critically acclaimed 2005 release, Another Day, was a showcase for his own brand of contemporary Americana where “...funk, soul, blues, folk and delectable jazz come together seamlessly” (All About Jazz).

With Fall Changes Chris Bergson takes listeners on a tour of the many sounds of the blues. Starting with the Muscle Shoals influenced “Gowanus Heights” Bergson then shifts smoothly into the blues/rock “Float Your Mind”. This celebration of the different flavors of the blues continues with each song until the sounds of New Orleans, Memphis, Chicago, the Delta, and more, are covered.

Chris Bergson is a dynamic, masterful guitar player. His guitar is smooth and articulate, never overpowering or tiresome. Add to this his warm, soulful vocals and an incredible assembly of backing musicians making Fall Changes one of the most dynamic and impressive new blues releases I’ve heard in years.

Song of the Day: Chris Bergson Band - Rain Beatin' Down

Chris Bergson Band - Rain Beatin' Down
from the album Fall Changes

I turn your attention, if you will, to the Chris Bergson Band -
this cat has an amazing voice and is smokin' on the blues/rock guitar. He's got a great band backing him up (including Jay Collins on tenor sax and backup vocals) and has a new album out now - Fall Changes.  I caught him the other night at the Rodeo Bar for his CD Release Party and he was amazing.  I enjoy the album very much, but I must say that it doesn't do his live shows justice - which, like many bands such as The Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, and some of the best blues artists like Junior Kimbrough (who I used to see in Oxford, MS at his Juke Joint from time to time) you'll find more the norm than not.  For how does a studio capture the live essence, that spark, that can happen when an amazingly talented artist takes control of the stage?  Or a band that jams out on a tune that is only partially caught on CD?

This is not to say anything negative about the album; on the contrary, besides his own songs being beautiful (co-written with his wife, actress Kate Ross), and a slide guitar that would make you think you were back in Memphis somewhere, he does one of the best and most unique covers of Hendrix's Are You Experienced and live the other night, Dylan's Standing In the Doorway (dude, I was in tears by the end of the song) that I have EVER heard. And yes - before you ask - I have heard covers of both songs done many times in like three different states live; and the essence of them are captured on the album with enough groove to make you want to play it over and over.  This cat has shared the bill with Etta James and has played with characters such as Levon Helm and Norah Jones.

Chris Bergson Band
Jazz Standard
December 4, 2007

Fresh from a sold-out performance at Levon Helm’s “Midnight Ramble” show, the Chris Bergson Band returned to New York’s Jazz Standard to celebrate the release of the critically acclaimed CD Fall Changes on December 4.  The Brooklyn-based Bergson has walked an interesting musical path, but one which, having been firmly established in the NYC jazz community, makes perfect sense, in retrospect.  These days, the singer/guitarist moves smoothly between jazz, Delta blues, Americana, roots, and – dare we say – rock styles, drawing comparisons ranging from B.B. King to Gregg Allman to classic Blood Sweat and Tears.  No doubt Bergson has paid his dues, and his efforts have paid off with Fall Changes.

Recorded and mixed at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, Fall Changes captures an inventive and personal take on the rich legacy of American roots music, highlighting some honest storytelling and soulful vocals in the framework of a first-class working band.  That framework was in fall effect at The Standard, where the set kicked off with the title cut, moving quickly into the gorgeous “Drown in My Own Tears” and the horn-laden “Gowanus Heights”.  Some great interplay between Bergson’s gritty, bluesy guitar and Collins’ soulful tenor spiced up “The Bungler”, “The Engine” and “Imitate the Sun”.  Bergson was joined by tenor saxophonist Jay Collins and organist Bruce Katz (both just off a national tour with Gregg Allman), drummer Tony Leone (Ollabelle) and a full Stax-styled horn section featuring Kenny Rampton and Chris Karlic.  Bergson has a standing history with the club, having been featured as weekly Artist-in-Residence, starting in 2004. so this pair of shows also served as a most welcome homecoming.

The show moved the audience up and down the landscape the landscape of American music with true heart and soul – from Detroit with the funky “Latitude” to Memphis with the soulful “Sanctuary”.  And back down to New Orleans with a good mix of cuts from both the new release and the acclaimed Another Day.  Bergson closed on an interesting note with all-out horn-heavy (yet totally tasteful) version of Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced”  When Bergson and his all-star lineup hit the stage, there is an energy in the room from the first downbeat. Not to be missed.

Recorded at the legendary Levon Helm Studios, Chris Bergson Band - Fall Changes continues the sound that was made famous from this studio with a mix of blues, rock, jazz, funk, and Chris Bergson's bluesy soulful vocals.

Chris Bergson Band - Fall Changes         

Fall Changes: Gowanus Heights, Float Your Mind, Fall Changes, Sanctuary, Latitude, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Rain Beatin' Down, The Engine, The Bungler, Are You Experienced?, Drown In My Own Tears   

Personnel: Chris Bergson: Vocals, Guitar; Tony Leone: Drums; Bruce Katz: B-3 Organ, Piano; Jay Collins: Tenor Sax Backing Vocals; Chris Berger: Acoustic Bass; Amy Helm: Vocals on "Float Your Mind" and "Rain Beatin' Down"; Erik Lawrence: Baritone Sax on "Gowanus Heights" and "When I Paint My Masterpiece"; Kenny Rampton: Trumpet on "Gowanus Heights" and "When I Paint My Masterpiece"  

Fall Changes, produced by Chris Bergson and Dave Rubin, is an indie release under the 2 Shirts Records label. Recorded at the legendary Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York, where such music legends as The Band, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Dr. John, and Keith Richards have laid down tracks, Chris and the band were in great company. As Chris stated, "traveling to Levon Helm Studios had an air of pilgrimage about it" and the result, Fall Changes, did not let anyone down.

The Chris Bergson Band is a fixture on the New York City music scene where I have caught them perform live, and have never being disappointed. Each show is high-energy and performed by some of the best musicians you may not have heard of YET, but that is about to change.

Chris Bergson, guitarist/producer/singer/songwriter, wrote or co-wrote seven of the eleven tracks. What makes Chris special is the depth of presence that he achieves when he connects his extraordinary guitar work with his deep bluesy vocals. The songs are not just sung, they are a story being told to you, and each story engages all of your senses while holding your attention through the last note.

Fall Changes opens with the track Gowanus Heights and right out of the ‘box', you hear that distinct blues sound from Chris' guitar, so let the story begin. His vocals capture you as he sings the story of Gowanus Heights, "A blurry couple stumbles out into the street under the broken hands of the clock tower." This is a ‘page turner' release with each track building on the previous and Chris acting as the storyteller with the band creating the ideal mood.

