UPDATED July 29, 2010
STANTON
MOORE TRIO CD 'GROOVE ALCHEMY' FEATURING WILL!
The
Stanton Moore Trio featuring Galactic drummer Stanton Moore (drums), Robert
Walter (organ), and Will Bernard (guitar) have released their third CD
entitled 'Groove Alchemy.' Visit StantonMoore.com for free mp3s and to purchase!
Check out a video from the Stanton Moore Trio's recent visit to The Independent in San Francisco, CA on May 8th, 2010.
WILL
BERNARD'S 'BLUE PLATE SPECIAL' HITS #1 ON THE CMJ JAZZ CHARTS!
NEW
ALBUM 'BLUE PLATE SPECIAL' OUT NOW!
Will's
new album 'Blue Plate Special'
featuring John Medeski and Andy Hess, and a special guest appearance by
Stanton Moore! Pick up a copy direct from Will here!
"the beats delivered by this quartet are morbidly obese, the guitar playing is full of sly twists, and the net result is a jazz album with all the hipster elan of a "66 Dodge Polara" - Guitar Player Magazine
"Will Bernard's Blue Plate Special features a veritable supergroup
of modern jazz" - All About Jazz
"smooth
yet probing hollowbody...greasy keyboards....bang on a can drums....snappy
bass"
**** - Downbeat Magazine
RECENT RELEASES
   |
Will
Bernard, Andrew Emer, Benny Lackner and Mark Ferber have
released a new CD entitled 'Night for Day' on Brooklyn
Jazz Underground Records. The
CD release party will be at Smalls in New York City on June
14th. A European tour will begin in October. In addition,
The Groundation side-project
ROCKAMOVYA will
release the long awaited CD on June 17th featuring members
of Groundation, Will Bernard and the legendary reggae drummer
Leroy Horsemouth Wallace. Will is also featured on the new
Stanton
Moore Trio album entitled 'Emphasis
(On Parenthesis)'
on Telarc Records which came out in April.
UPDATED MARCH 30th, 2008 
GIBSON
ARTIST
Will Bernard is
now a Gibson artist, the first step to gaining an official endorsement
package from the renowned guitar makers.
WILL
IN NYC
Will's
move to Brooklyn has been fruitful and you can see him on
a regular basis Sundays at the Blue
Owl Cocktail Bar in Manhattan.
GRAMMY
NOD
Congrats
to Gibson's
Grammy-Nominated Artists!
UPDATED DECEMBER
6th,
2007
WILL
BERNARD TO OPEN SULLIVAN HALL WITH ALL-STAR BAND
Guitarist
and recent New York transplant Will Bernard will officially
open Manhattan's Sullivan
Hall on January 2. The famed room,
which has been known as the Lion's Den for well over a decade,
recently underwent a facelift and now features a new sound system,
light design and expanded stage. For his opening night performance,
Bernard will lead an all-star band featuring Greyboy Allstars/Deep
Banana Blackout drummer Eric Kalb, Fat Mama/Charlie Hunter Trio
keyboardist Eric Deutsch and Slip bassist Marc Friedman. Bernard
is currently touring behind his new album, Party
Hats.
UPDATED
JULY 24th, 2007
PALMETTO
RECORDS
I signed on the
dotted line with Palmetto
Records. The album was released in February 2007. Palmetto
has a roster that includes Dr Lonnie Smith, Larry Goldings, Lincoln
Center Jazz Orchestra, Marty Ehrlich, Ben Allison and many other
great players. The first album entitled Party
Hats is tracks recorded with all great bay area players that
I have been working with over the last few years.
New Stanton Moore III album was released September 25 on Telarc and features the Stanton Moore Trio with myself and Robert Walter. Special guests include Skerik and Mark Mullins. Check the tour page for dates.
UPDATED
MARCH 10, 2006
LOTS
OF NEW EVENTS
 |
| Stanton Moore & Robert Walter |
In January we recorded a new CD with the newly formed Stanton Moore Trio with WB on guitar, Stanton Moore on drums, and Robert Walter on organ. Dr Lonnie Smith also contributed some B3. We spent 3 days holed up in the historic Preservation Hall in New Orleans recording with Mike Napolitano at the controls. We recorded Will tunes, Robert tunes and some surprising covers. Skerik and Mark Mullins added some great horn parts as well.
 |
| The Groundation Bliss Bus |
Jazz fest looks good this year Will hooks up with Lonnie and Idris and Stanton and Medeski... not bad so far...
