Peter Bernstein – Better Angels CD

Peter Bernstein “Better Angels” on CD in 8-Panel Digipak Album

Bernstein convenes an all-star quartet for his stunning new release, Better Angels, featuring pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Vicente Archer, and legendary drummer Al Foster

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The most vital element in creating great jazz isn’t practice or virtuosity or compositional brilliance, though all are important – it’s relationships. Peter Bernstein has become an expert in crafting remarkable music from the bonds he’s forged over his three-and-a-half-decade career.

Bernstein’s own mastery is reflected in the hall-of-fame roster of artists for whom he’s been the guitarist of choice over the years, from legends like Sonny Rollins, Lou Donaldson, Jim Hall, David “Fathead” Newman and Dr. Lonnie Smith, to peers including Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, Eric Alexander and Nicholas Payton.

So, when the time comes to convene an all-star quartet, Bernstein has an unparalleled list of names to call on. Not that the esteem in which his collaborators is held is ever the driving motive in Bernstein’s mind – as always, the understated guitarist is simply driven to make the best music possible.

Inspiration begins with those relationships, but the ways that those converge differ from project to project. Better Angels is a once-in-a-lifetime summit meeting of four revered artists: Bernstein, pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Vicente Archer, and legendary drummer Al Foster. Their collaborative efforts under Bernstein’s leadership yield striking interplay and high-wire energy derived from delving into the unknown. The album extends that combination of the comfortable and the unfamiliar to Bernstein’s choice of repertoire, which pairs well-worn standards with bold new original compositions.