Shelly Berg & David Finck
Biography Shelly Berg & David Finck
Shelly Berg
is the International Association of Jazz Educators president and a teacher. However, his incredible piano playing has been mostly overlooked because he doesn’t record often enough. Shelly Berg was inspired by Jay Berg, his father as a trumpeter, and was accepted to the Cleveland Institute of Music at six years old. When he was 13 years old, he began playing professionally in jazz and classical music. Berg moved to Houston when he was 15 with his family. He played regularly with Arnett Cobb, as well as other all-stars who passed through the town. To finish his education, he turned down a position with Woody Herman. Berg was a graduate of the University of Houston and played with various groups locally, including the Brass Connection. After becoming a well-respected music educator at San Jacinto College, Texas, Berg moved to Los Angeles in 1991 to continue his teaching at U.S.C. Shelly Berg is a frequent performer in Los Angeles clubs. He often plays with Bill Watrous’ bands. In 1996, he recorded a fine trio for DMP.
David Finck
One of today’s most versatile and in-demand bassists, David Finck has developed into an impressive composer, arranger, and producer. Future Day (Soundbrush Records), his debut CD as a leader, garnered an impressive amount of critical raves. Once again in the studio with his long time colaborators Joe Locke, Gary Versace, Carl Allen, Jim Saporito with guests Ali Ryerson and Alexis Cole, Finck has produced a recording full of delightful surpirses, as his perspective form the low end of the band propels the songs to new levels of beauty and swing.
David’s resume includes performances and recordings with some of the world’s most well known musicians. Among them: George Michael (two European tours 2 CDs and a DVD), Michel Legrand, Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Rod Stewart, Ivan Lins. Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick, Steve Kuhn. Rosemary Clooney, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul and Mary, John Secada, Gloria Estefan, James Moody, Paquito D’Rivera, Eliane Elias,Linda Rondstadt, and Sir Andre Previn who writes: ‘There is no one who is as good a jazz bass player and collaborator.’
Additionally, David has written numerous liner notes and contributed to the Village Voice as well as a chapter in the book: Frank Sinatra; the Man, the Music, the Legend. (University of Rochester Press). He has also lectured at two Hofstra University symposiums on the work of Frank Sinatra.
