Biography

Peter Bernstein (b. 1967) draws on the legacy of guitarists like Jim Hall, creating an exhilarating, cutting-edge sound. Born in New York, New York, Bernstein attended the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. There he studied with Jim Hall, who invited Bernstein to play with him at the 1990 JVC Jazz Festival alongside guitarists like Pat Metheny and John Scofield. That same year, Bernstein joined saxophonist Lou Donaldson’s group, continuing to play with Donaldson throughout the 1990s. Both Hall and Donaldson noted Bernstein’s stunning virtuosity, saying respectively that “He is the most impressive young guitarist I’ve heard,” and “Peter knows it all.” Bernstein’s presence in the jazz world has only grown since these early successes, playing on over sixty recordings and performing around the world. He appears regularly with with organist Larry Golding and drummer Bill Stewart, and other collaborators include Joshua Redman, Jimmy Cobb, and Dr. Lonnie Smith.