Jewish Saxophonist Genius like Michael Brecker or David Liebman.Bob was a complex guy. His father was Jewish and his mother Italian. He grew up in downtown Bensonhurst. He loved his huge drift vessel, a good Cuban cigar smuggled from a friend of his, a little 'yac', and a lot of Sinatra. In the middle of his life he met Arja, and he calmed down, had two wonderful children and became a devoted father and husband. He went to live in East Hampton, where he began fishing seriously between tours. He also loved the saxophone and jazz music, on which he concentrated his formidable intellect. The combination of his intellect, working through the prism of his formative years and his lifestyle and daily environment, brought down to us a passionate, yet merciless conception. Playing he literally put your back to the wall, and then tore you and the wall together. You had to fight and respond with all your might when you were on stage with Berg ... he never said it specifically ... he demanded it through his instrument. That's what it's been like to play with Bob Berg all these years ... he made me play better, he imbued me with his style ... he marked my soul forever. This is what I will miss most about Bob ... the incredible merciless and fearless, yet passionate, sound of his sax. Yet I am convinced that I will feel him again, day after day, year after year, every time I think about him ... I will feel him .. I know I will feel him ". (Randy Brecker, trumpet player)
Of the Jewish saxophone geniuses of that era, Berg was and Is my favorite. Such a badass and soulful tone and approach paired with a virtuostic technique.
Love how Bob ends his solo with a little phrase as if saying "Hey Mike, use this.", with Goines repeating it right after as if saying "Hey, Bob dropped you this phrase.", with Mike immediately playing it as if he responded "Yeah, i got it, i got it! Leave me be Goines" Good stuff
Man, I miss Bob Berg. This track is tight tight tight! Classic Stern, Goines and Chambers .. what a team! I had the privilege of seeing Bob play live just once when he toured downunder. He owned the room, what a night it was. RIP and thank you Bob.
I was lucky enough to see this lineup in the early/mid 90's as they did 2 nights at the Edinburgh festival, it was so good that I bought another ticket to see them the next evening. Incredible playing all round.
You probably dont give a shit but if you're stoned like me atm you can watch pretty much all of the new movies and series on InstaFlixxer. Have been binge watching with my girlfriend recently xD
I want this played at my funeral. And I want everyone to dance to this happy music! This... and also movement 2 of Beethoven Pathetique Sonata just before Cadillac...
Berg studied with Brecker, as you can hear. He's one of the few with a tense harsh tenor tone, one of my favourite, with a technical language that is not bravado or virtuosism, but a language itself. He's saying, listen what is the magic of tenor saxophone, this is the history and possibilities of my instruments.
Most Japanese audiences are like this. They don't go wild like American audiences do at concerts. It's a cultural thing. I assure you that they love jazz, otherwise there wouldn't be such a crowd there.
This performance has a faster tempo than the original CD. Therefore, Bob Berg's solo is disorganized. His phrase construction isn't working well. That said, I love him.
Either Bob Berg is one of the greatest users of asymmetrical syncopation of all time... or he's struggling as much as I would trying to improv over this song at this tempo.
