Will Bernard

An expansive guitarist who is equally comfortable playing funk, blues, and many strains of jazz, Will Bernard is also a bandleader, composer, and first-call studio and touring sideman. With a distinctive, rounded, warm yet bitingly percussive tone, he is adept at virtually any musical style he chooses to play, from jazz and blues to R&B, funk, and hip-hop. His work has appeared on dozens of recordings by artists ranging from <a href="spotify:artist:3uPWecBPNXAChysw1uOJwI">Don Cherry</a> to <a href="spotify:artist:7bOHiKCHJ7mPMrSIiLMOIj">Stanton Moore</a>. Bernard made his leader debut with the star-studded Medicine Hat in 1998. His proper critical breakthrough arrived after the release of his fourth album, Party Hats, in 2007. A year later, Blue Plate Special showcased a quartet that included organist <a href="spotify:artist:46IQ7Q0jkW6dW0l4e15FFD">John Medeski</a>. After signing with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Posi-Tone%22">Posi-Tone</a>, Bernard led a funky jazz quartet that included saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:2jqFKnUNOcp9RnR9C6JHjR">John Ellis</a> for 2013's Just Like Downtown and 2016's Out & About. After a prolonged absence from the studio, Bernard issued Freelance Subversives in 2020. 2021's organ trio date, Ancient Grains, appeared from <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Posi-Tone%22">Posi-Tone</a>. The following year, Bernard shifted gears. He issued the avant-groove offering Pond Life, leading a quintet that included saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:3baP5PZgTo4ebHlFXoWtUk">Tim Berne</a>.

Bernard was born in Berkeley, California, in 1959. He studied guitar and piano from an early age with Dave Creamer, <a href="spotify:artist:5GNVKLmrTOv0aWF6ZCyvPU">Art Lande</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:04ht3LOiCLy6TGnLq2jRME">Julian White</a>. A bit later, he developed an interest in classical music composition. He received a B.A. in music from UC Berkeley, where he studied with <a href="spotify:artist:0BEffUOxY2qhcnTUEvJU66">Andrew Imbrie</a>. Bernard worked with many musicians in the Bay Area after graduating; in the 1980s, he joined high school classmate <a href="spotify:artist:6PNxc6kvsDeTek8uRN4ogC">Peter Apfelbaum</a>'s Hieroglyphics Ensemble and made his recorded debut with them backing <a href="spotify:artist:3uPWecBPNXAChysw1uOJwI">Don Cherry</a> on his 1989 outing Multikulti. During the early to mid-'90s, Bernard toured and recorded four albums with <a href="spotify:artist:6PNxc6kvsDeTek8uRN4ogC">Apfelbaum</a>'s group with 1991's Signs of Life on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Antilles%22">Antilles</a>. He also worked with <a href="spotify:artist:00DkRCKgM6Ku90WtOfoYlw">Jai Uttal</a>, the political hip-hop ensemble <a href="spotify:artist:4IvS1ZZ5nyiNMheybfx3Hf">the Coup</a>, and vanguard composer/clarinetist <a href="spotify:artist:3zqyex6jHKufoWxFKFITSJ">Beth Custer</a>. Bernard co-founded the jazz-rock fusion band <a href="spotify:artist:5SJOBuxDIBFwU5HotgbtLe">T.J. Kirk</a> with <a href="spotify:artist:0si9BxvM2C33fAIkr1pgUc">Charlie Hunter</a>. They released two albums for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Warner+Bros%22">Warner Bros</a>. including 1997's Grammy-nominated If Four Was One, produced by longtime collaborator Lee Townsend.

