The Squid's Ear Magazine


Berger, Karl: Gently Unfamiliar (Tzadik)

Pianist, vibraphonist, and composer Karl Berger presents his 2nd release in a trilogy of Tzadik CDs that started with the solo "Strangely Familiar", here in a trio with Joe Fonda on bass and Harvey Sorgen on drums, lyrical free bop jazz in 7 rich and distinctive movements.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Karl Berger-piano

Joe Fonda-bass

Harvey Sorgen-drums


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UPC: 702397400622

Label: Tzadik
Catalog ID: TZA-CD-4006
Squidco Product Code: 19959

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2014
Country: USA
Packaging: Digipack
Recorded at Area 53 Studio in Saugerties, NewYork on November 25th, 2013 by Dave Cook.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"One of the most versatile and active proponents of creative music, Karl Berger is a living legend who has been expanding the Jazz language since the mid-'60s. A pianist, vibraphonist, composer, arranger, conductor and educator of astounding energy and creativity, Karl has worked with many of the greatest names in New Music: Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Gato Barbieri, Anthony Braxton, Bill Laswell and countless others. Following up on his gorgeous 2010 release of solo piano etudes Strangely Familiar, the second CD of Berger's Tzadik trilogy presents his distinctive piano stylings in a trio format with a sensitive and supportive rhythm section. Freebop grooves and drifting rubato ballads from three masters of creative music!"-Tzadik


Artist Biographies

"Karl Berger is a six time winner of the Downbeat Critics Poll as a jazz soloist, recipient of numerous Composition Awards ( commissions by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, European Radio and Television: WDR, NDR, SWF, Radio France, Rai Italy. SWF-Prize 1994 ). Professor of Composition, Artist-in-Residence at universities, schools and festivals worldwide; PhD in Music Esthetics.

Karl Berger became noted for his innovative arrangements for recordings by Jeff Buckley ("Grace"), Natalie Merchant ("Ophelia"), Better Than Ezra, The Cardigans, Jonatha Brooke, Buckethead, Bootsie Collins, The Swans, Sly + Robbie, Angelique Kidjo a.o.; and for his collaborations with producers Bill Laswell, Alan Douglas ("Operazone"), Peter Collins, Andy Wallace, Craig Street, Alain Mallet, Malcolm Burn, Bob Marlett a.m.o. in Woodstock, NY. New York City, Los Angeles, Tokyo, London, Paris, Rome.

He recorded and performed with Don Cherry, Lee Konitz, John McLaughlin, Gunther Schuller, the Mingus Epitaph Orchestra, Dave Brubeck, Ingrid Sertso, Dave Holland, Ed Blackwell, Ray Anderson, Carlos Ward, Pharoah Sanders, Blood Ulmer, Hozan Yamamoto and many others at festivals and concerts in the US, Canada, Europe, Africa, India, Phillippines, Japan, Mexico, Brazil.

His recordings and arrangements appear on the Atlantic, Axiom, Black Saint, Blue Note, Capitol, CBS, Columbia Double Moon, Douglas Music, Elektra , EMI, Enja, Island, JVC, Knitting Factory, In&Out, MCA, Milestone, Polygram, Pye , RCA, SONY, Stockholm, Vogue a.o.

Founder and director of the Creative Music Foundation, Inc., dba The Creative Music Studio, a not-for-profit corporation, dedicated to the research of the power of music and sound and the elements common to all of the world's music forms; and to educational presentations through workshops, concerts, recordings, with a growing network of artists and CMS members worldwide.Conducted CMS Residencies worldwide. In the 90s, Dr. Berger was Professor of Composition and Dean of Music Education at the Hochschule fuer Musik, Frankfurt / Germany. Chairman of the Music Department at UMass Dartmouth till 2006.Now re-establishing CMS programming in collaboration with producer Rob Saffer, directing the CMS Archive Project, recording and producing. Performing internationally with the Allstar Ensemble "In the Spirit of Don Cherry" and with numerous projects, collaborating with vocalist/poet Ingrid Sertso ( contact CreativeMusicAgency@gmail.com ). Recording a Trlogy of Piano Music for Tzadik Records. Collaborating with bassist Ken Filiano, vocalist Ingrid Sertso (KIK) + guitarist Kenny Wessel (KIKK). The Karl Berger Improvisers Orchestra, completed 75 performances in New York since the Spring of 2011 (see BLOG at www.karlberger.org). New collaboration in Europe with drummer Baby Sommer, bassist Antonio Borghini, guitarist Carsten Radtke, vocalist/poet Ingrid Sertso (DIFFERENT STANDARDS). Collaborating with cornetist Ken Knuffke, violinist Jason Hwang, saxophonists Ivo Perelman, Peter Apfelbaum, Mercedes Figueras, drummers Harvey Sorgen, Tani Tabbal, Warren Smith, Tyshawn Sorey. bassists Joe Fonda, Mark Helias, Max Johnson, William Parker, trumpeter Steven Bernstein and others for recordings and performances."