The term American Music has been used to describe the Chris Bergson Band, and this is the perfect moniker to capture a sound that draws from rock, jazz, blues (Delta, Mississippi, Chicago, and New Orleans), and funk. The track Float You Mine is a blend of rock and blues, while the title track Fall Changes opens with a nice jazz saxophone lead. Sanctuary draws from New Orleans and Chicago jazz, and the track Latitude is raw Mississippi blues and Chris digs deep with his vocals and guitar. Diversity and cohesion are what makes the music from Chris Bergson Band so engaging. 

Like any good story there needs to be a great ending and Fall Changes closes with the heart wrenching soulful cover of Drown In My Own Tears as Chris and the band take us home with Chris belting out, "It brings a tear to my eyes when I began to realize I cry so much since you been gone.... I sit and cry like a baby child." A bit drained, a bit refreshed, and totally satisfied, we close out Fall Changes knowing that we just experienced a great composition.  

Please check out the Music Scene section where you will find a review of the Chris Bergson Band's previous release Another Day, as well as an interview with the Chris Bergson Band. 

Websites where you can procure Chris Bergson Band - Fall Changes are Chris Bergson, CD Baby, and Amazon; downloads available at iTunes, Trade Bit, and eMusic.

© November 2007. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights reserved.

Chris Bergson Band at Regattabar - Editor's Pick
Wednesday, May 3rd

"NYC singer/guitarist CHRIS BERGSON's smooth, jazz-inflected take on the blues marks this young artist as a player who may just help extend the genre's shelf life.  He makes his area debut at the Regattabar with a classy band including Boston wizards Bruce Katz on organ and Matt Wilson on drums."

Hear a different, more introspective side of the NYC scene on Another Day (2 Shirts 1002) by the Chris Bergson Band. Their music, developed over time at the Jazz Standard, is quiet yet potent. Jay Collins' tenor saxophone and Bergson's evocative guitar are the primary instrumental voices, with Bergson's vocals warm and personal. Come and Gone simmers; gorgeous ballads Another Day and High Above the Morning are deep country soul; Greyhound Station is standard (but smart) funky blues; Three Sisters incorporates Son House's Death Letter to haunting effect; the upbeat soul-jazz number Up in Buffalo jumps out on the strength of Matt Wilson's drums.

Chris Bergson Band - Another Day
2 Shirts Records CD1002

Chris Bergson moved to New York in 1995, forging a reputation as a talented jazz guitarist backing artists like Annie Ross and Norah Jones.  Bergson, however, had another love, blues and roots music offering him the opportunity to expand his musical repertoire and develop the highly personalized blend of blues, jazz and soul that makes Another Day such an outstanding set.

Bergson is accompanied by a stellar band that comprises Jay Collins (tenor sax), Chris Berger (bass) and Matt Wilson (drums), with Brian Charette guesting on organ (2 tracks); artists whose musical acumen provides the perfect foil for Bergson's deeply soulful baritone vocals and dynamic fretwork.  The set opens with "Come And Gone" where Bergson?s soul infused vocals ride a funkily hypnotic Wolf styled riff replete with tantalizing guitar and smoky jazz inflected sax, reminding me of an urban reincarnation of RL Burnside or Junior Kimbrough.  The wolf influence surfaces again on "Greyhound Station" where Collins' funky sax rightfully takes centre stage.

Haunting vocals and beautifully understated guitar permeate the moody minor key "High Above The Morning" and the entrancing "Three Sisters"; "Up In Buffalo" generates a mellow swing fired by Collins' jazz inflected sax and Bergson's melancholy guitar which melds the influences of Wes Montgomery and T-Bone Walker to perfection; whilst the title track is a moody blues in the "St James Infirmary" mould replete with baying sax and wistful vocals bathed by Charette's swirling organ.

Bergson is a hugely talented artist who will appeal to aficionados of most blues genres.

Rating: 9

Chris Bergson Band - Another Day
2 Shirts Records
April 2005

On the CD Another Day by the Chris Bergson Band, all facets of his guitar work pass the review.  One should view the title as a metaphor of life itself with its different moments, which is why we find a beautiful collection of different songs on this CD where the magnificent guitar work of Chris Bergson takes center stage and where one can hear influences ranging from James Brown to James Taylor as well as a style of his own.  If you like the music of Coltrane, Muddy Waters and The Band, you will definitely like this Chris Bergson Band CD with all it's jazz and blues influences.  Just listen to the beautiful decorations of the melody in "Three Sisters/Death Letter" which lasts more than seven minutes.  His ear for good melodies ensures that this is not just a CD for guitarists,  but for everybody who loves beautiful songs, although there is lots to enjoy for guitarists such as in "Greyhound Station".  I could write something about every song but my advice would be: Let yourself be taken by surprise by "Another Day" that in my opinion may last endlessly.  Hopefully this will give his previous CDs "Blues for Some Friends of Mine" (1997), "Wait for Spring" (2001) and "Blues" (2003) the attention they deserve because they are definitely worth it.  On Another Day, Chris Bergson interestingly mixes modern jazz and blues with an inviting dose of funk.  Besides, Chris Bergson's voice is aged and full of soul which accompanies the sound of his four man band perfectly. 

New York jazz guitarist Chris Bergson has indulged his fondness for blues and other roots music on his debut CD, cut with his own working combo of saxophonist Jay Collins, bassist Chris Berger, and drummer Matt Wilson.  Of the seven cuts, only Up In Buffalo is an instrumental, while the folksy Sweet White Lie and Bergson's medley of Skip James- inspired Three Sisters and Son House's Death Letter are performed solo, but still amplified.  Bergson also gets to show off his blues chops on Come and Gone and Greyhound Station which, perhaps thanks to his jazz background, never degenerate into blues-rock excess.       

Jazz and blues come together on Chris Bergson's latest release, Another Day, which features the expressive singer/guitarist in a set of originals that come from deep within himself. American folk music remains his core element as Bergson surrounds his messages with earthy blues hues and refreshing jazz overtones.

His band provides a hearty aura that allows the leader to explore various textures in comfortable settings. Bergson's enthusiasm pours forth with a message that ranges from James Brown to James Taylor. Funk, soul, blues, folk and delectable jazz come together seamlessly.

"Death Letter, a searing blues anthem by Son House, follows Bergson's "Three Sisters" in a slow, dramatic blues affair that recalls the plaintive cries of our original Mississippi Delta music forefathers. The singer puts a tear in your eye with his emotional swells, both from his vocal interpretations and through his powerful guitar response. Bergson communicates effectively on all levels.