Bernard formed a new band and signed a solo deal with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Antilles%22">Antilles</a>. In 1998, the label issued Medicine Hat by the Will Bernard 4-Tet, which included <a href="spotify:artist:7106JMHJxV5jS84aegmR8N">Rob Burger</a> on Hammond B-3 organ and accordion, <a href="spotify:artist:5SJOBuxDIBFwU5HotgbtLe">T.J. Kirk</a>, drummer <a href="spotify:artist:0z8GiMtospGy5TDzG8LiSE">Scott Amendola</a>, and bassist John Shifflett. <a href="spotify:artist:3zqyex6jHKufoWxFKFITSJ">Custer</a> also contributed to several cuts. Bernard spent the next several years touring and working live and in the studio with <a href="spotify:artist:3zqyex6jHKufoWxFKFITSJ">Custer</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0si9BxvM2C33fAIkr1pgUc">Hunter</a>. In 2000, he formed his own <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Dreck+to+Disk%22">Dreck to Disk</a> label and released the quartet offering Motherbug with an entirely new band that included organist/keyboardist <a href="spotify:artist:3lGrfajNh2erBB5l3G3fRJ">Michael Bluestein</a>, bassist Keith McArthur, and drummer Jan Jackson. Jazz critics were nearly beside themselves in praising the guitarist's innovative approach to his soul-jazz quartet setting. In 2003, he played on Giving Up the Ghost, the debut album by <a href="spotify:artist:3G8x1XQX8nCXYouEfMrP07">Greyboy Allstar</a>/San Francisco native <a href="spotify:artist:7oGihoTlnS0XMulthQExEj">Robert Walter's 20th Congress</a> just before he moved to New Orleans. That same year, <a href="spotify:artist:5SJOBuxDIBFwU5HotgbtLe">T.J. Kirk</a> reunited for the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Ropeadope%22">Ropeadope</a> date Talking Only Makes It Worse. A year later, Bernard released the trio date Directions to My House on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Dreck+to+Disk%22">Dreck to Disk</a>. In 2006, the ever-restless guitarist joined <a href="spotify:artist:4rMUtWPGbE6waga7PQO0oQ">Galactic</a> drummer <a href="spotify:artist:7bOHiKCHJ7mPMrSIiLMOIj">Stanton Moore</a>'s solo group for the album III on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Telarc%22">Telarc</a>, and began touring with them. In 2007, after dreaming of New York for years, Bernard left the Bay Area for Brooklyn. He recorded Sketchy as a member of organist <a href="spotify:artist:6HLIDmXT3eehC2JNmMnerV">Wil Blades</a>' sextet (the group also included drummer <a href="spotify:artist:6ghiUK2ao3KcmmDt2pbNzN">Idris Muhammad</a>). In late 2007, Bernard signed to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Palmetto+Records%22">Palmetto Records</a> and cut Party Hats, leading a large revolving cast that included <a href="spotify:artist:6HLIDmXT3eehC2JNmMnerV">Blades</a>, saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:2vEO9V8WSyC3c9dBno1YlU">Cochemea Gastelum</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:6PNxc6kvsDeTek8uRN4ogC">Apfelbaum</a>. The set sold respectably and garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Bernard followed almost immediately with Blue Plate Special, leading a quartet with <a href="spotify:artist:7bOHiKCHJ7mPMrSIiLMOIj">Moore</a>, Andy Hess, and <a href="spotify:artist:46IQ7Q0jkW6dW0l4e15FFD">John Medeski</a>.

Over the next four years, Bernard toured the country and recorded two more albums with <a href="spotify:artist:7bOHiKCHJ7mPMrSIiLMOIj">Moore</a>. He was also invited to play on <a href="spotify:artist:7x83XhcMbOTl1UdYsPTuZM">Tom Waits</a>' Bad as Me. Afterward, the guitarist formed a trio with <a href="spotify:artist:6HLIDmXT3eehC2JNmMnerV">Blades</a> and drummer <a href="spotify:artist:0fYCG93LWgHJ4KkEapCK49">Simon Lott</a>; this group issued Outdoor Living on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Dreck+to+Disk%22">Dreck to Disk</a> late in 2011. The following year, Bernard joined pianist/composer/vocalist <a href="spotify:artist:4FVlx0LkBCw52txBL8QVDl">Ben Sidran</a>'s studio band on Don't Cry for No Hipster. It was during these sessions that the guitarist met and connected with saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:2jqFKnUNOcp9RnR9C6JHjR">John Ellis</a>. After signing to the Los Angeles-based <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Posi-Tone+Records%22">Posi-Tone Records</a> in early 2013, Bernard formed a jazz quartet with <a href="spotify:artist:2jqFKnUNOcp9RnR9C6JHjR">Ellis</a>, drummer <a href="spotify:artist:0ILg6S11FRLlqKHKOfTJyY">Rudy Royston</a>, and organist <a href="spotify:artist:0BDMJnvi2kFbQAUNUqt5om">Brian Charette</a>, and released the acclaimed Just Like Downtown; its most popular number was a cover of <a href="spotify:artist:36QJpDe2go2KgaRleHCDTp">Led Zeppelin</a>'s "Dancing Days." The group undertook a nation-wide club tour. Bernard resumed session work in the aftermath and over the next couple of years played on recordings by <a href="spotify:artist:0MvZGnUYuwVTNKs9SA3wFi">Sparkler</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6T5gXvVOMbQUZW9zBtyypn">Icepack Jackson</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0BDMJnvi2kFbQAUNUqt5om">Charette</a>.