UPDATED
JANUARY 1, 2006
Well it has been another interesting year for WB. I've gotten to play
with so many fine musicians it's been a blast. The horizons have definitely
been expanding. There should be some new releases coming out next
year including the new Stephen
Yerkey album that features myself, Scott Amendola, Joe Gore, Jim
Campilongo, David Phillips and more. Keep an eye out for his new web
site. Stephen is a one of a kind singer/guitar player/songwriter
who deserves to be a household word in the land of quirky songsters.
Also I'm featured on a couple of tracks on the new Freddie Roulette album Man of Steel featuring Ken and Phil Emerson, Henry Kaiser, David Lindley. You can read about him here.
Look for a new Duck Baker album some time in the future with 3 duet tracks featuring Duck and myself. Duck is a fine fingerstyle guitar player who resides in the UK at this time. He combines a soulful ragtime knowledge with modern approaches.
Anthony Brown's American Rhapsodies is now out featuring Will Bernard as soloist in Gerswhin's Rhapsody in Blue with The Asian American Orchestra.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=19827
http://www.actmusic.com/act9437_e.htm
Check out the track with Trey Anastasio, Will Bernard and Jai Uttal on guitars.
We are still going with the band formally know as Frequinox....trying to find the right name. Any Ideas? Also the Stanton Moore Trio which is rumored to be recording at some time in the future.
Look for a new trio which I like to think of as the three tenors of the guitar... myself, Ken Emerson and Paul Mehling. We will be playing dates in January.
In February, Groundation's Seventh Annual: A Tribute To Bob Marley 2006 will take place with original Burning Spear drummer and star of the movie Rockers Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, and Bay Area jazz guitarist Will Bernard. Drummer Paul Spina will be taking some time off with his family, but he'll be back in full force for the new Groundation tours spring/summer/fall 2006. Check the Groundation website for more info.
Also oh yeah....Motherbug keeps on going still working on that new album.
Motherbug member B3 man Wil Blades has a new web site and a new baby daughter (Maelah).
UPDATED:
JUNE 16, 2005
DOWNLOADS
Now
you can download Will's first album Medicine
Hat from the Verve
music group web site. This is the only way to obtain this CD at
present date unless you get it on Amazon. This featured the Will Bernard
4tet with WB, Scott Amendola, John Schifflet and Rob Burger.
The Album Reviewed:
"Will Bernard, the former guitarist for the quirky San Francisco jazz combo T.J. Kirk, shows dynamic bluesy chops with his new band's first release, Medicine Hat. But Bernard's true talent lies in composition. The Will Bernard 4-Tet, featuring Rob Burger on Hammond B-3 organ and accordion, John Shifflett on acoustic bass, and Scott Amendola on drums, wouldn't know a conventional melody if it bit into one. The songs on Medicine Hat follow a musical map that only a madman could design.
The sound here is mostly in a blues and funk groove, with the B-3 lending a dramatic urgency to the proceedings. Though Bernard's playing is clean and fluid, his generous use of wah-wah combines with the guttural organ to create a grimy, back-alley vibe. Amendola is quite agile with the sticks, creating snare-drum sonatas and unconventional rhythms that lead to obscure conclusions. The open sound of the bass creates a warmth that leaves the harmonies room to wander.
The album opens with a few rump-shakers, which may lead the listener to the mistaken conclusion that Medicine Hat is a danceable record. The playful shuffle-stomp of 'Boomtown' (featuring bass clarinet by Beth Custer, a quirky Bay Area artist in her own right) could be the theme of a '60s detective show or perhaps the backdrop for a Jets-vs.-Sharks rumble. The title track slows the pace to a swagger. Bernard's economical solos seem like quiet celebrations, yet a discordant fog seeps through the harmonies. This feeling continues throughout the album: in the deep, dark floor-toms of 'Prankster,' the walking blues of '3-Ply,' and the hipster tango of 'Trap Door Spider.'
The 4-Tet can pack a lot of unpredictability into a small space. In a way, every song on Medicine Hat is a musical Cracker Jack box: There's always a little surprise to be found, and working your way to it is half the fun."
- Larry Getlen, New Times, March 12, 1998
There is a download available of the Stanton Moore Trio with Will, Stanton and Robert Walter from La Ve Lee in Los Angeles from earlier this year.
LONNIE
SMITH See
WB with Dr Lonnie Smith for FREE July 3rd at the Fillmore
Street Jazz Fest. Will plays in a trio setting with the master of
the B3. If you haven't heard Lonnie you are really missing out. Lonnie
can make you rethink all you thought you knew about the instrument.
