Better Angels (album)
| Better Angels | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | September 27, 2024 |
| Recorded | April 1, 2024 |
| Studio | Studio A, Power Station, New York City |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Label | Smoke Sessions |
Better Angels is an album by jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein. It was recorded in 2024 and released later that year by Smoke Sessions Records.
Background
[edit]Bernstein and pianist Brad Mehldau had recorded together several times previously.[1] Bernstein was contacted by Smoke Sessions Records around three weeks before the recording, proposing to record him with Mehldau and drummer Al Foster.[2] They added bassist Vicente Archer, who had played on Foster's previous Smoke Sessions recording.[2]
Music and recording
[edit]The album was recorded on April 1, 2024, at Studio A, Power Station, New York City.[3] The material is a mix of standards and originals.[4] There were no rehearsals.[2] "No Problem" is a Latin jazz composition by Duke Jordan.[5] As the record label intended to release an LP version of the album, Bernstein decided to record two solo tracks – one to end each side of the LP.[2]
Release and reception
[edit]Better Angels was released by Smoke Sessions Records on September 27, 2024.[3] The Jazzwise reviewer concluded: "It's a classy, slow-cookin' record that consistently hits the spot."[5]
Track listing
[edit]- "Perpetual Pendulum" – 6:28
- "Ditty for Dewey" – 6:11
- "You Go to My Head" – 6:17
- "Born to Be Blue" – 2:54
- "Better Angels" – 5:53
- "Hazel Eyes" – 6:08
- "No Problem" – 5:53
- "Lament" – 3:47
Source:[3]
Personnel
[edit]- Peter Bernstein – guitar
- Brad Mehldau – piano
- Vicente Archer – bass
- Al Foster – drums
References
[edit]- ^ Dryden, Ken "Peter Bernstein – Stranger in Paradise". AllMusic. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Barth, Joe (October 15, 2024). "Peter Bernstein Talks About 'Better Angels'". Jazz Guitar Today. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Better Angels". bandcamp. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
- ^ "Better Angels". Smoke Sessions Records. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
- ^ a b Harris, Selwyn (November 2024). "Peter Bernstein: Better Angels". Jazzwise. Retrieved May 25, 2025.