Mark Berman Music

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MARK BERMAN. . .
. . . is a much sought after pianist, composer, arranger and music director. He has written for, played and recorded with the proverbial who’s who of jazz, pop and rock, with a resume that reads like a history of modern music: Illinois Jacquet, Jackie McLean, Aretha Franklin, Carole King, Wycliff Gordon, Mark Murphy, Betty Buckley, Hillary Cole, Houston Person, Nana Mouskouri, Petula Clark, Cornelius Bumpus, Leslie Gore, Gladys Knight, Hugh Jackman, Ben E King, Buster Poindexter, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Richie Havens, Helen Reddy, Jennifer Holliday, Phoebe Snow and Phil Ramone, among many others.
A graduate of the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut, Berman officially achieved pop culture glory when he played piano on the world famous theme to “Sex and the City.” He has appeared on “Good Morning America,” “The Today Show” and “Rosie O’Donnell,” and has also been a powerful presence on Broadway, where he has conducted orchestras for Rent, Smokey Joe’s Cafe and Blood Brothers and played lead piano/keyboards on The Boy From Oz, Hairspray, The Life, 42nd Street, Dreamgirls, Rent and Jesus Christ Superstar as well as the recent revival of Hair. He was honored to serve as conductor and music director for several productions at the renowned Westport Country Playhouse under artistic director Joanne Woodward.
Berman has played such notable venues as The Blue Note, Birdland, The Rainbow Room, The Supper Club, Merkin Hall and Carnegie Hall. His highly acclaimed debut recording, The Genesis Project, was released on October 30, 2007 at the world famous Birdland in New York City, to rave reviews. Notably, Jeff Potter of Modern Drummer magazine says of The Genesis Project: “ . . . Berman shines as composer, keyboardist and arranger, bridging jazz, R&B and Gospel.” He lives in New York City.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT GENESIS
NEW REVIEW JUST OUT IN SMOOTH VIBES.COM
"The veteran NYC pianist and Broadway conductor explores the first chapter of the Bible with a witty, Manhattan Transfer-ish vocal harmony driven mix combining elements of rock, soul, samba, gospel and blues. This engaging set celebrates Judeo-Christian traditions while drawing attention to our connection to the earth itself."
IN THE APRIL ISSUE OF MODERN DRUMMER
"A meditation on Genesis in today's eco-battered world, "Project" features six vocalists negotiating daunting jazz harmonies with a kicking seven-piece band. Berman shines as keyboardist, composer, and arranger, bridging jazz, R &B, and Gospel, while ace drummers CLINT DeGANON and ROCKY BRYANT both deliver seamless, tight, aggressive drive and commanding pocket."
-Jeff Potter (Modern Drummer)
"This is GREAT!   It would have a huge crossover audience. The choral arrangments and orchestrations were glorious.  I thought about what it must have been like to hear some of Gershwin's compositions performed for the first time at Carnegie Hall!"(after attending the LIVE Birdland CD release party)
-Albert Poland (Broadway producer and general manager)
Mark Berman is "a rock" of "creativity, laughter, and joy."  -- Hugh Jackman
"When I first met Mark, he was the pianist for the Broadway show, "The Boy From Oz" starring Hugh Jackman. I loved his piano throughout the show Mark's piano brought peter back to life every night... I had no idea how good a jazz pianist Mark was until I heard his playing on "The Genesis Project"
---Carole Bayer Sager 
"The CD sounds great! In his "The Genesis Project" recording, Mark Berman calls on the considerable range of both his own and his musicians' talents to great effect, touching on nearly all of the classic American jazz styles, from stride piano through to modern funk, but living, for the most part in a world reminiscent of Chick Corea's 70's era "Light as a Feather." Unafraid to tackle a "big" concept, Berman manages to fuse the story of Genesis and a "save the planet" theme with an adventurous vocal jazz epic."
-Steely Dan’s guitarist Jon Herington
"COOL jazz with a universal message."
-Oscar Hijuelos, Pulitzer-prize-winning novelist
“This new recording is a true tour de force. Genesis is truly original with an extraordinary instrumental theme. The vocals show an unusual range with the voices blending seamlessly with outstanding musicianship. This is a concept CD sure to evoke repeated listening”.
-Ron Pell (Director of Media Relations CRN International)
Mark Berman's The Genesis Project is a deeply moving, heartfelt, and accomplished piece of work. The world needs more music of this sincerity and craftsmanship. Bravo.
