Will Bernard Trio

Will Bernard is a guitarist and bandleader from Berkeley, California, who has been one of the most distinctive voices in American jazz since the 1990s. He studied guitar and piano with Dave Creamer, Art Lande, and Julian White, and earned a music degree from UC Berkeley. He first gained wider attention as a member of Peter Apfelbaum's Hieroglyphics Ensemble, then co-founded the jazz-rock fusion band T.J. Kirk in San Francisco with Charlie Hunter and John Schott — their 1997 Warner Bros. album "If Four Was One" earned a Grammy nomination. Bernard launched his solo career in 1998 with "Medicine Hat" (Antilles/Polygram) and achieved his critical breakthrough with "Party Hats" (2007, Palmetto), itself Grammy-nominated for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. The Will Bernard Trio's "Outdoor Living" (2011) is an organ trio record ranging from raw New Orleans funk to R&B and jazz improvisation. More recent releases include "Freelance Subversives" (2020) and further recordings on Posi-Tone. As a sideman he has worked with Don Cherry, Stanton Moore, and John Medeski, among many others. The Will Bernard Trio with Jimmy Weinstein performs in September 2026 in Palma (Door 13), Port d'Andratx (Studio Weil), and Manacor, Mallorca.