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Bebop Legend Eddie Berger Returns to the Stage Print E-mail
Written by Don Berryman   
Tuesday, 02 May 2006
Eddie Berger, poto by Ann Ginsburgh Hofkin
Eddie Berger, poto by Ann Ginsburgh Hofkin
"I didn't want to be a star or anything, just blow jazz. I've gotten to do that and it s been good music." -Eddie Berger

This Sunday local bebop legend Eddie "All-Star" Berger will be playing his first public performance in three years. After being honored in the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award at the Twin Cities Winter Jazz Festival in February, Eddie Berger returns to the stage at the Artists' Quarter, Sunday May 7th, at 7pm with the Brad Bellows Sextet, with additional music provided by the Bill Lang Trio. The Brad Bellows Sextet has been rehearsing monthly since September of 2005 and although Ed has been battling various health issues, Bellows and the band reports that he is sounding better than ever.

The Brad Bellows Sextet features Brad Bellows on trombone and euphonium, Eddie Berger on alto sax, Jon Pemberton (who replaced the late Gene Adams in the band) on trumpet, Bruce "Pooch" Heine on bass, Mac Santiago on Drums, and "Eddie Berger All Stars" veteran Mikkel Romstad on piano.

Broadcaster, educator, and master-musician, Eddie Berger was born in Philadelphia in 1932. In a recent interview for The Bridge by Cyn Collins, Eddie recalled his beginnings in jazz: "I played clarinet for two years, and my idol was Benny Goodman. There’s no question about it. Then I got a saxophone. I was 12. Charlie Parker started to come out with single 78 records in black record stores and blues record stores. I was going to high school one time, in a pretty mixed neighborhood in Philadelphia. I ran into a guy and he said, 'I want you to come down to a record shop on the avenue and listen to this alto saxophone player.' So I went down there and he put on this Charlie Parker record. And I thought, 'Ah, come on man. This is a gimmick, right? Isn’t this a joke? This is sped up, right? This is some kind of trick thing.' So I got right off on Charlie Parker."

Eddie Berger, photo © Howard A Gitelson
Eddie Berger, photo © Howard A Gitelson
Eddie honed his skills playing in Philly for a while and toured with the Continentals before being drafted into the army during the Korean war. In 1959 Cotrane released Giant Steps, Mingus released Ah Um, Davis released Kind of Blue and Eddie Berger moved to Minneapolis and brought bebop to the prairie. Playing many clubs, including long standing gigs with his group the Jazz All-Stars at Williams Pub and the Artists' Quarter, Berger also hosted a popular weekly jazz radio show on KFAI for 20 years. His latest swinging recording with the All-Stars, I'm Glad There is You from 1999 can be ordered online at www.artists quarter.com/berger.

Brad Bellows has been an active innovator on the local music scene. He is probably best best known as the founder and leader of Locally Damaging Winds, the mid west's preeminent trombone ensemble which brings together the finest trombone talent to perform original arrangements. Brad also plays euphonium and released a CD playing it in a duo with guitarist Dean Granros called Bear's Delight. Brad has had a friendship and musical association with Eddie spanning decades.

Special guest for this evening will be the Bill Lang Trio. Bill has been playing solo saxophone in various restaurants in the Twin Cities for several decades and his unique talent is show-cased especially well in his seldom seen but exciting trio featuring Bill Lang on tenor sax, Alden Ikeda on drums, and Brock Thorson on bass.

Music will start promptly at 7 PM with Eddie and the Sextet playing the 1st and 3rd sets, and the Bill Lang Trio playing the 2nd set. This is a rare opportunity to hear a living legend and should not be missed.

For Eddie Berger with the Brad Bellows Sextet, the evenings music will be comprised of Brad Bellows' arrangements of straight ahead jazz standards including: Miles Davis' (or Jackie McLeans') "Dig", Vince Guaraldi's "A Hatfull of Dandruff", Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", and Wayne Shorter's "Witch Hunt" among others. They will also perform a couple of originals: Eddie's beautiful ballad "Margi", and Bellows will be switching to euphonium as the sextet performs his composition "Euphonium".

  • Ed Berger with the Brad Bellows Sextet and Bill Lang Trio
  • Sunday May 7th 2006, 7 PM
  • Artists Quarter, St. Paul (non-smoking)
 
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