"Another Day" hits home real quick. From its opening bars, the song puts you in a mood of reflection and waiting: waiting to see what the future holds. Don't we all wonder about it all the time? Bergson sings, "I woke up feeling down today?" Then he continues to explain what's goin' on, and how our lives change by leaps and bounds. Looking forward to another day always works, doesn't it? Bergson's argument proves convincing. No reason to be feelin' down, when we've got great music such as this to help carry the load. It'll make your day.

Chris Bergson is a jazz, blues and roots guitarist and his band operates in the New York area.  Opening track "Come and Gone" features a swampy groove with tasty clean picking from Bergson and a slinky tenor sax solo from Jay Collins.  The rhythm section comprises Chris Berger on bass and Matt Wilson on drums and they provide excellent laid back jazzy grooves especially on the country ballad "High Above The Morning".  The tempo rises with "Greyhound Station" which features sturdy drumming from Matt Wilson and honking tenor sax from Jay Collins. "Three Sisters" is a blues inspired by Skip James and features Bergson on guitar and vocals which segues neatly into an excellent cover of Son House's "Death Letter?"  Bergson does a good job on this capturing the
intensity of the original.  The swinging "Up In Buffalo?" is a jazzy instrumental in the Kenny Burrell style and features clever interplay between the guitar and sax - nice and mellow this one.  Closing track "Another Day" is an emotive ballad which features excellent organ from Brian Charette.  The playing is good throughout with an overall jazzy, laid back feel - perfect late night listening.

Chris Bergson Band at Jazz Standard, January 05, NYC

Jazz and blues derive from the same roots, but few guitarists can play both convincingly. 28-year old Chris Bergson, however, is so skilled that he can switch from Rodgers and Hart's "Little Girl Blue" on an ES-335 to a solo country medley of "Three Sisters/Death Letter Blues" on an ES-125 with nary a breather in between. On the former he played a fluid, glissy, vocal-like solo that was tender and well-articulated, while on the latter he got way 'down in the alley" with total authenticity that paid the proper respect to Skip James.

With Jay Collins (tenor sax), Chris Berger (bass) and Matt Wilson (drums), Bergson played and sang in his rich baritone on original selections from his latest CD, appropriately titled Blues. He opened with "Cold November" and "Deserted Beach" two, cool jazzy instrumentals with bluesy touches furnished in part by his mastery of the composite blues scale that allows melody to easily seep into his blues licks.  Guitarists from Billy Butler to Kenny Burrell and George Benson have mixed healthy doses of the blues with their jazz, but Bergson has a deeper understanding of country blues than his predecessors ever indicated.

Bergson always keeps his chops in check, resisting the impulse to blaze like a neo-bebopper on the jazz numbers or wail like SRV on the blues tunes. Instead, he phrases like a horn player with strong rhythmic accents and wide interval leaps. On the I-chord funk vamp of "Come and Gone" he fluidly combined double-stops, partial chords and bass lines, virtually carrying the band on his shoulders as he comped and filled brilliantly while performing with animation. "Up in Buffalo" is a medium 12 bar blues with hip chord substitutions that contained an angular solo that ended with Bergson comping and tossing off single-note lines like a six-string wizard. The number also afforded Wilson a chance to take the spotlight with a drum solo that slyly implied the blues changes. The closer for the set was "Another Day" a surprising rock composition that only showed Bergson's versatility

One of the problems that has faced jazz for years is the ability to appeal to a younger audience. Chris Bergson, with his unique ability to easily straddle genres, could be just the antidote.


Dave Rubin was a 2005 recipient of the Blues Foundation's Keeping the Blues Alive Award for journalism.  Dave Rubin is the author of over 20 critically acclaimed books and videos for Hal Leonard on the Blues including The Greatest Electric Blues Guitarists 1942-1982.  Rubin has also co-authored and edited several books with guitarists Duke Robillard and Cornell Dupree.  Dave Rubin was formerly Senior Editor at Guitar One Magazine and is currently Editor in Chief of PlayBluesGuitar.com.  His writing has also appeared in Guitar Player, Guitar World and Living Blues magazines. As a guitarist, Dave Rubin has also performed with Chuck Berry, Son Seals, Screamin' J. Hawkins, and Johnny Copeland.

The song "Come and Gone" has a solid rhythmic foundation, but the song itself is of a lesser caliber.  Bergson on guitar is backed by Jay Collins on tenor sax, a traditional pairing.  "High Above the Morning", a country blues, benefits from the presence of Brian Charette on organ.  The organ?s tone enhances and tightly pulls together the mood of "Another Day".  Bergson's voice changes and evolves throughout the album. He moves easily from a funky blues with beautiful guitar parts  ("Greyhound Station") to an atmosphere inspired by Skip James.  His playing of "Three Sisters" on acoustic guitar makes one wonder whether Bergson himself doesn't come from deep in the Mississippi delta.  While he has a good voice, it is his guitar playing that distinguishes him and places him in the ranks of Norah Jones and Annie Ross.  With ANOTHER DAY, his fourth CD, this jazz guitarist confirms once more that he belongs to the kingdom of blues.  Bergson is a complete artist who reveals a little more each day.                

1. At what age did you start playing guitar and when did you start playing jazz?

As long as I can remember, I was always drawn to the guitar. As a little kid, I would place my uncle's nylon string guitar on the floor and strum the open strings and make up songs. I'm sure it sounded awful but it was really fun! I started playing jazz when I was about ten or eleven years old.

2. Which people influenced you as an improvising musician?

My biggest influences as an improvising musician would have to include Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Jim Hall, Wes Montgomery, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Duane Allman, Grant Green, Wynton Kelly, Kenny Dorham (among many others)...

3. Did you take guitar lessons when you were young?

I started taking guitar lessons when I was seven years old.

4. What do you listen to today?

Today I listen to and am influenced by a lot of different styles of music - mainly jazz, blues, and old school R &B though. Most of the music I love is linked together by the Blues. Today I listen a lot to the following artists: The Band, Bill Evans, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Lightnin' Hopkins, Freddie King, Wes Montgomery, Bill Withers, The Meters, John Coltrane, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Skip James, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Taj Mahal, Brad Mehldau, John Scofield...

5. What gear do you use and what was your first guitar?

My main axe these days is a 1987 Cherry Red Gibson ES-335 which I absolutely love playing. I also play a Gibson ES-125 which I use for open tunings. I also play a Gibson Wes Montgomery model L-5 which I've had for over 10 years and bought about six months before moving to New York in January of 1995. I've recorded a lot with my L-5.

