The words of a master about a new player blazing a trail into the ranks with many of the best are words of pure inspiration. They are the truest essence of a hand of welcome held out as a beautiful gesture of encouragement and recognition.
The icon Jim Hall truly exposed and gave Peter Bernstein his break into the world of jazz. This happened during Hall’s appearance as part of the 1990 JVC Jazz Festival. Impressed by Bernstein’s playing, Hall asked him to play in an invitational concert. Hall’s words of praise describe the artistry of the player. He pointed out that Bernstein “paid attention to the past as well as the future. He is the most impressive guitarist I’ve heard.”
The sound is one that plays with the furthest reaches of the guitar’s many voices. Bernstein’s influences include the way that horns play with melody. He crafts his technique giving elements to the lines he plays on the strings of his instrument that challenge expectations.
Bernstein’s artistry firmly sets in place bridges between the richest of jazz’s eras. He is firmly a contemporary player today, and without a doubt he could have as easily been a contemporary player with, and of, the best of yesterday.
