“Just by looking at the cover of the Bernstein Bard Trio’s new release — an acoustic guitar and mandolin leaning casually against a reclining upright bass in the grass — you know straightway this is an organic outing. The New Paltz-based wooden warriors include Steve Bernstein (mandolin), Mark Bernstein (guitar), and Robert Bard (bass), and they have their own slant on acoustic-driven music with the impressive We’ll Know When We Get There...

  “BBT gets off to a fine start with ‘Manzanillo,’ which features Steve taking the melody while Mark offers several sweet solos.

  “There are plenty of obvious choices of material here that are quite satisfying: Duke Ellington’s ‘Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,’ Fats Waller’s ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’,’ and the traditional ‘Scarborough Fair’ all go to delightful places. But it’s the unlikely selection of Sting’s ‘Fields of Gold’ that could be the highlight. It’s uncanny how well a Sting song works in an acoustic context, and what delicate wonders these players work with it.

  “The musicianship and approach here are exceptional, and there’s comfort in knowing that there was no electricity used by the instruments. (Politically correct production values!)”

—David Malachowski, Chronogram Magazine, December 2006

“…evoking the sweetest of sounds from his mandolin, Steve Bernstein along with MarkBernstein on nylon string guitar and Robert Bard on upright bass effortlessly ramble through a gamut of music…where the group really shines and when their sound is even more defined is on ‘Dindi’ by Jobim. With the addition of light percussion by Brian Melick, the Bernstein Bard Trio grooves like crazy.
  “…My hands down favorite piece on the CD is ‘Sweet Sarah’ written by Steve Bernstein. Opening with some music box-like harmonics this melody is strong and soulful and is destined to enter this writer’s repertoire!
  “…I’d definitely recommend We’ll Know When We Get There as required listening for 2007.”

—Butch Baldassari, Mandolin Magazine, January 2007

“Between them, Steve and Mark Bernstein and Robert Bard have a couple of lifetimes’ worth of experience playing with the best studio cats in the world. . . . There’s no mistaking their musical chops. But something different happens when these musical wizards get together as The Bernstein Bard Trio. All that skill is channeled into something that’s more than the sum of its parts — something joyous, engaging and always suprising. There’ll be times when you’ll hear more strings do more string things than your average symphony orchestra; other times when a single note will hang out there above your head like a star in the winter night. . . .”

—New Paltz Times, January 25, 2007

"Watching and listening to a Bernstein-Bard Trio performance is a multi-dimensional experience. You see and hear the guitar wizardry of Mark Bernstein, face beaming, fingers flying. You watch Steve Bernstein play the mandolin and are amazed that such a tiny instrument can give so much. You marvel at the beauty of Robert Bard's upright bass: deep, rich, warm. If you get a chance to see them play, sit back, relax, enjoy. When you walk out, you'll feel a noticeable difference in your demeanor. The words uplifted, joyful, upbeat come to mind.
  “I can't remember the title of the song, but it was a slow, romantic, moving piece, the kind where you sit there barely breathing, entranced by the melody. As the song was winding down, Steve started playing single notes on the mandolin, each one lasting longer than the previous. The entire audience slowly crept to the edge of their seats. It was an agonizingly beautiful moment — when was it going to be over? Now I'm holding my breath. When can I breathe again? But I don't dare breathe yet — I might miss the last note. Finally, Steve hit the string ever so gently, and the note floated out over the audience. Mark and Robert watched with us as the note drifted up and away, and then, it was done."

—Rich Rossi

Please allow me to thank you for a wonderful afternoon of music — worthy of the church you performed in! Most of the crowd came back to the library this past week simply to say how beautiful the music was . . . and would we invite you back again. That would be our hope for next year. We also hope you have a good season . . . and again, thank you for your music!

—Ginny Neidermier
Josephine-Louise Public Library Walden, NY

 

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