The main amps I use on live gigs are a Reverend King Snake Tube Amp and a Polytone Mega Brute. I also have a 1960's Fender Vibrolux which I've used on a lot of recordings. I recorded all the cuts on ANOTHER DAY using my 335 with the Polytone and then recorded two solo tunes where I played my 125 with the Vibrolux.

6. Do you get frustrated about your guitar playing sometimes? What aspects of guitar playing do you feel you need to improve on?

I do get frustrated with my playing sometimes, as I'm sure everybody does. I try to remind myself that sometimes getting frustrated just means that there might be some new areas to check out and work on - and that is nothing but a GOOD thing!

Well, I sing too, and so I work on accompanying myself and coordinating the singing and the guitar playing. Over the past year, I've been really getting into some old school R&B like Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin so I've been learning a lot from listening to masters of that style of guitar playing like Steve Cropper, Cornell Dupree and Leo Nocentelli (of the Meters).

Playing really fast tempos can be challenging too so I work on that too. One of the great bass players I work with turned me onto something that I've found really helpful for playing fast tempos: interpreting the click of the metronome as beat THREE of every measure. So for a fast tempo, you could set the metronome to say 75 and this automatically forces you feel the tempo in half time. It's good to always feel the big, wide beat and feel the beat in larger units when you're playing fast tempos.

These days I also spend a lot of time working on writing original songs with lyrics to play with my band.

7. What is your practice routine like? How much time do you devote to studying music and guitar?

You can really accomplish a lot in two hours. I do a lot of ear training. A bunch of years ago, the great guitarist Paul Bollenback turned me onto this system of ear training for singing through changes that he learned from this Professor, a man named Zlotnick, I believe, at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Maryland. I can't emphasize enough how important ear training is to playing jazz and playing music in general.

I do some technical exercises out of one of the George Van Eps method books sometimes. I play a lot with my fingers on my right hand and some of these exercises help with finger picking and can really expand your palate for comping and stuff. I'll practice different groupings which can help with picking technique. I'll take a standard like "Alone Together" or something and put on the metronome as I mentioned before, clicking just on beat THREE of each measure and work on playing fast tempos and just relaxing.

My practicing varies from day to day especially as my musical tastes have widened so much over the years. One day I might shed fast tempos, the next day, I might spend all day working on a new song with lyrics. I love playing solo Delta blues and am currently working on a new song inspired by the music of Mississippi Fred McDowell. A lot of the Delta Blues guys who played mainly solo, like Son House, Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker or Lightnin' Hopkins have very unique and modern conceptions of time, almost like Thelonious Monk in a certain way - sometimes with several different grooves and tempos implied over one another - I'm fascinated by this. I sing a lot too, so I work on singing a lot at home too, singing my own songs and trying different things with the phrasing.

I also love playing along with records and trying to fit into different grooves that way. I love playing along with Aretha Franklin - Live at Filmore West because the rhythm section is just KILLIN'! It's Cornell Dupree on guitar with Jerry Jemmot on bass on Bernard Purdie on drums and Billy Preston - wow! There's not really enough time in one day to work on everything I want to work on and check out, so I vary it up from day to day and keep it fresh that way too.

8. Do you teach music? What do you hope a student gets out of your teachings, besides the obvious?

I do teach private guitar lessons which I enjoy doing. I teach using a very "hands-on" approach - I try to show people stuff they can really use in a real playing situation, not just theory for theory's sake or anything. I try and help students play the music they want to play, I don't have a set agenda. You can play music on so many different levels, some people want to become serious jazz guitarists, others want to just play some blues for fun and jam with their friends - it's all good. I'm a very patient teacher. I try to teach a balance of fundamentals - scales, technique, theory, ear training- along with songs the student wants to learn. A lot of students come to me with specific songs they want to learn and then we can use that song as our guide and that will usually lead to some new and different techniques, chords, harmony or other concepts we can explore together.

9. What are your favorite standards to play?

My favorite standards to play would include "Nobody Else But Me" by Jerome Kern, "I Fall in Love too Easily", "Little Girl Blue" by Rodgers and Hart, "How Deep is the Ocean" by Irving Berlin, "Old Folks", Billy Strayhorn's "Chelsea Bridge", "Everything I Love" by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington's "Solitude", "Gone with the Wind" - there are so many great ones. "Skylark" by Hoagy Carmichael..."Old Devil Moon".

10. Are you make a living as a professional musician? What did you have to do to make this work for you? What are the pros and cons of being a professional musician?

I feel very grateful to be making a living as a professional musician and I have never had to have a day job, I feel very lucky for this. I guess being versatile helps. I stayed busy for many years accompanying some great singers and learning a lot of jazz standards and learning how to play in different keys. Being a supportive and sensitive accompanist will greatly improve your hire ability - being the type of musician that makes everyone else around them sound and feel good! Different gigs call for different things- being adaptable is very important, not approaching something like "well this is just how I play" rather then blending in with the specific vibe of the music you're playing at that exact moment. The more you're always listening to what the music or the band is sounding like as a whole, the better. Again, I like playing a lot of different styles of music.

The pros of being a professional musician in New York include getting to play with some of the best musicians in the world - Jay Collins, Chris Berger, Matt Wilson, Dennis Irwin, Larry Grenadier, Jeff Ballard, Al Foster, Sheryl Bailey, Dena DeRose... you learn so much (not to mention having such a great time, transcendent even, at times!) playing with great musicians like these. Having my own band playing my original music (a mixture of jazz, blues and soul) is a great thing and inspires me to write and work hard developing my own music.

Cons are the obvious- it's tough sometimes - financial ups and downs, financial instability- the fees for a lot of jazz gigs have never increased with inflation unlike everything else! There are certainly far easier ways to make money in this life! But as Charles Foster Kane says in Orson Welles' classic film, "It is very easy to make a lot of money if all you want to do is make a lot of money." I'm paraphrasing slightly but it's a point well taken. I feel lucky to be able to support myself as a musician - it is a real blessing and the rewards of playing music make it so worthwhile. I am very happy to be playing music.

11. What projects are you working on at the moment?

I've been writing a bunch of new songs with lyrics - I call them "song songs" because they often don't fit in just one style - they draw on all my influences, jazz, blues and soul. I'm still searching for ways to unite my love of jazz and blues and all my favorite jazz players - Coltrane, Miles, Wes Montgomery and Grant Green really come to mind and do this to my ears. I have a band with the great tenor sax player Jay Collins and I write with this group in mind.

