arête quartet

Arête quartet with will bernard

two shows and a masterclass in the pacific northwest

September 19-20, 2018 Jazz

Top NYC jazz/funk guitarist Will Bernard joins jazz group Arête Quartet for two very special Pacific Northwest performances. Multiple grammy-nominee Will Bernard has worked with luminaries Don Cherry, Tom Waits, Ben Sidran, Stanton Moore, Dr John, Charlie Hunter, Medeski/Martin/Wood and many others. He will bring his masterful guitar playing (and several of his compositions) to genre-bending Arête Quartet, teaming with friend and keyboardist Joe Doria (McTuff, Michael Shrieve, Wayne Horvitz) and the Arête rhythm section of Steve Jones (bass) and Joel Litwin (drums).

Will Bernard will also be offering a Masterclass, open to the public.

The Performances

BELLINGHAM

ANACORTES

The Masterclass

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 20
BELLINGHOME SCHOOL OF MUSIC
2512 MERIDIAN ST - BELLINGHAM WA
12:00PM - 1:30PM
$20 ADMISSION - LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE!
SOME SEATS STILL AVAILABLE - PREPAID ONLY - SIGN UP TODAY!
BUY TICKETS FOR WILL BERNARD MASTERCLASS

Join NYC guitarist Will Bernard as he shares insight and secrets into his compositions, bandleading, accompaniment & guitar mastery.

Will Bernard is one of NYC’s top jazz & funk guitarists, and multiple grammy-nominee. He has worked with Don Cherry, Tom Waits, Ben Sidran, Charlie Hunter, Dr Lonnie Smith, Medeski/Martin/Wood, Dr John, Ben Allison, Jai Uttal and many others.

This Masterclass is NOT just for guitarists, but musicians and artists of all types. Will shares his experiences, stories, and technical musical knowledge. All levels and all ages welcome.

DON’T MISS THIS EVENT! This is Will’s first visit to Bellingham, and this is a rare opportunity to learn from a true master of the guitar.

BUY TICKETS FOR WILL BERNARD MASTERCLASS

The Band

Arête Quartet (pronounced uh-RETT) is a groove-oriented acid jazz ensemble, borrowing from downtempo, straight ahead jazz, funk, punk, Brazilian and other styles.

Themes and grooves from rhythm-sectionists Joel Litwin (Erin Corday, Orb Trio, Incendio) and Steve Jones (Rumors of the Big Wave, Yambique, Obá Obá) provide the jumping-off point for prodigious soloists Joe Doria (McTuff, Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder, Skerik’s Syncopated Taint), Dave Carter (Wayne Horvitz, Pearl Jam, Bill Frisell), and other special guests, including Wayne Horvitz, Will Bernard & others.

With a respectful nod towards the traditions of jazz, Arête Quartet’s main troublemaker Joe Doria (keyboards) makes detours into electronica, trip-hop and controlled maelstrom, all the while parrying and playing off long-time collaborator and melodic master Dave Carter (trumpet), and other guests. Ranging from a whisper to a scream, the band is capable of amazing subtlety and improvisation.

This is an innovative jazz fusion quartet, in the tradition of Miles Davis (In a Silent Way era), Freddie Hubbard, Medeski/Martin/Wood and others. Musician, composer and instructor Joe Doria is one of the finest B-3 organ players in the West, having played with Wayne Horvitz, Stanton Moore, Carlos Santana, Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder, Jeff “Tain” Watts, and his own uber-touring group McTuff. Joe has studied the greats and adds his own elements to his playing. As described in the Stranger, Joe “never lets his immense chops get in the way of momentum or soul.” In Arête Quartet, Joe brings his chops and soul to another of his favorite instruments, the vintage Fender Rhodes piano.

NYC guitarist Will Bernard has graciously agreed to guest with Arête Quartet for these two special performances. Will is a multiple grammy-nominee and has numerous critically-acclaimed recordings to his credit. Jazz Times describes Will as “…one of the most potent guitarists on the post-Frisell/post-Scofield scene.” Will's roots are definitely in straight-ahead jazz, but he is incredibly versatile, having participated in groups with wide-ranging styles, from jazz, hip-hop and world music to experimental music, with many stops in between. Wonderfully lyrical and evocative, Will is one of the top guitarists on the NYC scene today.

Arête Quartet influences include Amon Tobin, MMW, Thievery Corporation, Nicola Conte, Miles Davis, Marc Ribot, Les Hommes, et.al. More info on Arête Quartet at reverbnation.com/aretequartet. More info on Will Bernard at willbernard.com.

"Really great job of evoking the 60/70s Miles Bitches Brew /Herbie Hancock's pre-headhunters vibe.” - P. Kelly, Composer/arranger, Tonight Show, Doc Severinsen, et.al.

"I'm blown away. Blown away. World Class.” - B. Hurtig, Author of Multi-track Recording for Musicians

“Reminds me of early Weather Report, the Sweetnighter era.” - R Conner, The Millionaires