This was the first album to be recorded at Bernie Grundman’s Mastering Studio in LA – where all sorts of audiophile and other recordings have been mastered. It was recorded both on analog tape for release on vinyl, and using Sony’s DSD process for both stereo hybrid SACD and standard CD releases. When this session was recorded in 2001 Cunliffe had been performing with his other two trio members for over a decade, so this album documented where he was at musically.
In the past Cunliffe studied jazz piano with Mary Lou Williams, played with Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra, Ray Brown, Joe Henderson and a host of others, as well as writing scores for TV and films, doing educational projects and creating big band charts. He has written works for and performed with several symphony orchestras. He’s also heavily into Brazilian jazz and recorded one CD in that country – Bill in Brazil.
Cunliffe’s classical background (Eastman School of Music) comes out in two of the ten tracks: an original which honors British composer John Ireland (titled merely Ireland), and a surprising performance of one of the four Excursions by Samuel Barber – not a composer whose themes frequently show up in the jazz world. In addition to the four originals by himself, Cunliffe has selected one by his bassist, one by Bill Evans, one by Ellington and closes with John Lennon’s Imagine.
The piano sound is rich and crystalline, the drums urge the music along but never sound overly strong, and the very melodic bass lines put down by Darek O. are a real pleasure to hear.
Bill Cunliffe - piano
Derek Oleszkiewicz - bass
Joe La Barbera - drums
01. Satin Doll
02. Waltz For Debby
03. Ireland
04. Amusing Paramours
05. Sharon
06. Jean
07. Excursions
08. Like a Dream
09. The Way You Look Tonight
10. Imagine
Thousands of albums of all types have been mastered at Barnie Grundman's studios in Hollywood. But pianist Bill Cunliffe's Live At Bernie's is the first to actually be recorded there.
Bernie Grundman Mastering, long a shrine to sound engineering, was transformed for this occasion. The waiting room was converted into a studio. A nine foot Hamburg Steinway, signed by the magnificent Sergei Rachmaninoff interpreter Ruth Laredo among others, was brought in for Cunliffe to play.
The date was recorded digitally with Sony's Direct Stream Digital process (DSD) for both Super Audio (SACD) and regular CD release.
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