Biography
Ken Berman's upcoming album, Looking Forward, features a kinetic trio with bass virtuoso Kai Eckhardt and the legendary Akira Tana on drums performing breathtaking and inspired jazz originals in the mold of Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny, and Bill Evans.
Reviewing pianist Ken Berman's previous CD for The L.A. Jazz Scene, jazz critic Scott Yanow writes: “When listening to Ken Berman's trio CD In Mind, it is easy to think of Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans, for Berman's chord voicings and his close interplay with his sidemen recall the work of his two predecessors. The difference is that Berman wrote all ten selections, he never copies Evans or Jarrett, and at times he sounds more advanced than either of them. The music overall is both swinging and thoughtful, spontaneous and purposeful.”
Pianist and composer Ken Berman has appeared on the famed stages of Carnegie Hall in New York, Detroit's Fox Theater, The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and The Sunside in Paris; he's equally at home in the bohemian grooves of the Knitting Factory and Smoke. Ken Berman has performed and recorded with Bob Moses, Akira Tana, Kai Eckhardt, John Lockwood, Yoron Israel, Bob Gullotti, Jaleel Shaw, Take Toriyama, Chuck Metcalf, Remi Vignolo, Sarah Manning and others: he’s been the recipient of several artist grants and awards for his ongoing work in jazz education. He attended the University of Michigan and Berklee College of Music and has studied under Barry Harris and Charlie Banacos, among others. Ken Berman's piano skills have drawn comparisons with Bill Evans, Ramsey Lewis and Keith Jarrett, and his 2006 CD, "In Mind," was rated one of the top 15 jazz releases of 2006 on the Jazz with Bob Parlocha website, and was added to the playlist of jazz stations nationwide.
"In Mind," features ten inspired original tracks showcasing his genius as a composer and pianist, leading a combo that includes the great John Lockwood on bass and legendary drummers Yoron Israel and Bob Gullotti. The French newspaper Le Monde praised Ken Berman, a sensation in Paris, as a "fluid and erudite" rising jazz star whose "complex improvisations are imbued with delicate sensuality and brilliance." Ken is currently on the music faculty at the University of California at Berkeley, and is teaching at Stanford Univeristy's overseas Program in Paris during the fall of 2009.
Instrumentation
Ken Berman - piano
Kai Eckhardt - bass
Akira Tana - drums
Discography
Looking Forward (2009)
In Mind (2006)
Ken Berman Trio (2003)
Ken Berman EP (2000)
Grace Kelly, Dreaming (2004)
Links
| http://www.kenbermanmusic.com |