- Rob Mounsey (producer Aretha Franklin, Michael Franks)
"I enjoyed your Cd very much...wonderful performances amd the album as a live show should be even more excitng.  It is great to see people doing "concept" albums again - especially on such a noteworthy topic."
-Leslie Gore
"Mark Berman is an amazing talent.  Exceptional.  He is a genius."
-Joey Reynolds, syndicated radio personality
"You literally took our breath away last eve.  We were swept up into a spiritual revelation!  The world is a better place because of you and the gifts you share!  Thank you!"
-A couple from New Haven attending a recent concert
I had an hour long interview on the Voice of America radio network. It went great. Even did some station promos for them. I'll keep you posted when it'll be on. It reaches more than 40 countries!
Also had a great interview with "Radio Mike" available for your listening pleasure at http://www.feveredbrainradio.com
It's here on itunes ..
or here on CDbaby
MARK BERMAN
THE GENESIS PROJECT
In the beginning, when God was creating the heavens and the earth, He was no doubt already looking ahead a few eons, choosing Mark Berman to bring the poetic musings of the Ancient Hebrews to glorious contemporary musical life. “Let There Be Jazz,” God said, and the veteran New York based pianist and conductor set to work on The Genesis Project, his own bold and ambitious, jazz driven creation that takes the listener on an extraordinary, interpretive journey through the first chapter of the Bible.
Leading an ensemble of some of NYC’s most acclaimed singers and musicians, Berman—the project’s composer, arranger and producer—draws from his years as a versatile sideman and Broadway conductor to blend dynamic elements of rock, funk, R&B, gospel, samba, blues and other fascinating musical idioms in tight five part vocal harmony. Opening with an eloquent, harmonica-laced prologue and wrapping with a simmering blues-gospel flavored prayer for “Peace,” Berman’s debut as an artist explores the beautiful spirituality of the Judeo-Christian tradition while addressing humanity’s urgent need to rethink our sacred connections to the earth and one another. The tracks were recorded at Bennett Studios, Track 9 and Pilot Recording and mixed at the world famous Manhattan Center Studios.
Berman, who sees The Genesis Project as the culmination of 35 years of his life, wrote the original versions of “In The Beginning,” “Let There Be Light” and “Let Land Appear” for a Friday night service back when he was 15 and a member of the youth group at Temple Mishkan Israel in Hamden, Connecticut. A few years ago, his brother Barry—still an active member there—approached the musician and asked if he might want to reprise “Genesis” for the congregation’s 165th Anniversary. Excited about the opportunity, Berman’s initial goal was to complete all seven days.
As the project evolved into a full-scale vocal jazz recording with his favorite players from years living in Manhattan, Berman’s commitment to what ultimately became The Genesis Project came from thinking globally. It was as if it took a truly responsible adult citizen of the world to bring to creative fruition a work that began years ago as a simple childhood flight of fancy. In turn, the tension between ancient innocence and the harsher reality that’s taken its place is a theme that carries through the 14 tracks. Berman frames the project through the point of view of a young protagonist who comes of age along the journey through the creation and opens his or her eyes for the first time to embrace a world of infinite value. A deep awareness takes place through the process towards “Peace,” and ultimately, there’s no going back.
“I feel that The Genesis Project is very timely,” he says. “The world is being abused and its health ignored. We are all part of this great small blue planet. The idea of caring about it and each other, rather than constantly being at odds and mistreating the earth and its people, was a great catalyst for me. Words and actions are very powerful.
“We’ve got one beautiful, fragile planet,” Berman adds, “and its health and people need our attention. We need a call back to the planet, a call to harmony. Peace must be achieved and the earth and its living creatures need to be cherished. This is our planet’s natural state and our call must be heard. All of these frustrations I have with the state of things today made me think back to the innocence of Genesis 1. I believe in those days, the scribes of Ancient Israel weren’t the religious right banging out doctrine but part of a culture deeply aware of their spiritual connection to creation, much like the Native Americans.”
From the opening notes of the “Prologue,” Berman brings out these rich themes using a wide and colorful palette of musical styles. The jazzy R&B/gospel of “In The Beginning” draws familiar words straight from Genesis while invoking the “Spirit of God” like a healing mantra. “Let There Be Light” opens with Emily Bindiger’s beautiful solo vocal spot which is then joined by the full band; the song evokes the solitary space we occupy when we pray, hope or dream—moving effortlessly from the darkness. There are three short interludes, beginning with “Interlude 1” which features a four bar echo of the “Prologue” sung by La Tanya Hall. “Heaven” is just as we imagine it might be, a place where the party goes on all day and night, Ted Nash is blowing brilliant first takes on the sax and Berman is playing stride like he’s got all eternity.
