Eddie Bert
Eddie Bert | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Edward Joseph Bertolatus |
Born |
Yonkers, New York, U.S. | May 16, 1922
Died |
September 27, 2012 90) Danbury, Connecticut | (aged
Genres | Jazz, swing, avant-garde |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments | Trombone |
Associated acts | Thelonious Monk, Benny Goodman, |
Website |
www |
Edward Joseph Bertolatus (May 16, 1922 – September 27, 2012), better known as Eddie Bert, was an American jazz trombonist.
Music career
Edward Joseph Bertolatus was born in Yonkers, New York. His first job as a musician came in 1940 when he joined the Sam Donahue Orchestra. He later joined Red Norvo in 1941. He performed continuously with leading musicians including Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Tito Puente, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Illinois Jacquet, Woody Herman, and Charlie Barnet.
He is featured on hundreds of recordings and recorded extensively as a leader on various labels including Savoy Records, Blue Note, Trans-World, Jazztone, and Discovery Records. Bert continued to play sold-out shows until his death[1] at the age of 90 on September 27, 2012 in Danbury, Connecticut.[2][3]
Bert recorded and performed with many bands and orchestras. He spent the most time with Benny Goodman's Orchestra (1958–86), Charles Mingus (1955–74), The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra (1968–72), New York Jazz Repertory Company (1973–78), The American Jazz Orchestra (1986–92), Loren Schoenberg Orchestra (1986–2001), and Walt Levinsky's Great American Swing Orchestra (1987–95).
Bert received a degree and a teaching license from the Manhattan School of Music (1957). He taught at Essex College, University of Bridgeport, and Western Connecticut State University.
His photography can be seen on Jazz Giants, To Bird with Love (Chan Parker and F. Pandras), and The Band that Never Was (Spotlight Records, album cover and liner notes).
Honors
- Musician of the Year, Metronome magazine, 1955 [4]
- Grammy for Musician of the Year, 1959
- Honored at Town Hall, New York City, May 16, 2002
- Honored at Jazz at the Kennedy Center with Billy Taylor, May 6, 2002
- Rugers University Jazz Hall of Fame, 2009
Selected discography
As leader
- 1953 Kaleidoscope (Fresh Sound)
- 1953 Eddie Bert Quintet
- 1955 Musician of the Year (Savoy)
- 1955 Montage (Savoy)
- 1955 Encore (Savoy)
- 1955 Modern Moods (Jazztone)
- 1955 Let's Dig Bert (Transworld)
- 1958 Like Cool (Somerset)
- 1959 East Coast Sounds (Jazztone)
- 1976 Skeleton of the Band (Backbone)
- 1992 Live at Birdland (Fresh Sound)
- 1995 Human Factor (Fresh Sound)
- 1999 Live at Capozzoli's (Woofy)
- 2002 Walk on the Roots (Mothlight)
- 2004 I Hear Music (Fresh Sound)
- 2006 Crosstown (Fresh Sound)[5]
As sideman
With Stan Kenton
- Stan Kenton's Milestones (Capitol)
- Stan Kenton Classics
- A Presentation of Progressive Jazz
- Encores
- Popular Favorites by Stan Kenton
- The Kenton Era
With Charles Mingus
- 1955: Mingus at the Bohemia (Debut)
- 1955: The Charles Mingus Quintet & Max Roach (Debut, OJC)
- 1960: Pre Bird (Mercury/Verve)
- 1962: The Complete Town Hall Concert (Blue Note)
- 1972: Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert (Columbia)
With Thelonious Monk
- 1959: At Town Hall (OJC)
- 1963: Big Band and Quartet in Concert (Columbia)
With others
- 1938: Nuances by Norvo – Red Norvo (Hep, 1938–42)
- 1950: Cuban Blues: The Chico O'Farrill Sessions (Verve, 1950–54)
- 1954: Rugolomania (Columbia), New Sounds by Pete Rugolo (Harmony)
- 1955: Duke Jordan Trio and Quintet – Duke Jordan (Signal)
- 1956: Sounds by Socolow – Frank Socolow (Bethlehem)
- 1956: Metronome All-Stars 1956 (Verve)
- 1956: Drummer's Holiday – Louis Bellson (Verve)
- 1956: Jay and Kai + 6 – J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding (Columbia)
- 1956: Word from Bird – Teddy Charles (Atlantic)
- 1957: Chris Connor Sings the George Gershwin Almanac of Song (Atlantic)
- 1957: Jazz Concerto Grosso (ABC-Paramount) with Gerry Mulligan, Bob Brookmeyer
- 1958: Legrand Jazz – Michel Legrand (Philips)
- 1959: You and Lee – Lee Konitz (Verve)
- 1962: Bluesin' Around – Kenny Burrell (Columbia [1983])
- 1965: Mickey One – Stan Getz with the Eddie Sauter Orchestra (Verve)
- 1966: Brass on Fire – Manny Albam (Sold State)
- 1969: The Ballad of Jazz Street – Nat Pierce (Hep)
- 1989: Live at Town Hall – Gene Harris (Concord)
- 1992: Little Man, Big Band – Jimmy Heath (Verve)
- 1997: Out of this World – Loren Schoenberg (TCB)
- 1998: Contour – Larry Gillespie and the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra (Blue Lion)
- 1998: The Last Swing of the Century – Ken Peplowski (Concord, 1998)
Broadway shows and movies
- Jam Session with Charlie Barnett (1943) (movie)
- Bye Bye Birdie, 1960
- How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, 1961
- Here's Love, 1963
- Golden Boy, 1964
- The Apple Tree, 1965
- Golden Rainbow, 1968
- The French Connection (1971) (movie)
- Pippin, 1972–77
- Ain't Misbehavin', 1978–82
- Human Comedy, 1984–85
- Uptown... It's Hot!, 1986
- School Daze (1987) (movie)
References
- ↑ Yanow, Scott (2000). Bebop. Miller Freeman Books. pp. 242–43. ISBN 0-87930-608-4.
- ↑ Tamarkin, Jeff. "Jazz Articles: Trombonist Eddie Bert Dead at 90". Jazztimes.com. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
- ↑ Keepnews, Peter (September 30, 2012). "Eddie Bert, Jazz Trombone Player, Dies at 90". The New York Times.
- ↑ http://jazztimes.com/articles/19812-eddie-bert
- ↑ "Eddie Bert | Album Discography | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
Sources
- JazzWax, four-part interview with Eddie Bert in 2007. Additional parts are linked above the red date at the top of Part 1.
- Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2004). The Penguin Guide To Jazz on CD (7th ed.). London: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0141014166.
External links
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