I'm working on my solo playing and singing- working on a new tune in the style of Mississippi Fred McDowell, getting some different rhythms going on at once on top of one another. And for the live playing situation, it's all about having prepared and practiced enough at home, to have your ears wide open and just let go and play in that moment - that for me is when the greatest music happens, and you might surprise yourself and play something you've never played before.

12. Do you have any advice for beginning jazz guitarists?

Yes, spend more time developing your ears and your chops will follow. And a lot of beginning players will say "yeah, sure - i know that tune" when they can barely play the original melody. When I first moved to New York City, I used to get together sometimes with Peter Bernstein, one of my favorite guitarists. He really got on me about really knowing the original melody of a standard.

I would say also, to just work on playing what YOU hear, not what you think might be "hip". All the great jazz players in the past and now in 2005 - from Lester Young, Monk, Ben Webster to Joe Lovano or Brad Mehldau- can take a melody and really make it SING and communicate a sense of storytelling to an audience. A lot of beginning players just want to get to the blowing and play all the "hip shit" they've been practicing at home - the truth is no one really wants to hear that!

Jazz guitarists would be wise to listen a lot to piano players to learn how to comp too- and transcribe horn players in addition to all the great jazz guitarists. And don't forget to check out one of the greatest guitarists and improvisers ever in jazz - Charlie Christian! I don't know if there have been many improvisers much more concise and clear then Charlie Christian.

Writing one's own music can be helpful in trying to develop your own voice. When you hear some really great music, there can be a tendency to want to replicate and copy it exactly - sometimes it's better to go for the overall vibe and feeling of it.

I also can't emphasize how much you learn from going out and hearing great musicians, well known or not, LIVE. You will learn subtle things that way that will surprise you.

Above all else, although jazz certainly requires a ton of dedication and hard work - try to keep the learning process as fun and loose as possible - if we're all in it for the long haul, there's always tomorrow to work on something we messed up today!

Oh yeah, and check out Mick Goodrick's book "The Advancing Guitarist" - he's got some really great Zen guitar advice and a ton of knowledge to share.

Thanks so much for inviting me to take part in this interview. All the best to all you jazz guitarists out there!

This is the release prior to the current “Fall Changes”, coming out in 2005, and features Matt Wilson on drums again, with current band members, Jay Collins (tenor sax) and Chris Berger (bass).

The seven tracks kick off with the swampy grooves of “Come And Gone”, featuring a great saxophone solo from Jay Collins and plenty of Bergson’s fine guitar. This is followed by the country-flavoured “High Above The Morning”, with maybe a nod to The Band along the way.

The album songs were developed while the band had a longstanding residency at Jazz Standard in New York City, and was recorded entirely live in the studio, with no overdubs - impressive stuff indeed.

Possibly the album’s standout track is the medley of “Three Sisters/Death Letter” - with Bergson doffing his cap to the legendary bluesman Skip James, on a powerful, acoustic solo performance - before dipping into Son House’s “Death Letter”, and showing his prowess is not just confined to electric guitar.

Elsewhere the band get funky on “Greyhound Station”, with Collins saxophone excelling again, as it does on the sweet, jazzy instrumental “Up In Buffalo” and the album closes with the title cut of “Another Day” - a moody piece with Bergson providing a smoky vocal - again a little reminiscent of The Band at their finest.

Chris Bergson?s Another Day - a sound that fuses Delta blues, jazz, funk, soul and folk.

Come and Gone, High Above the Morning, Sweet White Lie, Greyhound Station, Three Sisters/Death Letter, Up in Buffalo, Another Day
 
Personnel: Chris Bergson: lead vocals, guitar; Jay Collins: tenor sax, backing vocals; Chris Berger: bass; Matt Wilson: drums

Another Day (www.chrisbergson.com) was released by 2 Shirts Records.  The release Another Day from singer/songwriter/guitarist Chris Bergson is a sound that combines Delta blues, jazz, funk, soul and folk.  When you add in his deep soulful voice, you have the deep Mississippi Delta Blues sound that Chris plays to perfection.

Chris moved to New York when he was 18, and his career took off. He has worked with notables such as Norah Jones, Annie Ross, and Dena DeRose, recorded with a ?who?s who? of jazz greats, and has performed around the world.

I had the opportunity to hear Chris live at the Rodeo Bar in New York. Having listened to Chris?s Another Day prior to meeting him in person, I conjured up an image of Chris being a big man, both tall and wide, as how else could someone create that deep full of soul sound. Well, Chris Bergson live is everything that you hear on Another Day, except that he is not tall or wide, but he displays a fiery passion that draws you into his music.

When you see Chris play live, you see that he exudes his music through every pore of his body, and this gave light to the name for his record label - 2 Shirts Records. The night we saw him play was definitely a 2-shirt performance.

On Another Day, Chris has a distinctive way of presenting a song and shows an insightful understanding of the blues; his arrangements layer the soulful commanding sound of his voice, his magnificent bluesy guitar playing, with the jazzy tenor sax and the rhythms of the bass and drums. Think and feel Muddy Waters, James Taylor, The Band, Barry White, and some of the great funk, soul and blues guitarists and you have a view into Chris Bergson.

You can hear clips and purchase Another Day on Itunes, Napster, Cdbaby.com, Tower Records, Emusic, as well as on Chris Bergson?s website (www.chrisbergson.com).

Chris Bergson has the type of deep, throaty, sexy voice that makes you want to curl up and wrap yourself around it on a cold winter night, and makes you long for a cool drink on a hot summer day.

On December 11, 2005, I had the opportunity to hear the Chris Bergson Band perform live at the Rodeo Bar in New York, followed by an interview between sets.
        
Debra: 

Chris Bergson, you have a Bachelor?s Degree in Jazz Guitar Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, and in 2002, you were appointed a Jazz Ambassador of the United States of America by the Kennedy Center and the U.S. State Department, which is quite an honor! Can you tell me what that involved?

Chris:

It was a special program that I applied for, and was selected as one of the musicians.

Debra:

As part of this program, your trio toured 7 countries in West Africa giving concerts and clinics about the Blues. What was that like? What did you come away with after that experience?

Chris:

I was touring with a great trio featuring organist Kyle Koehler and drummer Sunny Jain, and we went to Benin, Nigeria, Senegal, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea and Togo.

I?m glad we had the chance to hang out with some of the local musicians in the different countries and also to visit places that might be hard to get to on your own. The West African coast is really beautiful. We visited a slave fort in Senegal, which was a very moving experience. We heard a great drum ensemble in Ghana and it was really interesting how familiar the interlocking rhythms felt to us. It really drove home the fact that so much of Jazz and Blues comes out of African musical traditions. You could really hear how jazz drummers like Elvin Jones or Art Blakey translated the polyrhythms of African drum ensembles to the drum kit. We had a lot of fun jamming with the local musicians ? Blues, modal jams and Charlie Parker were often the common ground.

