Guitarist Peter Bernstein will arrive at this year's JazzFestBrno Festival in a trio with Larry Goldings and Bill Stewart. The New York Times referred to them in the 1990s as the best organ trio, and the player level as well as the inventiveness of the ensemble is still as high. Together, they released eight albums and one DVD. Peter Bernstein is among the musicians who were in the "front line" of contemporary jazz in the 1990s. Joshua Redman, Diana Krall, Jimmy Cobb, Joe Lovano and, of course, members of the trio that we will hear in Brno in April were among his colleagues. Our conversation also mainly focused on his "home" band, even though I did not forget to ask about Brad Mehldau, with whom Peter Bernstein often played.
Do you like playing in Europe and are you looking forward to coming to Brno?
I have never played in the Czech Republic, so definitely I am. I am curious.
How do you enjoy playing at home and in Europe? Do you feel there’s any difference between European and American jazz?
There are some differences: jazz is at home in New York, but, then again there are perhaps more clichés in it.
When I heard you for the first time, I immediately noticed the distinctive melodies and a beautiful tone. Do you get any inspiration from singers?
Yes, I really like the performance of some singers and it inspires me. I like, for example, Sarah Vaughan or Billie Holiday...
You will come with the Hammond organ player Larry Goldings. He is your regular colleague. When did you start playing together?
That was a long time ago. We used to play with Larry at Augie (Augustana College) in a school bar, which sometimes turned into a jazz club, and vice versa.
Has drummer Bill Stewart been playing with you since the beginning?
We used to have another drummer but I brought in Bill Stewart, whom I knew already before from school in New Jersey. We started to make music together and it was amazing. I am really happy in this trio. I love how these guys play. We have been together for a long time; we have grown not only as individual musicians, but also as a band. Larry and Bill are strong and inspiring personalities; I always enjoyed having such people around me.
On your joint records, sometimes you are the leader, other times a sideman – how do you agree who will lead the band? And how will it go in Brno?
We work as a trio, as we have been playing together for a long time. Actually, the position goes from one to the other when playing. One leads for a while and the other two follow him, then it passes onto someone else. We mutually lead, support and respect each other; it is very democratic. Just three musicians playing together.
For us in the Czech Republic, the Hammond organ is an instrument of rockers and jazzmen; in America, it is usual in churches. Would you one day like to play a pipe organ, perhaps from the Baroque period?
I have already played a few sets in churches but not yet on a pipe organ. It could be interesting.
You often play with Brad Mehldau, who will open this year's JazzFestBrno. Is there a difference between playing with him and your trio?
We met while still young players in New York, and it is completely different with him, of course, because Brad is a completely different personality. It is like talking to different people – you have a common language but the conversation is always different.
Who is the most important figure in the history of jazz for you? And what is most important in music overall?
The most important figure in jazz...I could spend the rest of my life naming people. For me, it would be Jim Hall, for example, but there are many more and a lot of different personalities. And what is most important? Music is communication, an experience, and one is directly involved in it, part of it. That in itself is the best thing.
