Eddie Bert

Edward Joseph Bertolatus (May 16, 1922 – September 27, 2012), better known as Eddie Bert, was an American jazz trombonist.

Eddie Bert
Background information
Birth nameEdward Joseph Bertolatus
Born(1922-05-16)May 16, 1922
Yonkers, New York, U.S.
DiedSeptember 27, 2012(2012-09-27) (aged 90)
Danbury, Connecticut
GenresJazz, swing, avant-garde
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsTrombone
Associated actsThelonious Monk, Benny Goodman,
Websitewww.eddiebert.com

Music career

Bert is featured on hundreds of recordings and recorded extensively as a leader on various labels including Savoy Records, Blue Note, Trans-World, Jazztone, and Discovery Records. Bert continued to play sold-out shows until his death[1] at the age of 90 on September 27, 2012 in Danbury, Connecticut.[2][3]

Bert recorded and performed with many bands and orchestras. He spent the most time with Benny Goodman's Orchestra (1958–86), Charles Mingus (1955–74), The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra (1968–72), New York Jazz Repertory Company (1973–78), The American Jazz Orchestra (1986–92), Loren Schoenberg Orchestra (1986–2001), and Walt Levinsky's Great American Swing Orchestra (1987–95).

Bert received a degree and a teaching license from the Manhattan School of Music (1957). He taught at Essex College, University of Bridgeport, and Western Connecticut State University.

His photography can be seen on Jazz Giants, To Bird with Love (Chan Parker and F. Pandras), and The Band that Never Was (Spotlight Records, album cover and liner notes).

Honors
  • Musician of the Year, Metronome magazine, 1955 [4]
  • Grammy for Musician of the Year, 1959
  • Honored at Town Hall, New York City, May 16, 2002
  • Honored at Jazz at the Kennedy Center with Billy Taylor, May 6, 2002
  • Rugers University Jazz Hall of Fame, 2009

Dscography

As leader
  • Encore (Savoy, 1955)
  • Let's Dig Bert (Eddie That Is) (Trans-World, 1955)
  • Musician of the Year (Savoy, 1955)
  • Montage (Savoy, 1955)
  • Modern Moods (Jazztone, 1955)
  • East Coast Sounds with Billy Byers & Joe Newman (Jazztone, 1957)
  • Like Cool (Somerset, 1958)
  • Skeleton of the Band (Backbone, 1979)
  • Kaleidoscope (Savoy, 1987)
  • The Human Factor (Fresh Sound, 1988)
  • Live at Birdland (Fresh Sound, 1992)
  • Live at Capozzoli's (Woofy, 1999)

As sideman

With Chris Connor

  • Chris Connor Sings the George Gershwin Almanac of Song (Atlantic, 1957)
  • I Miss You So (Atlantic, 1957)
  • Sings Ballads of the Sad Cafe (Atlantic, 1959)

With Urbie Green

  • The Persuasive Trombone of Urbie Green (Command, 1960)
  • 21 Trombones (Project 3, 1967)
  • 21 Trombones Rock & Blues & Jazz Vol. Two (Project 3, 1969)
  • The Message (RCA, 1986)

With Thad Jones & Mel Lewis

  • Central Park North (Solid State, 1969)
  • Consummation (Blue Note, 1970)
  • Suite for Pops (A&M, 1975)
  • Thad Jones & Mel Lewis (Blue Note, 1975)
  • Thad Jones & Mel Lewis (LRC, 1990)
  • Paris 1969 Vol. 1 (Royal, 1990)
  • Basle 1969 (TCB, 1996)
  • The Groove Merchant (LaserLight 1999)

With Stan Kenton

With Elliot Lawrence

  • Plays Gerry Mulligan Arrangements (Fantasy, 1956)
  • Plays Tiny Kahn and Johnny Mandel Arrangements (Fantasy, 1956)
  • Swinging at the Steel Pier (Vogue, 1956)
  • Big Band Modern (Jazztone, 1957)

With Charles Mingus

With Thelonious Monk

  • At Town Hall (Riverside, 1959)
  • Big Band and Quartet in Concert (Columbia, 1964)
  • In Person (Milestone, 1976)
  • Always Know (Columbia, 1979)
  • The Thelonious Monk Memorial Album (Milestone, 1982)

With Red Norvo

  • Jazz Concert (Jazztone, 1956)
  • Town Hall Concert Vol. 1 (London, 1974)
  • Live from the Blue Gardens (MusicMasters, 1992)

With Chico O'Farrill

  • Jazz (Clef, 1953)
  • 2nd Afro Cuban Suite (Norgran, 1954)
  • Cuban Blues (Verve, 1996)

With Buddy Rich

  • Richcraft (Mercury, 1959)
  • The Rich Rebellion (Mercury, 1970)
  • Both Sides (Mercury, 1976)
  • Buddy Rich (Verve, 1987)

With Sal Salvador

  • Shades of Sal Salvador (Bethlehem, 1957)
  • Colors in Sound (Decca, 1958)
  • The Beat for This Generation (Decca, 1959)
  • Starfingers (Bee Hive, 1978)

With Loren Schoenberg

  • Time Waits for No One (MusicMasters, 1987)
  • Solid Ground (MusicMasters, 1988)
  • Just A-Settin' and A-Rockin (MusicMasters, 1990)
  • Out of This World (TCB, 1998)

With Bobby Short

  • Celebrating 30 Years at the Cafe Carlyle (Telarc, 1997)
  • How's Your Romance? (Telarc, 1999)
  • You're the Top (Telarc, 1999)

With others

Broadway shows and movies

References
  1. Yanow, Scott (2000). Bebop. Miller Freeman Books. pp. 242–43. ISBN 0-87930-608-4.
  2. Tamarkin, Jeff. "Jazz Articles: Trombonist Eddie Bert Dead at 90". Jazztimes.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-03. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
  3. Keepnews, Peter (September 30, 2012). "Eddie Bert, Jazz Trombone Player, Dies at 90". The New York Times.

Sources
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