-Karl Berger Website (http://www.karlberger.org/biography.html)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Joe Fonda is a composer, bassist, recording artist, interdisciplinary performer, producer and educator.

An accomplished international Jazz artist, Fonda has performed with his own ensembles throughout the United States ,Canada , Europe and Asia. He has collaborated and performed with such artists as Anthony Braxton ,Archie Shepp, Ken McIntyre, Lou Donaldson, Bill and Kenny Barron, Leo Smith, Perry Robinson, Dave Douglas, Curtis Fuller, , Bill Dixon, Han Bennink, Bobby Naughton, Xu Fengia, Randy Weston, Gebhard Ullmann, Carla Bley, Carlo Zingaro, Barry Altschul, Billy Bang.

Fonda was the bassist with the renowned Anthony Braxton sextet, octet, tentet, from 1984 through 1999. Fonda also sat on the Board of Directors from 1994 to 1999, and was the President from 1997 to 1999 of the newly formed Tri-Centric Foundation. He has also performed with the 38-piece Tri-Centric orchestra under the direction of Anthony Braxton, and was the bassist for the premiere performance of Anthony Braxton's opera, Shalla Fears for the Poor, performed at the John Jay Theater in New York, New York, October 1996.

As a composer, Fonda has been the recipient of numerous grants and commissions From Meet the Composer New York and the New England Foundation on the Arts . He has released twelve recordings under his own name. (Reviews and recordings available). Fonda was also a member of The Creative Musicians Improvisors Forum directed by Leo Smith, and was the bassist with the American Tap Dance Orchestra in New York City, directed by world renowned tap dancer, Brenda Bufalino.

In 1989, Fonda performed with Fred Ho's Jazz and Peking opera in its world premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. From 1982 to 1986 Fonda was the bassist and dancer with the Sonomama Dance Company. An independent producer since 1978, Fonda is the founding director of Kaleidoscope Arts an interdisciplinary performance ensemble and is the producer and musicial director for the Connecticut Composers and improvisors Festival from 2001 to 2011.

Currently Fonda has been recording and touring extensively with the Fonda-Stevens Group, Conference Call , The Fab Trio, The Nu Band and Bottoms Out , with performances at the Bim huis in Amsterdam, Holland, Prague Jazz Festival, Czech Republic, Jazz Halo Festival, Belgium, Jazz Festival Thurinsen, Weimer, Germany, Berlin Jazz Festival Berlin Germany , Jazz Im Agusto Festival Lisbon Portugal, Natt Jazz Festival Bergen Norway, The Vision Festival New York, New York, Jazz and More Festival Sibiu Romania, Bakau Jazz Festival ,Azerbijan, Tondela Jazz Festival Tondala portugal , Vancouver Jazz Festival ,Vancouver Canada, Guelph Jazz Festival ,Guelph Canada .

Two of Fonda's most recent projects are From the Source, The Off Road Quartet.

From the Source is a group that incorporates the tap dancing and poetry of Brenda Bufalino and the healing arts of Vicki Dodd, and four jazz musicians. The group has released their first CD entitled, Joe Fonda and From the Source, on Konnex Records.

The Off Road Quartet is comprised of four musicians from four different countries. Ux Fengia from Beijing China , Carlos Zingaro from Lisbon Portugal , Lucas Niggle from Zurich Switzerland and Joe Fonda New York USA. The Off Road Quartet blends the musics from all four of these musicians cultures into a unique musicial and visual experence."

