By Litchfield Performing Arts, a not-for-profit educational charity.

FREE VIRTUAL CONCERT – April 16 Peter Bernstein/Steve Cardenas Quartet Play Monk

Join Litchfield Jazz on April 16th the fourth installment of their free virtual concert series. April’s concert features jazz guitarists Peter Bernstein & Steve Cardenas, along with Vincente Archer on bass and Bill Stewart on drums.

Jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein has been part of the jazz scene in New York and abroad since 1989. He has 12 albums as a leader and has played as a side man on close to 200 with Sonny Rollins, Bobby Hutcherson, George Coleman, Lou Donaldson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Diana Krall and others. He latest release on the Smoke Sessions label, What Comes Next finds him teamed up with Sullivan Fortner on

piano, Peter Washington, bass and Joe Farnsworth, drums. “With tour schedules and conflicting dates hardly being an issue these days,” Bernstein says, he had no problem “assembling a dream team” for this recording.

Guitarist Steve Cardenas was a member of the groups of Paul Motian, Steve Swallow, Ben Allison, John Patitucci, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Jazz Orchestra and others. He has also worked with Paul McCandless, Marc Johnson, Madeleine Peyroux, and Norah Jones. In an earlier incarnation, he was a martial arts expert and actor featured in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers franchise. Cardenas is on faculty at the New School and is co-author, with Don Sickler, of the Thelonious Monk Fakebook, Hal Leonard Publishing. His latest recording is “Blue Has a Range”.

Vincente Archer started his musical life as a self-taught guitar player. He studied at New England Conservatory and, with a switch to bass, was quickly discovered by Donald Harrison and Eric Reed who took him on tour. His early career included collaborations with Terence Blanchard, Kenny Garrett, Wynton Marsalis, Stanley Jordan and Stefon Harris. From the 2000s he has played with Louis Hayes, Marcus Printup, Nicholas Payton, Myron Walden, George Colligan, Jaleel Shaw, Walter Smith III, Robert Glasper, Chihiro Yamanaka, Marcus Strickland, and John Scofield. His 47 recording dates have included albums with Bruce Barth and Norah Jones.

Bill Stewart, like Vincente Archer, was mostly self-taught beginning at age 7. As a high schooler, he attended summer music camp at Stanford Jazz Workshop where he met Dizzy Gillespie. He attended William Paterson College and played in ensembles directed by Rufus Reid and studied composition with Dave Samuels. He was hired by Joe Lovano while still in college and began recording in 1990. A move to New York

helped build his reputation, and wider recognition came when he became joined John Scofield’s Quartet and Larry Goldings’ Trio with Larry on organ and Peter Bernstein on guitar. Bill has also performed Pat Metheny, Maceo Parker, Charlie Haden, Lee Konitz, Joe Henderson, Michael Brecker, James Moody, Joshua Redman, Steve Wilson, Seamus Blake, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Nicholas Payton, James Brown and many others. He has released 5 CDs as a leader, including “Ramshackle Serenade” in 2014 with Larry Goldings’ Trio which he now co-leads. His latest recording ias a leader is “Band Menu” with Walter Smith and Larry Grenadier.

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