Introduction
Steven Bernstein (born October 8, 1961) is an American trumpeter, slide trumpeter, arranger/composer and bandleader from New York City. He is best known for his work in The Lounge Lizards, Sex Mob, Spanish Fly and the Millennial Territory Orchestra. Sex Mob's 2006 CD Sexotica was nominated for a Grammy.
A ubiquitous figure in New York's downtown jazz scene, Steven Bernstein has been the musical director for the Kansas City Band (from Robert Altman's film Kansas City), Jim Thirlwell's Steroid Maximus and Hal Wilner's Leonard Cohen, Doc Pomus and Bill Withers projects. Bernstein has released four albums under his own name on John Zorn's Tzadik Records: Diaspora Soul, Diaspora Blues, Diaspora Hollywood and Diaspora Suite. He has performed with jazz giants including Roswell Rudd, Sam Rivers, Don Byron and Medeski, Martin & Wood, as well as artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Lou Reed, Linda Ronstadt, Digable Planets, Sting and Courtney Love. Since 2004 Bernstein has been a member of Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble band, playing in Helm's Woodstock home, as well as touring with the band. As an arranger Bernstein has written for Bill Frisell, Rufus Wainright, Marianne Faithfull and Elton John among others. He has composed for dance, theatre, film and television, and with composer John Lurie, arranged the scores to many feature films, including Get Shorty.
Discography
Solo/collaborations
- Diaspora Soul (1999), Tzadik
- Diaspora Blues (2002), Tzadik
- Diaspora Hollywood (2004), Tzadik
- Diaspora Suite (2008), Tzadik
- Tattoos and Mushrooms (2010), ILK Music - with Marcus Rojas and Kresten Osgood
- Viper's Drag (2014), Impulse - with Henry Butler
Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra
- MTO Volume 1 (2006), ADA Global
- We Are MTO (2008), Mowo Inc
- MTO Plays Sly (2011), Royal Potato
With Nels Cline
- Lovers (Blue Note, 2016)
With Mario Pavone
- Mythos (Playscape, 2002)
- Orange (Playscape, 2003)
- Deez to Blues (Playscape, 2006)
TV appearances
- SOLOS: the jazz sessions (Bravo! Canada - 2005)