On another note, it was really moving seeing how a lot of the local people lived. I was hanging out with this local drummer in Senegal and he took me to his hut just a few blocks away from the downtown area from where we were staying, and there was no running water, and there must have been about ten people living in this one dwelling. He had learned to play from listening to the records of drummers Max Roach and Elvin Jones at the school he went to. It was distressing to see the huge and grim dichotomy between the really wealthy businessmen and politicians, and the local people living in complete poverty. There was really no middle class to speak of in a lot of West Africa that we visited. Still, everywhere we went, I was pretty blown away by the devout pride most people exhibited toward their home countries. The local people really wanted to show us the best and unique aspects of their countries and culture.

In Benin, there was a very nice open-air Jazz Club, called So What, after the Miles Davis song, and we had the opportunity to sit in with some of Benin?s great local musicians. There was a really great local bass virtuoso in Benin named Patrick, who had played a lot in Paris. He ended up joining us for a couple of shows.

Though we performed private concerts in each of the countries for the U.S. Ambassadors and Diplomats in the Foreign Service, the best shows we played were always the concerts that were open to the general public. We played a very memorable show at a beautiful theatre in Lagos, Nigeria. In general, the local people were very warm and welcoming and responded really enthusiastically to the music.

Debra:
   
You wrote all the songs on Another Day except for one. Where do you get your inspiration for your songs?

Chris:
   
I often get the inspiration and ideas for my songs from real life events and the odd juxtapositions that you can witness living in New York. I?m fascinated by different characters and how different people?s realities collide. I also get ideas from other art forms such as photography, poetry and modern art.

Debra:
   
Who influences you as a musician?

Chris:
   
My main influences include Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Muddy Waters, Albert King, Freddie King, B.B. King, The Band, Bob Dylan, Lightnin? Hopkins, John Coltrane, Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Aretha Franklin, Thelonious Monk, Lester Young, Wynton Kelly, Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley, Bill Evans, Jim Hall, Duane Allman, and a lot of the great Delta Bluesmen who usually performed solo with voice and guitar: Son House, Skip James, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Robert Johnson.

Debra:
   
You have played with some great jazz talents. Who would like to perform with in the future?

Chris:
   
Gregg Allman, Dr. Lonnie Smith - a jazz organist, Jimmy Cobb.

Debra:

What?s next?

Chris:
   
I am writing new songs for my next project, and am also working on some big shows and festivals for 2006, and on March 14, 2006, we are back at Jazz Standard in New York.

Debra:
   
Besides your website, Chris Bergson, www.chrisbergson.com, where can people find Another Day, as well as your other music?

Chris:
   
My music is on iTunes, Emusic, Napster and CDBaby.com, and at Tower Records.

Debra:
   
Jay Collins, you play a mean tenor sax, and when you and Chris play together, you are so tight, that it is almost like one instrument being played, as you meet and harmonize your sounds.

In addition to the Chris Bergson Band, you also have your own band, the Jay Collins Band, and regularly tour with Gregg Allman. You have played and recorded with some of the top talent in the music world.

Who influences you as a musician?

Jay:
   
My music writing and composing is influenced by many things outside of music, poetry is a big one, and local and world events are quite influencing as well.

In studying music, I have been mainly influenced by Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Woody Shaw, Dexter Gordon, Yusef Lateef, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, The Meters, Dizzy Gillespie, Dr. John, Albert King, Eddie Harris, McCoy Tyner, John Coltrane, Mose Allison, Eddie Palmieri, Stanley Turrentine, TomWaitts, James Brown, Steely Dan, Old and New Dreams, Bobby Blue Bland, Bela Bartok, King Curtis and J.S. Bach.

Debra:
   
That?s quite a selection you have there, and include many of my own favorites, including Stanley Turrentine. Do you have a favorite?

Jay:
   
I don?t have a favorite, but to the ones above I could add Eddie Jockjaw Davis, Hank Mobley, Clifford Jordan, Joe Henderson, Dexter Gordon.

Since I am a saxophonist, horn players were my entry into the study of music, but I listen to just about anything, and only somewhat rarely to recordings by horn players.


Debra:


Matt Wilson, you have been named #1 rising drummer 2 years running in Downbeat magazine, which is quite an accomplishment! You also have your own band, Matt Wilson?s Arts and Crafts Band, and your CD WAKE UP! (to what?s happening) was named top jazz record of 2004.

What draws you about Chris Bergson?s music?

Matt:
   
I am drawn to his integrity, honesty and presence. When you hear Chris Bergson, you feel the music. You are drawn into his moment. This is what the buzz of jazz is all about. The sensational feeling of being drawn into someone?s world. Chris does that; has you in his world immediately. Chris plays and sings incredibly, but it was the honest and committed conviction that he conveys that is special; that is a great gift and man, Chris rocks!

Debra:
   
What music do you listen to when not performing?

Matt:
   
Right now? Johnny Cash (way before it was cool), George Jones, Monk and Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, Howling Wolf, The Bee Gees, Queen, Messien, The Cheetah Girls (with my kids), Roger Miller, Emmylou Harris, Bobo Stenson, Doris Day, and Bebo Valdes and always some Duke Ellington and Frank Sinatra.

Debra:
   
Chris Berger, you are in great demand as a bassist, and have performed and recorded with some impressive jazz talent, where your short list includes Jimmy Cobb, Jeff ?Tain? Watts and Herb Ellis. I just heard Jeff ?Tain? Watts play in London when he sat in with the Yellowjackets at Ronnie Scotts, and then the following night when he was playing with the Branford Marsalis Quartet at Queen Elizabeth Hall.

Jeff ?Tain? Watts is an amazing, high-energy drummer. What is it like performing with him?

Chris:
   
I would say that it is a great time. He is incredibly supportive and has a wonderful spirit that exudes positivity. It can also be challenging because he is pushing the music to new places. He has made me play things that I did not think I was capable of playing and humbled me in the same night. I always look forward to the next time I will see him and play music with him.

Debra:
   
Who influences you as a musician?

Chris:
   
My influences as a musician are anyone that I play with. More specifically I would say Miles Davis, Ray Brown, Joe Lovano, Led Zepplin, Oscar Peterson.

Considering the quality of this music, I hope Bergson decides to make his next venture into the realm of blues a full-length album. In the meantime, we will just have to discover Bergson the jazz guitarist.