-Joe Fona Website (http://joefonda.com/biography)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"In sound, motion and beauty....so to lays the groundwork for truth. All that I am becomes a part of my own way of communication. In striving for a lifestyle unfettered by my own limitations, I am eternally grateful to have created honest music with some of the greatest artists of our time. It's almost like I have to pinch myself sometimes to not forget how fortunate I am to have the love of my family, and the spirit to be open to what may appear to be right in front of me!!

Just a very few of the artists I have had the great fortune to record and/or perform with include:

Hot Tuna, Ahmad Jamal, Ted Dunbar, Michelle Shocked, Paul Simon, Dewey Redman, Frank Kimbrough, Dave Douglas, David Sancious, Mark Feldman, Karl Berger, Joe Mcphee, Julius Hemphill , Connie Bauer, Pete Levin, John Lindberg, Zakir Hussain, Giovanni Hildago, Wadada Leo Smith, Peter Herbert, Cameron Brown, Steve Swell, Neil Rolnick, Anthony Braxton, Carter Jefferson, John Stubblefield, Bruce Hornsby, Brenda Buffalino, Jay Anderson, Istvan Grenesco, Honi Coles, Daunik Lazro, Todd Reynolds, Derrick Trucks, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, Roswell Rudd, Phil Lesh, David Torn, Levon Helm, The Memphis Pilgrims, Bill Frisell, Fonda/Stevens group, Herb Robertson, Carlos Santana, Omar Tamez, Remi Alvarez, Dry Jack, Art Lande, John d'Earth, Bob Weir, Greg Allman, Marcel Monroe, The Mallards, Sorgen-Rust-Windbiel trio, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Samuels, Drew Gress, Tony Levin, Garth Hudson, Jimmy Vivino, amongst many, many others.

I have also written and performed pieces for film and the stage, including a solo percussion piece for the New Day Repertoire Theater's version of "Antigone".

One aspect of my joy has been in the workshops I give around the world in jazz ensembles, improvisation, percussion master classes and audio production. Some of these include:

University of Michigan - Jazz and Improvisation Dept. - Ed Sarath, director Virginia Commonwealth University - Jazz Dept. - Antonio Garcia, Director Schnittpunke Festival - Rudersdorf, Austria - Udo Preis, Director Jazz Initiative Marburg - Marburg, Germany - Roman Kloecker, Director Carre Blue - Poiters, France - Bernard Aimee, Director Onteora Central School District - Boiceville, N.Y. - Steven Murphy, Director Charles City Arts Council - Charles City, Va. - Julie Boyd, Director Naropa Institute - Boulder, Co. - in collaboration with Allan Ginsberg Jackson Field Home for Girls - Emporia, Va. - Donna Waldron, Director Numerous in- store clinics and private lessons throughout the U.S. and Europe. Recipient of New York State "Meet the Composer" and NYSCA grants.

I have also been interviewed in many publications including: Modern Drummer, DRUM!, Down Beat, All About Jazz, Jazz Podium (Germany), and Jazz Halo (Belgium).

Through Dreamland Recording Studio and freelance work, I have had the great pleasure to be involved in many great recording projects as an engineer and editor. One of my favorite projects was to remaster the entire ESP record label. My first instructional DVD " Drumming Made Easy " is currently available worldwide from Homespun Tapes Inc. / Hal Leonard publishing. I also appear on Jack DeJohnette's " Musical Expression On The Drum Set" and Jorma Kaukonen's " The Electric Guitar Of Jorma Kaukonen"

-Harvey Sorgen Website (http://harveysorgen.com/about.html)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Movement 1 3:52

2. Movement 2 6:35

3. Movement 3 7:12

4. Movement 4 9:50

5. Movement 5 3:43

6. Movement 6 8:03

7. Movement 7 7:46

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
NY Downtown & Jazz/Improv
Trio Recordings
Melodic and Lyrical Jazz
Tzadik
Piano Trio (Piano Bass Drums)

Search for other titles on the label:
Tzadik.


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