Jeffrey Arthur Berlin (born January 17, 1953) is an American

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and keyb ...

bassist. He first came to prominence in the 1970s as a member of the band Bruford led by drummer

Bill Bruford William Scott Bruford (born 17 May 1949) is an English former drummer and percussionist who first gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock band Yes. After leaving Yes in 1972, Bruford spent the rest of the 1970s recording ...

Musical career

Berlin was born on January 17, 1953, in

Queens, New York Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

. He studied violin from 4 until 14 years of age, when he was inspired to play bass guitar after seeing

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

. He attended

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level course ...

to study bass. After session work with

Patrick Moraz Patrick Philippe Moraz (born 24 June 1948) is a Swiss musician, film composer and songwriter, best known for his tenures as keyboardist in the rock bands Yes and The Moody Blues. Born into a musical family, Moraz learned music at a young age a ...

David Liebman David Liebman (born September 4, 1946) is an American saxophonist, flautist and jazz educator. He is known for his innovative lines and use of atonality. He was a frequent collaborator with pianist Richie Beirach. In June 2010, he received a ...

and

Patti Austin Patti Austin (born August 10, 1950) is an American R&B, pop, and jazz singer and songwriter. Music career Austin was born in Harlem, New York, to Gordon Austin, a jazz trombonist. She was raised in Bay Shore, New York on Long Island. Quincy ...

, he gained widespread international attention in 1977 when British musician

handpicked him for his debut album ''

Feels Good to Me ''Feels Good to Me'' is the 1978 debut solo album by former Yes and King Crimson drummer Bill Bruford. The band Bruford grew out of the line-up assembled for this album. The album features guitarist Allan Holdsworth, bassist Jeff Berlin, keybo ...

''. He played in Bruford’s namesake band until 1980. His Bruford bandmate

Allan Holdsworth Allan Holdsworth (6 August 1946 – 15 April 2017) was a British jazz fusion and progressive rock guitarist and composer. Holdsworth was known for his esoteric and idiosyncratic usage of advanced music theory concepts, especially with respec ...

employed Berlin for his 1983 Warner Brothers album '' Road Games''. Berlin continued to record and tour throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. On August 30th, 2013, Berlin married Gabriela Sinagra, a jazz singer and vocal coach from

Rosario, Argentina Rosario () is the largest city in the central Argentine province of Santa Fe. The city is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous city in the country, and is also the most p ...

Style and appreciation

In a review for his album ''Low Standards'', '' Bass Musician Magazine'' said, "Anytime I mention eff Berlin there seems to be a ripple in the force and the wave of Berlin supporters or antagonists come to the surface and spout-off their opinions. No matter where you stand regarding Jeff's musical philosophy, no one can reasonably deny the simple fact that Jeff seriously knows his craft and is one of the major players of our time." Berlin's playing style has been compared to that of

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was an American jazz bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. ...

; however, Berlin has repeatedly stated his distaste for Jaco imitators.

Discography

References

External links

Official site
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Jeff Berlin Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2021) {{DEFAULTSORT:Berlin, Jeff Jazz fusion musicians 1953 births Living people American jazz bass guitarists American male bass guitarists Jazz educators Berklee College of Music alumni Musicians Institute alumni 20th-century American bass guitarists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians The Eleventh House members