Recorded live at New York's Smoke jazz club, this brief session digs deeps into the heart and soul of the blues. Chris Bergson sings 'em the way he feels 'em.

By answering each of his vocal phrases with pliant guitar licks, the artist is able to interpret each tale of woe with double barrels. His resounding voice hands over deep feelings of anguish and misery, while his guitar answers with a knowing pattern of hope.

All is not lost. The blues takes us so low, sometimes, that we nearly lose control. But it's Bergson's fluid guitar that carries us out of that quagmire. He lifts our spirits.

Freddie King's "The Stumble" makes a significant impression, as the trio turns the affair into a momentary instrumental revue. Loping with a hearty swing, guitar, organ and drums prance all over town in their Sunday finest. It's a time to celebrate.

Elsewhere, the twenty-five and half minute album concentrates on a combination of Bergson's vocal blues and his rescuing guitar. His woeful tales hit home. We've all been there. Which of us cannot say that he's never experienced lost love, lonesome days & nights, or temporary dreams that slipped through our fingers? Bergson's session provides comfort.

Recorded live at Smoke in New York City, “Blues” catches Chris Bergson in trio format, with Brian Charette (Hammond B-3) and Matt Wilson (drums), on a five-track EP, comprising three originals and two covers.

The mood is mainly laid back and jazzy - the opening two songs, “Staring At The Clock” and “Come And Gone”, show what Bergson is all about - very tasteful guitar work and his wonderful rich vocals, embellished by Charette’s tasty organ, particularly on the latter.

The trio get out and out jazzy on the Rodgers/Hart tune, “Little Girl Blue”, before a return to the blues on the classic “The Stumble” - who doesn’t love a Freddie King tune? Bergson’s version is taken a more of a mid-tempo than many versions around, and contains some quite lovely guitar.

Closing proceedings is his own, “Cold November”, a slow heartfelt blues - again with the Hammond of Charette adding tasteful flourishes, with Matt Wilson’s subtle drumming to the fore.

This pleasing collection of instrumentals is guitarist Bergson's 2nd release (5/99, p.111) as a leader. It's a recording that balances soft introspective ballads with the occasional "burning" track. Overall, there's a strong sense of blues that permeates the music.

"Look for the Silver Lining" opens the program in a gentle fashion. One can hear the influence of Jim Hall in the leader's deliberate reading of the theme and in his bluesy yet melodic improvising. The title track follows and, while it's more up-tempo, there is much subtlety in the way the basic trio approaches the music. Sunny Jain, who's worked with Ted Dunbar, Kenny Barron, and Positive Rhythmic Force, pushes the tempo but bassist Chris Berger really anchors the tune giving the guitarist a solid cushion to solo atop. "Birk's Works" is a sweet track, the rhythm section working as one while the guitarist really digs into his solo. "Goodbye" has a lovely, well-developed melody and I like the fact that nothing is rushed. One barely notices when the guitarist moves into his solo because the change is so seamless.

Trumpeter Gregg Glassman appears on 2 tracks, the handsome "Song for Kate in Autumn" and "Twilight." The latter track has a melody like Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti" and short solo sections for the trumpet and guitar. Glassman stays in the middle range of his horn with occasional quick flurries to the higher register. Bergson. too, sticks to the middle, allowing his solo to build gently.

Wait for Spring is the sort of recording that won't turn your head on first listening yet the solid musicianship insinuates itself into your brain. The inclusion of standards shows that the guitarist has done his musical homework but I am impressed by his original pieces. Bergson works hard to ensure his songs are not just excuses for "blowing" and, with his ballads, shows he's got good potential. And, when you sit and truly listen to his playing, it's obvious he has got great chops. This is good music that deserves your attention.

Printed in Cadence Magazine
The Review of Jazz & Blues : Creative Improvised Music
Vol.27 No. 9 | September 2001

Lyricism. It is akin to the curveball. The curveball is what separates the big leaguers from those who toil endlessly in the minors. Everyone can hit the straight pitch, but not that elusive curve. There are those who fight with it, and then there are those who simply let the ball come to them, then hit it. Hitting the curve goes beyond simple batting mechanics. It seems almost to be intrinsic to those who can do it, those who understand how to play the game.

As such, lyricism is the curveball of jazz. It separates players. Anyone can learn to burn, to play clean notes at blazing tempos, but not everyone can put those notes together in such a way as to keep a listener's attention. It is this skill that creates great players, and a great listening experience. It is this skill that Chris Bergson possesses. Bergson's album, Wait For Spring, is a proverbial "trip down memory lane." His sound is that of a Wes Montgomery or Joe Pass. Bergson lets the melody carry his tunes, while the album as a whole has the feeling of the great combos of the 50's, with a wonderful mix of standards and originals. The style of song varies from track to track, with the simple textures of a Rodgers and Hart tune followed with a (relatively speaking) harmonically complex original. In this way, Bergson keeps the listener's attention with good music, rather then flashy gimmicks.

Bergson opens the album with the Jerome Kern piece, "Look For the Silver Lining." The song has a sway to it, a harmonic push that keeps the listener captivated, without pushing the tempo. Bergson and Miner take two quality solos that set the bar for the rest of the album. Bergson follows that piece with his original composition (and title track), "Wait For Spring." This tune has much more of a push behind, and a much more complex feel behind, reminiscent of the sound found in the '60s, with a block chord vamp to end the piece that further accentuates this feel.

Next up is another original, "Song For Kate In Autumn." Once again, this tune is in stark contrast to the piece that preceded it. It is a slow, majestic ballad, out of the '50s Miles Davis cast. Glassman carries the piece beautifully, with his wailing tone. "Blues For Sunny Jain" follows, and this is the tune that really moves. On this example of an up-tempo blues at its finest, Bergson goes all over the place with his solo, and as you might expect from the title, Sunny Jain adds a minute-and-a-half-long percussion show. This tune makes the album alone, although the same can be said for "Birk's Works." This Dizzy Gillespie blues masterpiece is on the opposite end of the tempo spectrum from the Sunny Jain piece, but grooves all the same.

Bergson adds in two Rodgers and Hart songs, with the minor push of "With A Song In My Heart," and then finishes the album off with the easy-swinging "My Heart Stood Still." The other three tracks, "Twilight," "Goodbye," and "Sad Strains," are all Bergson's songs. Especially intriguing is "Twilight," with an interesting and more progressive harmony, and great interplay and soloing from Glassman, Bergson, and Chris Berger.

