Chuck Berghofer

Charles Curtis Berghofer (born June 14, 1937), professionally known as Chuck Berghofer, is an American jazz double bassist, who has worked as a studio musician and in the film industry.[1]

Chuck Berghofer
Birth nameCharles Curtis Berghofer
Born (1937-06-14) June 14, 1937
Denver, Colorado, U.S.
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsDouble bass

Early life

Chuck Berghofer was born in Denver, Colorado, and moved with his family to Arcadia, California when he was eight.[2] With a lineage of musicians in the family (his grandfather had played with John Philip Sousa, and his uncle played tuba with the Saint Louis Symphony),[3] Berghofer took interest in music at an early age, playing trumpet at the age of eight. He also played the tuba in grade school and high school until moving to the double bass at the age of 18. As a young adult, as he began venturing out to jazz night clubs, he came to admire bassist Ralph Peña and was able to persuade Peña to take him on as a student.[1][3]

According to Berghofer, he always felt as though his music was heavily influenced by Leroy Vinnegar, Paul Chambers and Ray Brown. He also admired the work of Scott LaFaro and told musician and journalist Gordon Jack, "The best soloist on the instrument was Red Mitchell ... I loved to hear him solo."[1]

Professional career

Two years after he took up the bass, Berghofer, joined an orchestra, led by Skinnay Ennis for a tour of the midwest[4] and then joined with Bobby Troup.[3] As his career progressed he eventually replaced his former tutor, Peña, in a duo with Pete Jolly which later expanded into a trio with the addition of drummer Nick Martinis.[5] In the 1960s he became a member of Shelly Manne's band,[3] taking on a bassist position at Manne's night club Shelly's Manne-Hole and had the opportunity to play alongside numerous leading jazz musicians of the era including Jack Sheldon, Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Philly Joe Jones.[1]

He was a member of the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra around 1967 when Frank Zappa recorded the orchestral parts for Lumpy Gravy.[6]

With his lengthy career in film, Berghofer was also quite accomplished as a house jazz musician. He formed a semi-regular house band at Donte's in Los Angeles with pianist Frank Strazzeri and drummer Nick Ceroli and was videotaped having played with Roger Kellaway and drummer Larry Bunker as they backed Zoot Sims.[1] Among others he accompanied were Ray Charles, Bob Cooper, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Peggy Lee, Shelly Manne, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper, Frank Rosolino, Seth MacFarlane, and Frank Sinatra.[3]

In 2019, Berghofer, along with fellow Wrecking Crew members Don Randi and Don Peake and in conjunction with Denny Tedesco (producer and director of the 2008 film The Wrecking Crew), performed around the Los Angeles area with their The Wrecking Crew's Farewell to Glen Campbell live shows.[7]

As Berghofer made his career as a jazz musician, he landed a prominent role recording with Nancy Sinatra in "These Boots Are Made For Walkin". He also worked on television with Glen Campbell, recorded with Frank Sinatra, and played with Barbra Streisand, in which they did a recording of Funny Lady. His film work extends to 400 appearances, leading to his being awarded in the mid-1980s the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Award as the most valuable bass player for four consecutive years. In that decade he recorded with Mel Tormé and later recorded again with Sinatra on Duets.[1] Just a few of the films he worked on include Rocky I & II, On Golden Pond, Matrix, Majestic, Clint Eastwood’s Bird, and True Crime. He also worked on such television shows as Barney Miller on which he played the opening bass line, Charlie’s Angels, The Carol Burnett Show, The Simpsons and Star Trek Enterprise.[8]

Discography

With Christina Aguilera

With Paul Anka

  • Songs Of December (Decca Records, 2012)

With Patti Austin

With George Benson

With Michael Bublé

With Rosemary Clooney

With Adam Cohen

  • Adam Cohen (Columbia Records, 1998)

With Natalie Cole

With Ry Cooder

  • Jazz (Warner Bros., 1978)

With Rita Coolidge

  • And So Is Love (Paddle Wheel, 2005)

With Bobby Darin

With Melody Gardot

With Vince Gill

With Josh Groban

  • Stages (Reprise Records, 2015)

With B.B. King and Diane Schuur

With Irene Kral

With Diana Krall

With Peggy Lee

With Seth MacFarlane

With Melissa Manchester

  • If My Heart Had Wings (Atlantic Records, 1995)

With Barry Manilow

With Shelly Manne

With Martina McBride

With Paul McCartney

With Carmen McRae

With Bette Midler

With Liza Minnelli

With Joni Mitchell

With Michael Nesmith

With Aaron Neville

  • The Grand Tour (A&M Records, 1993)

With Ruth Price and Shelly Manne

With Emitt Rhodes

With Howard Roberts

  • Whatever's Fair! (Capitol Records, 1966)

With Diana Ross

With Seal

With Diane Schuur

  • Love Songs (GRP, 1993)
  • Music Is My Life (Atlantic Records, 1999)
  • Friends for Schuur (Concord Records, 2000)
  • Midnight (Concord Records, 2003)

With Blake Shelton

With Zoot Sims

  • Quietly There: Zoot Sims Plays Johnny Mandel (Pablo, 1984)

With Nancy Sinatra

  • Sugar (Reprise Records, 1966)
  • Nancy (Reprise Records, 1969)

With Rod Stewart

With Barbra Streisand

With Sarah Vaughan

With Dionne Warwick

  • Dionne Warwick sings Cole Porter (Arista Records, 1990)

With Robbie Williams

See also

References
  1. "Artist Biography". All Media Network.
  2. Stewart, Zan (Oct 9, 1997). "On the Bass Line". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  3. Jack, Gordon (2004). Fifties jazz talk : an oral retrospective. Lanham, Md. [u.a.]: Scarecrow Press. p. 23. ISBN 0-8108-4997-6.
  4. "Profile of Chuck Berghofer". Archived from the original on August 11, 2014.
  5. "Pete Jolly Discography". Archived from the original on April 5, 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  6. "Chuck Berghofer, Musicians Profile".
  7. "The Wrecking Crew's Farewell to Glen Campbell". August 18, 2008. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  8. "Chuck Berghofer - One of LA's finest bass players". Archived from the original on November 23, 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
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