Warren Brooks Bernhardt | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | (1938-11-13)November 13, 1938 Wausau, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | August 19, 2022(2022-08-19) (aged 83) |
| Genres | Jazz,pop,classical |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1961–2022 |
| Labels | Novus,Arista,DMP |
| Formerly of | Steps Ahead,Steely Dan, L'Image |
| Website | warrenbernhardt |
Warren Bernhardt (November 13, 1938 – August 19, 2022) was an American pianist in jazz, pop and classical music.
Bernhardt was born inWausau, Wisconsin. His father was a pianist, leading him to have early childhood exposure to piano,[1] and he learned some rudiments of keyboarding from his friends. At five his parents moved to New York City, where he began studying seriously under varied instructors. After the death of his father in 1952 he suffered a period of depression[2] and quit music for a time then studied chemistry and physics at theUniversity of Chicago. In that city he was exposed to blues and jazz, which influenced the rest of his career.
From 1961 to 1964 he worked inPaul Winter's sextet, which led to his return to New York. Once in New York, he worked withGeorge Benson,Gerry Mulligan,Jeremy Steig and others. He also developed a close relationship with the pianistBill Evans, who served as a mentor to Bernhardt. Bernhardt released several solo LPs in the 1970s, and eventually became a member of thejazz fusion groupSteps Ahead while continuing to work on solo projects.[3] In 1971, he provided the piano accompaniment on the song "Crossroads" byDon McLean.
Bernhardt released jazz and classical recordings over decades, and is also featured in teaching sessions in both audio and video formats fromHomespun Tapes.
Bernhardt toured as the musical director withSteely Dan in the United States from 1993 to 1994,[4] and can be heard on Steely Dan'sAlive in America album. He has performed withSimon and Garfunkel'sOld Friends tour, on Art Garfunkel's solo tours,[5] and can be seen on theArt Garfunkel DVD and HDTV presentationAcross America.
In 2009, Bernhardt reunited with his band from 1973, L'Image, featuringMike Mainieri,David Spinozza,Tony Levin andSteve Gadd. The group performed at theIridium Jazz Club in New York City, toured Japan and Europe, and released the albumL 'Image 2.0.
His father, Larry, was also a pianist. Bernhardt's mother encouraged Larry to teach their son to play piano as a toddler. Bernhardt met his first wife, Susan, in the Catskills, they had a son, Tim. Bernhardt's second wife was Jan, whom he married in 1976, they had a daughter, Nicole.
Warren Bernhardt died on August 19, 2022, at the age of 83.[2]
WithKenny Burrell
WithArt Farmer
WithTim Hardin
WithO'Donel Levy
WithMike Mainieri
WithPat Martino
WithGerry Mulligan
WithJeremy Steig
WithSteps Ahead
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