Funk guitarist Will Bernard’s Party Hats a collection of original jazz funk songs, is a delightful CD Wil Blades’ outstanding performance on the Hammond B3 organ and Michael Bluestein who shines on the Wurlitzer during the fourth and fifth tracks, “Leo’s Cat” and the title track “Party Hats.” In total Bernard used fourteen different San Francisco Bay area musicians, including two different rhythm sections and six different horn players, during the recording of Party Hats. Recently Bernard took time out from an ambitious tour schedule, to talk about his new CD and his career.
The laid back Bernard says Party Hats has found a receptive audience among the college radio stations across America. “For awhile we were number three on the College Music Jazz Charts. The college market is one of the places where my music is played, because we don’t fit into the niches that they have on the commercial radio stations. They are very regimented. If you are in jazz, you must be either in smooth jazz or straight ahead jazz. They really do not have other categories,” he says.
Although Bernard’s comments portray accurately the sad state of affairs of the North American radio market, they only serve to underscore how much the public is being deprived of talented musicians like Will Bernard simply because they represent the proverbial square peg trying to fit into a round hole. Bernard is an outstanding guitarist and songwriter, evidenced by the downright funky number three track “Ripple Sole,” a song to which one could easily envision a world-class saxophonist such as Candy Dulfer grooving.
The title track “Party Hats” demonstrates once again the diversity in Bernard’s music and he describes the tune as being, “more of an Eddie Harris mellow punky jazz type of song.”
The song “Leo’s Cat” and “Afro Sheen” are typical of the rhythms and beats that flow from the songs on the CD Party Hats. “(Although) I write different kinds of music, the songs on Party Hats are more party dance music that gets people tapping their toes and moving their bodies,” says Bernard. It would be difficult imagining anyone sitting still for long while listening to the hypnotic guitar riffs and the purple B3 grooves of “Pesske.” After listening to “Pesske” it is not surprising to learn that Bernard lists Jimi Hendrix’s 1970 live album Band Of Gypsys as a record that influenced his own music. The Hendrix album was prolific and went all the way to # 5 on the UK and U.S. charts.
Bernard has also drawn inspiration from Lou Donaldson’s Alligator Boogaloo, Herbie Hancock’s album Thrust, Smokin’ At The Half Note (Wes Montgomery) and the Miles Davis classic record Nefertiti. Today if one listened in on Bernard’s music collection, you would hear the music of Jelly Roll Morton, the wizardry of organist Jimmy Smith and the masterful licks of jazz guitarist Brill Frisell.
Bernard is one of the bright young talents on the funk scene and Party Hats unveils many facets of his writing and playing. His opening track “Share The Sea”, furnishes further proof of his numerous influences. “It comes from some interesting Afro beat music. There are several songs on the record that are influenced by Afro beat. The opening beat (to “Share The Sea”) is something that you might hear in a Fela Kute song,” he says.
In contrast, Bernard says, “My last record (Motherbug—2001) was completely different (than Party Hats). It was a jazz trio record, that I would compare more to someone like Bill Frisell. There are not as many beats on it, and it comes more from my background as a composer.”
“The songs (for Party Hats) were recorded over a couple of years, so it wasn’t like they were all done at once. It took me a little while to get it together because I did the record on my own before I licensed it to Palmetto. It was a matter of me getting some money together, going into the studio and recording some songs. I just picked the best out of several different recordings,” says the funk artist.
“If I was going to do my first record (Medicine Hat-1998) now I probably would do a lot of things differently. My first record was with a label, and it was like jumping into a big pond without any experience. Now I have a lot of experience with all the little hurdles that you have to go through. If I want to do an art record, I do an art record, if I want to do a funk record I do a funk record,” he says.
Bernard describes himself, “I am more of a medium tempo guy. I have been touring and playing a lot with New Orleans’ musicians who have definitely influenced my thinking and writing a lot.”
One of the New Orleans’ musicians that Bernard has worked with is fusion drummer Stanton Moore. “Stanton is somebody that I have admired for many years. I first saw Stanton in ’95 or something like that. I was just like, ‘Who is this guy, he’s amazing.’ He has a really original concept on the drums. I always wanted to play with him, and four years ago when a blues jazz fest was being put together in New Orleans the promoter asked me if I wanted to play with Stanton. I ended up touring in a trio with him last year,” says Bernard.
Early in Bernard’s life, his path crossed with that of Peter Apfelbaum, while they both were attending the University of California, Berkeley. Bernard says that they grew up a block apart and Apfelbaum was a big influence on him. “I did some recordings with Peter Apfelbaum and the Hieroglyphics ensemble during the early 90’s,” says Bernard. This summer the two were reunited at a Stamford University jazz workshop where they played together.
If you are planning on attending the 6th Annual Brews Jazz & Funk Fest in Squaw Valley California on August 18, be sure to catch Will Bernard’s performance. He will also be performing at 12 Galaxies in San Francisco on August 31st. Students at Green Mountain College in Poultney Vermont are in for a treat on October 24th when Bernard appears in concert.
August 2007
