Moving Target Smooth Elevator

• 1 Slow Mover 07:48
• 2 Erik 06:27
• 3 FutuRISIKO 02:32
• 4 Lullaby of Rattlesnakes 05:35
• 5 Leda 04:43
• 6 Miguel's Panda 03:44
• 7 P.M. Gone 04:43
• 8 Urban Modesty 07:04
• 9 Civico 0 - In fondo alla strada 03:17
• 10 Walking through the Suburbs of Rome Late at Night 08:25
• 11 Judie Lee 03:01
• 12 Healthy is good 02:36
• 13 Blues for Bologna 06:30
• Total Runtime 01:06:25

Info zu Moving Target

"Moving Target" is a 2025 release by a trio Smooth Elevator led by guitarist Will Bernard.

Guitarist Will Bernard was born in Berkeley, California. He grew up with his roots in the rich culture of the San Francisco Bay Area. While studying classical music and jazz, he absorbed various styles such as the "multiculturalism" of the Bay Area, the sharpness of downtown New York, and the free funk of New Orleans.

Having produced over 30 albums as a leader and sideman, his latest work, "Moving Target," is an album by "Smooth Elevator," a collaboration with two Italian musicians, bassist Danilo Gallo and drummer Gioele Pagliaccia.

The album includes three songs composed by Bernard, including "Slow Mover," Gallo's "Erik" and "Lullaby of Rattlesnakes," Pagliaccia's "Leda" and "Walking through the Suburbs of Rome late at Night," and six songs co-written by the three, including "Miguel's Panda." Jazz turns into a psychedelic sensation, jazz on the beat becomes abstract, and melodies appear like fleeting illusions... This is an album of "soundscapes" that freely change shape, intertwining elements such as jazz, funk, experimental rock, and ambient music.

In November 2024, the album was recorded in a live style at a studio in Riva del Garda immediately after a week-long tour. The album was made with the addition of "Blues for Bologna" (Bologna Blues), a live recording from the "Angelica Festival" in Bologna.

Smooth Elevator:
Will Bernard, guitar
Danilo Gallo, bass
Gioele Pagliaccia, drums, percussion

Recorded November 24, 2024 at Metrò Rec Studios (Riva del Garda, Italy), November 2024 at Angelica Festival (Bologna, Italy) (live recording) (Blues for Bologna)

Will Bernard
Will began playing and recording on an international level as a member of Peter Apfelbaum’s Hieroglyphics Ensemble,who made their recorded debut with Don Cherry on “Multikulti” (A&M 1989). Since then, Bernard has participated in a host of boundary stretching groups, ranging from jazz, hip-hop and world music to experimental music, with many stops in between. In the 90’s Bernard recorded and performed with many projects under the direction of acclaimed producer Lee Townsend and worked with groups ranging from the Hindustani-influenced Jai Uttal to the political hip-hop group the Coup. The most commercially successful of these projects was the group T.J. Kirk (with Charlie Hunter) whose sophomore album “If Four Was One” on Warner bros. was nominated for a Grammy in 1997. Will made further inroads with the Stanton Moore trio which toured extensively and made 3 albums on Telarc and a Hal Leonard drum instructional video and book.

Bernard broke out as a bandleader in 1998 with the release of “Medicine Hat” (Antilles/Polygram), showcasing his expert chops and flair for funky, bottom-heavy soul-jazz. He then followed up with two self produced albums (“Motherbug” and “Directions To My House”), before making two albums on Palmetto Records (“Party Hats” and “Blue Plate Special”). “Party Hats” garnered a nominated for a Grammy Award in 2008 for best contemporary jazz album. The all-star “Blue Plate Special” includes performances by Stanton Moore, Andy Hess and John Medeski. In 2011, Bernard released an organ trio record titled “Outdoor Living” to positive reviews with his own genre-bending style.

Will recorded 3 albums on Posi-tone records “Just Like Downtown” (Posi-Tone 2013) which features John Ellis on tenor sax and bass clarinet, Brian Charette on organ, and Rudy Royston on drums and “Out and About” (2016). which features Ben Allison, Allison Miller, Brian Charette and John Ellis. And Ancient Grains (Posi-Tone 20210 These recordings demonstrates Bernard’s roots in straight-ahead jazz and more traditional styles as well as funk and free wheeling improv.

Will recent self produced albums include Freelance Subversives (2020 Ropeadope), Pondlife (2022 Dreck to Disk) and “Sky” with Beth Custer (Dreck to Disk 2023).

As a touring artist, Bernard has hit the road extensively with sin his own bands or as a member of the Stanton Moore Trio, Robert Walter’s 20th Congress, Groundation, and numerous other lineups. As a leader Bernard has performed at The Monterey, North Sea, SF Jazz, Jazz a Vienne, Bumbershoot, Be-Bop and Brew, Montreal, Vancouver, Carribean Sea, and The High Sierra festivals,as well as clubs and festivals across the US, Europe and Canada. They have opened for Herbie Hancock and the Head Hunters, Jimmy McGriff, The Funky Meters, John Scofield, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Zigaboo Modeliste and the Charlie Hunter Quartet.

Will has performed and or recorded with Dr Lonnie Smith,Tom Waits, Ben Sidran, Dr John, Booker T.Jones, Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra, Butler/ Bernstein and the Hot Nine, George Porter Jr., Zigaboo Modeliste, Global Noize, Greyboy Allstars, Galactic, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Mike Clark, Idris Muhammad and others.

As well as leading his own groups, Will performs regularly with the NY collaborative electro-funk band “Pleasure Drones”, the W-Beez (With Wil Blades), Peter Apfelbaum’s Sparkler and John Medeski’s Mad Skillet with Kirk Joseph and Terence Higgins.

“…one of the most potent, if under recognized, guitarists on the post-Frisell/post-Scofield scene.” – Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times

“Will Bernard is one of the best-kept jazz-guitar secrets on the planet.” – Dan Ouellette, Billboard

Dieses Album enthält kein Booklet