Bergson's group sounds wonderful, and the overall feel of the album is very fresh. Throughout, it is the lyricism of his playing that catches the ear, and doesn't let go. Bergson is indeed a major league player, and Wait For Spring provides the evidence that not only can he hit the curve -- it is what defines him as a player.

"... Chris Bergson is among the best of the young jazz guitarists...his skills are already amazing...",says Jim Hall. Here are some CDs that will punctuate his remarks.

Chris is a hard swinging and thoughtful musician. The tone and lyrical swing he achieves with his guitar are engaging and refreshing. His skills as a player and composer are the talk of the New York scene,where he is frequently featured.
Chris is at home with the standards and a vibrant blues player. He has some of Wes and some of Bill Evans in his veins. He is an exceptional group player and provides a rich basis for other soloist's performances. Bebop and blues with an exceptionally coherent linear approach are what he offers in a seemingly effortless fashion.

What is most evident and impressive about Bergson's music on CD is the relaxed feeling that is achieved by a "working" group of musicians who enter the studio and have fun making music together. The two CDs give that impression.
"Wait For Spring" is a real nice outing under Chris' leadership. The opener, "Look For the Silver Lining" by Jerome Kern gives the message to sit back and enjoy."With a Song in My Heart" Restates the message. Sunny Jain does some fine drumming and Neal Miner keeps the bass duties well. "Wait For Spring" is the title tune, an original of Chris'. It is an exceptional offering. Chris plays solo after beautiful solo on the well chosen standards and his own originals. He steals "Birk's Works" for himself and drills us in the blues. With Chris, blues are a strong point."Goodbye" and "Sad Strains" are two of his originals that are full of emotion and simply memorable.

"The Real Neal" is the CD with Neal Miner as leader and Chris Bergson as side man. Joe Strasser does the drumming and Doug white plays tenor sax. Neal's bass is an intergal part of the jazz scene at Small's Jazz Club in New York City. This is another recording session of swinging musical friends who work together often. It shows. They are tight and really support one another. The group makes a single grand statement.

Miner's originals are as much a pleasure as Chris' and it is no wonder that they mesh so well musical. I enjoy the solo work on bass as much as the guitar in this CD.

Look for Chris Bergson and Neal miner and Sunny Jain playing on the NYC scene and try these CDs. Herein are some of the more promising young players on that scene.

Chris Bergson "WAIT FOR SPRING"
JUNIPER RECORDS [ JUN107]

Neal Miner "The Real Neal"
Juniper Records [JUN106]
www.juniperrecords.com

Review printed in Just Jazz Guitar magazine
justjazzguitar.com

 Listening to the fine young guitarist Chris Bergson stroke his axe is like drifting along and rocked on a soft gentle breeze, buoyed by waves of rich, mellifluous harmonies created by Bergson, who understands the importance of space and letting the chords breathe. Such a technique gives the listener an opportunity to bask in the special musical circumstance created by each note, and the listener will hear each note. This unadorned, simple but effective guitar methodology can be heard to excellent effect on such cuts as the ballad "Goodbye" (Bergson's composition, not the more famous one by Gordon Jenkins ) to equally good effect on slightly faster-cadenced tunes as "My Heart Stood Still" and "Look for the Silver Lining." The interplay between Neal Miner 's bass, taking on the piano's role, and Bergson is an album highlight. The guitar uses a couple of tunes to set off his adeptness as an improvisor. He takes one of them, "With a Song in My Heart," for a seven-and-a-half minute stroll down extemporization lane, making the changes in the classic standard his own personal playground. Bergson also demonstrates that guitar-playing can be jaunting within the overall minimalist backdrop on "Wait for Spring," where he wears his swinging spurs accompanied by well-placed and supportive rim shots by Sunny Jain . Today's jazz scene seems to be favored with a profusion of fine guitar-players, most of whom have moved toward clean-lined playing. Based on this album, as well as his work at jazz venues in and around New York City, Bergson has to be placed at the top of that heap.

Although the down and dirty title track may well lead the listener to think that Bergson's style was born in the delta and honed in juke joints up and down Chicago's Maxwell Street, a look at his five other compositions on the disc show him to be a well rounded guitarist and composer. From the boppisms of "You Checked Out," to the Latin swing of "Guod Etihw" and "Alone in Central Park," he exhibits a finely honed ear for melody and structure. Of particular note is his "Sad Strains of a Gay Waltz,"which effectively demonstrates the symbiosis achieved between the guitarist and his rhythm section of Dwayne Burno and Greg Bandy.

That the preceding songs should hold their own amongst works by modern masters like Jobim, Monk and Bud Powell reinforces my point. Also noteworthy is how Bergson adapts the work of the later three pianists to the guitar.

Powell's "Oblivion" is straight ahead bop with an emphasis on its elongated, twisting lines, while the addition of tenor saxophonist Doug White allows Bergson to explore the pianistic side of "Pannonica," finding the proper Thelonious-like voicings to support White's soloing. Strayhorn's "Upper Manhattan Medical Group,"and increasingly popular choice with guitarists these days completes the trio of piano inspired tunes with a finely conceived arrangement.

Add Chris Bergson to the growing list of young Jazz guitarists who are keeping the mainstream tradition alive and well in the '90s.

The guitar trio format works well for Chris Bergson's mix of Jazz and blues. Half are his compositions and half are by well-known Jazz composers. The guitarist has a lyrical approach and clear articulation, which he employs on this session to create a mood of sadness and melancholy. Even Bud Powell's "Oblivion," with its speeding tempo and syncopated bebop twists, find the leader expressing a floating blues-like melody. Bassist Dwayne Burno and saxophonist Doug White alternate with Bergson on several tracks to supply the same kind of heartfelt delivery. Burno is a strong empathetic player with finely honed skills. His solo spot on the title track offers a particularly effective look at the bassist's product. On "Guod Ethiw" saxophonist Doug White follows Bergson's lead with a full and confident tenor sound which is gritty, soulful, and from the blues tradition. Greg Bandy is featured on Billy Strayhorn's "U.M.M.G." with a variety of textures that serve to complement Bergson's melodic guitar.

Printed in Cadence Magazine
The Review of Jazz & Blues : Creative Improvised Music
Vol. 25 No. 5 | May 1999

Five Stars!

Music delivered without all the overdubs and electronic enhancement studios and producers use on bands and singers to help make them sound good.

This band needs nothing and utilized none of this fake electronics in the making of this album...  They are good (It?s just that simple).  Chris Bergson has a masculine voice that delivers his songs like a freight train bearing down on you as your walking up the tracks.

No ignoring this young man.  Another Day is sure to become a favorite for radio and the blues music fan.