Jeff Berlin
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| Jeff Berlin | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jeff Berlin |
| Born | January 17, 1953 |
| Origin |  Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz Jazz fusion Progressive rock |
| Occupations | Bassist |
| Instruments | Electric bass |
| Years active | |
| Notable instruments | |
| Dean Edge MarkBass Amps |
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Jeff Berlin (born January 17, 1953) is an American jazz, jazz fusion and progressive rock electric bass player.
Jeff Berlin's bass playing is somewhat similar to that of Jaco Pastorius, though Berlin plays a fretted bass and has stated his distaste for Jaco imitators.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Jeff Berlin was born to parents who were both musically inclined (his father an opera singer and his mother a pianist). As a child he was considered a prodigy on the violin, but switched to bass guitar at 14 years old. His early bass training included time at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
[edit] As a musician
Since the 1970s, Jeff Berlin's career has been primarily as a sideman to more well-known musicians, but he has also released several solo albums. He played for some years with Bill Bruford and turned down an offer to join Van Halen.
[edit] As an educator
Berlin is well known as a particularly outspoken advocate of (formal) music education. He was a founding member of the Bass Institute of Technology in Los Angeles and later founded the Players School of Music in Clearwater, Florida. Among his notable pupils are bass guitarists David Hughes and Christopher Maloney. Additionally, he regularly writes articles and columns for Bass Player Magazine.
[edit] Equipment
Berlin had Dean Guitars produce a Jeff Berlin signature model electric bass. Previously, Peavey made a Jeff Berlin signature bass dubbed the "Palaedium". Berlin's current gigging bass is the Dean Jeff Berlin Signature Model.
He also has a signature amplifier combo made by MarkBass, the CMD 151P. This consists of one 15" speaker powered by an integrated solid state head (with power output of 300 watts @ 8 ohm or 500 watts @ 4 ohm). This combo lacks a tweeter, which Berlin prefers not to use. Berlin is also involved with the development of MarkBass equipment (manufactured in Italy).
[edit] Discography
- Solo recordings
- 1985 Jeff Berlin/Vox Humana - Champion
- 1986 Jeff Berlin - Pump It!
- 1997 Jeff Berlin - Taking Notes
- 1998 Jeff Berlin - Crossroads
- 2000 Jeff Berlin - Star Licks Productions (VHS)
- 2000 Jeff Berlin - In Harmony's Way
- 2004 Jeff Berlin - Lumpy Jazz
- 2006 Jeff Berlin - Aneurythms/Ace Of Bass
- 2006 Jeff Berlin - Mel Bay Bass Logic (DVD)
- 2010 Jeff Berlin - High Standards
- Sideman appearances
- 1976 Patrick Moraz - The Story of !
- 1976 Esther Phillips - Capricorn Princess
- 1976 Patti Austin - End of a Rainbow
- 1976 David Matthews with Whirlwind - Shoogie Wanna Boogie
- 1977 Ray Barretto - Eye of the Beholder
- 1977 David Liebman - Light'n Up, Please!
- 1977 Ernie Krivda - Satanic
- 1977 Bill Bruford - Feels Good to Me
- 1978 Don Pullen - Montreux Concert (Atlantic)
- 1979 David Sancious - Just As I Thought
- 1979 Bruford - One Of A Kind
- 1980 Bruford - Gradually Going Tornado
- 1980 Poussez! - Leave That Boy Alone!
- 1980 Passport - Lifelike
- 1981 Joe Diorio - 20th Century Impressions
- 1981 Bruford - The Bruford Tapes
- 1983 Allan Holdsworth - Road Games
- 1983 Janis Ian - Uncle Wonderful
- 1985 Schumate-Reno Jazz Quintet - Hurricane
- 1986 Bruford - Master Strokes 1978-1985
- 1986 T Lavitz - Storytime
- 1987 Henderson-Berlin-Smith-Lavitz - Players
- 1987 Kazumi Watanabe - The Spice of Life
- 1988 Kazumi Watanabe - The Spice of Life Too
- 1989 KD Lang - Even Cowgirls Get The Blues
- 1993 Anderson-Bruford-Wakeman-Howe - An Evening of Yes Music Plus
- 1994 Nathan Cavaleri Band - Nathan
- 1995 Richie Kotzen - The Inner Galactic Fusion Experience
- 2002 Twinemen - Twinemen
- 2002 Various Artists - Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Soundtrack)
- 2004 Catie Curtis - Dreaming in Romance Languages
- 2004 Weepies - Happiness
- 2004 Novocento - Featuring...
- 2005 Chambers-Berlin-Fiuczynski-Lavitz - Boston T Party
- 2007 Paddy Saul - One Town Tasted
- 2007 Bill Bruford - Rock Goes To College (DVD)
- 2008 Meg Hutchinson - Come Up Full
- 2009 Bill Bruford - Best of Winterfold
- 2010 Meg Hutchinson - The Living Side
- 2010 Dann Glenn - Eleven Eleven Orchestra