After “Interlude 2” featuring more vocal magic by Bindiger, “Let The Land Appear” is a beautiful, energized jazz waltz with lyrics that start with the Bible texts and extend to modern, heartfelt ecological concerns. “Let The Land Approach Us” is a thoughtful, celebratory 12/8 piece with mantra-like words that introduce the ecological notion of “One planet, one people.” After “Interlude 3,” which features Bill Mitchell singing “Look into the open sky, a light falls on your heart,” “The Moon, The Stars” suddenly appear in a burst of bright and playful Brazilian samba that captures the energy of night and the end of a big day for the Universe. “Back To Earth” is Berman’s one solo piano piece on The Genesis Project, an eloquent expression that includes echoes of a jazz waltz and some gospel yearnings.
The creation of “Birds And Fish” inspires another free-flowing, swimming samba vibe that explores the playful joy of dolphins and other animals at play. The soothing mid tempo funk piece “Man And Woman” is a dance about the innocence of life before cynicism, cruelty and unrest entered the picture. And finally there’s the R&B flavored prayer for “Peace,” about which Berman says, “If listeners can feel a spirituality within themselves and learn to treasure their relationship to the planet and other people, mission accomplished!”
Mark Berman dedicates The Genesis Project to his dad, Arnold “Sonny Berman,” a well known trumpet player and big band leader who taught the young musician classics like “Moonglow” by playing notes on the horn which he would expect his son to then chord out on the piano. The younger Berman recalls some early piano pounding at age five, followed by a lifelong love of Miles Davis, Glenn Miller, Count Basie—you name it, he heard it from his dad and all the other musicians in the family. These included his cousin, another Sonny Berman, a star trumpeter with Woody Herman’s famed Thundering Herd.  Great-uncle Harry Berman was the conductor of the New Haven Symphony and his cousin Bill Rhein was the youngest member of the New York Philharmonic.
A graduate of the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut, Berman’s first major break came when he was asked to join the national and international tours of “Dreamgirls” by someone who had seen him play piano at a show some years earlier in Westport. Becoming a first call lead pianist upon moving to New York in the late 80s, Berman has written for, played and recorded with the proverbial who’s who of jazz, pop and rock. His fun to read resume reads like a history of modern music: Illinois Jacquet, Jackie McLean (one of his former teachers), Aretha Franklin, Carole King, Phoebe Snow, Wycliff Gordon, Mark Murphy, Betty Buckley, Hillary Cole, Houston Person, Nana Mouskouri, Petula Clark, Cornelius Bumpus, Leslie Gore, Gladys Knight, Hugh Jackman, Ben E King, Buster Poindexter, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Richie Havens, Helen Reddy, Jennifer Holliday and Phil Ramone.
Berman, who has appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show and Rosie O’Donnell, has also been a powerful presence on Broadway, where he has conducted orchestras for Rent, Smokey Joe's Cafe and Blood Brothers and played lead piano/keyboards on The Boy From Oz, Hairspray, The Life, 42nd Street, Dreamgirls, Rent and Jesus Christ Superstar. But he didn’t truly enter pop culture glory until he played piano on the world famous theme to “Sex And The City.”
Emerging from behind the scenes in recent years, Berman has performed at The Blue Note, Birdland, The Rainbow Room, The Supper Club, and Weill Hall. He officially released The Genesis Project, at Birdland on Tuesday, October 30. The evening included a full performance of the album and featured many of its original players, including Ted Nash on sax, William Galison on harmonica, Cary Potts on bass, and Ray Marchica as a guest on drums. Currently at work on his next recording, Berman will be touring extensively with The Genesis Project.
“I feel like I learned so much about so many different forms of music growing up as my dad’s son,” he says. “The fact that I’ve been successful as a freelance musician has left me open to exploring many different styles of music, and it was exciting to bring so many of those together for The Genesis Project. Finally having accomplished my first solo project, I feel like I’m making a turn towards writing and producing more original music in the future.”
And God saw that it was good.
Jonathan Widran
MARKBERMANMUSIC.COM .We'll keep you posted where and when we'll be performing - LIVE !!!
Thanks For Visiting
Peace.