SHELLY BERG

ALEGRIA

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Shelly Berg, piano; Carlitos Del Puerto, bass; Dafnis Prieto, drums’ Melvin Butler, tenor saxophone.

Shelly Berg is an American classical and jazz pianist who is now the Dean of the Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music at University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.  He’s no newcomer to the music world.  Berg has been nominated five times for Grammy Awards as an arranger, an orchestrator and producer.  As a native of Cleveland, Ohio, Berg’s father was a jazz trumpeter (Jay Berg).  At the young age of six, Shelly was entered into the Cleveland Institute of Music.  He studied classical piano with Maxine Priest and by nine-years-young, he was composing music for a children’s choir.  As a pre-teen, Berg was introduced to gospel piano by an organist and son of a Pentecostal Church, Bishop, Ricky C. Watkins.  This opened up a whole new perspective on music for Shelly Berg.  At age fifteen, the Bergs moved to Houston, Texas where Shelly continued classical piano study.  He soon found his path moving towards jazz.  Berg performed at local Houston jam sessions, even accompanying jazz sax icon, Arnette Cobb and playing with blues legend, Gatemouth Brown. Berg’s love of choirs landed him the student conductor position at Clear Creek High School, where he also joined the band and learned to play French horn and trumpet in the High School band.

In 1991, Shelly Berg moved to Los Angeles and joined the music faculty at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music where he first served as Chair of Jazz Studies from (1994 to 2004) and served as Professor of Jazz from 2004 to 2007.  In 2007, he became Dean of Frost School of Music and moved to the Miami, Florida area.

On this “Alegria” album release, he and his quartet offer the listener eleven of Shelly Berg’s original compositions, starting with a tune he co-wrote with Leonard Feather’s daughter, Lorraine Feather, called “Home With You.”   Previous to this release, he accompanied vocalist Carmen Bradford on this tune.

However, this time he performs the song completely instrumentally.

Each song on this outstanding album of music displays the composer’s talent, as well as the piano skills of Shelly Berg. This recording also celebrates the dynamic musicians he interacts with including the powerful drummer, Dafnis Prieto, who drives each song ahead with purpose.  Carlitos Del Puerto is on double bass. They fuel the rhythm section with excellence.  The bassist takes a spirited solo on “Home With You.”

“Meatballs and Apple Pie” is a funk tune that’s fat with the blues, and has a catchy melody, the musicians sing the title like a chant and Melvin Butler is featured on tenor saxophone.  Berg plays his piano with plenty of blues blowing up his solo like a helium balloon.

This is music full of joy, reflections, and the summary of a life well lived. You will be entertained from beginning to end.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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