UPDATED:
MAY 25, 2005
TOUR
WB..back
at home after Nola Jazzfest and Frequinox California tour.....whew!
Highlights of course were the 2 sold out Frequinox Independant shows
in SF and getting to play with Stanton Moore, Dr, Lonnie Smith, Johnny
Vidacovich, Skerik Robert Walter, Delfeo Marsalis, Donald Harrison,
Eric Krasno, Jacob Fred and all in New Orleans.
The Directions to My House show at Yoshi's went well, and shows with old friend Todd Sickafoose and the Tiny Resistors were a lot of fun. This summer is mostly a stay at home summer so far....one of the highlights is getting to play with Dr Lonnie Smith again at the Fillmore Street Jazz Fest on July 3rd.
It's time for writing, practicing and getting the word on the new album out. Also updating the Web site!
More
later....
UPDATED:
FEBRUARY 15, 2005
STREET
TEAM We
have just added a Street Team Sign-up
form! Sign up
to help promote the next Will Bernard show in your area. You'll have
a chance to receive free tickets in exchange for your help posting
flyers.
UPDATED:
JANUARY 27, 2005
TOUR
Well
looking forward to the usual wide variety of events coming down the
pike...
This weekend look for more events with Will and Scott Amendola around
town.
Coming up... celebrating the Birthday of Bob Marley with Groundation on the 4th and 6th....If you don't know Groundation you should check them out. They are a roots reggae outfit from Sonoma county (of all places) and Ryan Newman and Paul Spina are the rhythm section.
Also a Western Swing jam coming up at the Conneticut Yankee with Will and John Schott and others backing up Tommy Thompson.
Then
The Frequinox hits the slopes at the end of February for a 5 day Colorado
run.
UPDATED:
JANUARY 3, 2005
DIRECTIONS
TO MY HOUSE
The newest release from Will Bernard is out now on Dreck to Disc Records!
The Trio release entitled Directions
to My House features Will Bernard on acoustic and electric
guitars and National steel guitar, Devin Hoff on acoustic bass, and
Ches Smith on drums and percussion. The cd also features special guests
Ellen Gronningen on violin, Peter Apfelbaum on tenor sax, and Jeff
Cressman on trombone on select tracks. Purchase
a copy of Directions to My House
direct from Will here!
TOUR Deeper into it with the Frequinox this last month....dates in the east coast and a week in New Orleans rehearsing ,writing songs and gigging.
The debut of a new trio..Stanton Moore, Robert Walter, and Will Bernard in L.A.
Coming up... Motherbug goes out again for another Northwest jaunt this time with og bottom end specialist Keith Macarthur and debuting keyboardist Matt Berkeley into the mix.
News of great upcoming January shows at the Boom Boom Room with B3 legend Lonnie Smith...yow!!!
The release of the new Will Bernard Trio album Directions to My House.
All
good Stuff!
BAGUETTE QUARTETTE Will is in the midst of recording the 4th Album with the Baguette Quartette, a band that specializes in French Cafe music from the 20's, 30's and 40's. He has been working out on the Selmer "D" hole style guitar used in Django Reinhardt's Hot Club of Paris.
T.J.
KIRK REUNION The
legendary T.J. Kirk reunited for two momentous shows on December
26th & 27th 
at
the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, CA. Some might remember
the band from the mid 90's which consisted of John
Schott and Will Bernard on guitars, Charlie
Hunter on 8-string guitar and Scott
Amendola on drums. The band's name, whose initials pay tribute
to their musical heroes James Brown, Thelonious Monk
and Rahsaan Roland Kirk whose music they intertwine, was once
called James T. Kirk before Universal Pictures threatened to sue the
band for not getting permission to refer to the Star Trek character.
The band had the last laugh when the name changed to T.J. Kirk which
still paid tribute to their other hero, William Shatner from his days
on the tv show T.J. Hooker. The band was touring in support of their
new cd Talking
Only Makes It Worse which is only available at select Bay
Area records stores and on the internet. Pick
up a copy from Charlie Hunter's official store here.
GIVING
UP THE GHOST
The newest release by Robert Walter's 20th Congress, featuring Will
Bernard on guitar, is out now on Magna Carta Records. The cd also
features Greyboy All-Stars member Chris Stillwell on bass along with
20th Congress veterans George Sluppick on drums, Cochemea Gastellum
on sax, and Chuck Prada on drums. Be sure to pick this release up
at your local record store!
DISCUSSION GROUP Sign up for the Will Bernard & Motherbug discussion group at Yahoo! Click here for more information.
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