On his next <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Posi-Tone%22">Posi-Tone</a> outing, Bernard expanded his lineup to a quintet. Retaining <a href="spotify:artist:2jqFKnUNOcp9RnR9C6JHjR">Ellis</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0BDMJnvi2kFbQAUNUqt5om">Charette</a>, he recruited bassist <a href="spotify:artist:5kLzbHcCf9EwkKmuc04zlE">Ben Allison</a> and drummer <a href="spotify:artist:5wjNryQpFBmVmz1toU1hcG">Allison Miller</a> to replace the ever-occupied <a href="spotify:artist:0ILg6S11FRLlqKHKOfTJyY">Royston</a> for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Posi-Tone%22">Posi-Tone</a>. The end result, Out & About, appeared during the early spring of 2016. That year, Bernard also played guitar on <a href="spotify:artist:0BDMJnvi2kFbQAUNUqt5om">Charette</a>'s Once & Future. In 2017, the guitarist rejoined <a href="spotify:artist:4FVlx0LkBCw52txBL8QVDl">Sidran</a> for Picture Him Happy, and toured in the pianist's band. In 2018, Bernard joined <a href="spotify:artist:46IQ7Q0jkW6dW0l4e15FFD">Medeski</a>'s neo-psych jazz-funk quartet Mad Skillett to play on their manic, soulful, self-titled offering. The band also included two all-star New Orleanians, sousaphonist Kirk Joseph and drummer Terrence Higgins. Over the next two years, Bernard worked with many artists on the road and also played in a live version of <a href="spotify:artist:5RISqKCcrhGITX2TQAPGPL">Bill Laswell</a>'s Revelator with <a href="spotify:artist:6PNxc6kvsDeTek8uRN4ogC">Apfelbaum</a> on saxes and drummer Aaron Johnston.

In May 2020, Bernard released Freelance Subversives on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Ropeadope%22">Ropeadope</a>, a large-scale work featuring two bands and ten rotating sidemen including <a href="spotify:artist:46IQ7Q0jkW6dW0l4e15FFD">Medeski</a>, Eric Finland, and Ben Stivers on organs and keyboards, saxophonists Skerik (Eric Walton) and <a href="spotify:artist:5TjLQwIm1OQAi6HmD6QQ9c">Jay Rodriguez</a>, bassists Ben Zwerin and Jeff Hanley, percussionist <a href="spotify:artist:5WcYGbYBJwiHecZR5LFoba">Moses Patrou</a>, and drummer Eric Kalb. Given its release at the height of a global pandemic, it won little press notice; the label re-released it that fall to stellar reviews.

The following year, Ancient Grains showcased the guitarist in an organ trio with B-3 master <a href="spotify:artist:6rMp5njV15uyFIk72LasbD">Sam Yahel</a> and drummer/composer <a href="spotify:artist:1Rm2XdERNm1pGhHveF6GqH">Donald Edwards</a>. In 2022, Bernard shifted his focus and opened up his music. Alongside <a href="spotify:artist:46IQ7Q0jkW6dW0l4e15FFD">Medeski</a>, altoist <a href="spotify:artist:3baP5PZgTo4ebHlFXoWtUk">Tim Berne</a>, bassist <a href="spotify:artist:41ZBQqguJTIzwRdgg82w9a">Chris Lightcap</a>, and drummer <a href="spotify:artist:4MOSNls51nJPFORKok60vV">Ches Smith</a>, he issued Pond Life on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Dreck+to+Disk%22">Dreck to Disk</a>, wherein he explored avant and free jazz without forsaking his groove and soul-jazz roots. ~ Matt Collar & Thom Jurek, Rovi