Bern Nix may forever be known as one of Ornette Coleman’s guitar players. It’s hard not to picture Prime Time without seeing him there. There is more to his quest than that 13 year chapter in his life. I’ve done what is known in jazz research as the deep dive on Bern and struck gold multiple times. For anyone feeling the pull of Bern’s music, not unlike the moon over the ocean at night, I invite you on the journey.
We’ll start all the way back to his earliest days in Toledo, Ohio. Confirmed in his interview with William Parker’s Conversations III, here is Bern playing rhythm guitar in a blues band with Romeo & Arthur Griswold on Daddy, Daddy, and what a vibe. Bern was playing with what he called Jameel Moondoc, lots of blues guys. His father was a boxer known as Gene Nix, though his birth name was Ulysses who was able to get Ornette’s number when word was out he was auditioning guitar players. Bern had just finished four years at Berklee and was into teaching at the time. James Blood Ulmer was already with OC at the time so Bern checked him out prior to getting the gig. Bern made seven records with Prime Time including the famous Dancing in your Head. For me and many musicians, the ultimate recorded Bern moment at this time is playing on the opening piece Voice Poetry on Body Meta. That entrance..that sound, the melody. Welcome to another universe. Ornette’s entrance is almost stark, luminous and haunting all at once. To cap this off, this clip of Bern live with Prime Time really just says it all for me.
Bern actually officially recorded with Jayne Cortez more than Ornette. 8 times over 7. His respect for her was total and he told me that if she called he was there without question. Of the available recordings on YT, Unsubmissive Blues stands out for lots of clear open time to hear Bern in the environment, especially on In the Morning.
During these years, Bern would have periods of not working. He absolutely was working as a musician whenever possible and recorded at least 5 times outside of Prime Time. Check him out with none other than the recently departed James Chance. There is the well known recording Eye on You with Ronald Shannon Jackson. Bern highlights on this incredible record for me are Arising (2:15), Orange Birthday (1:17), Prince (1:15), and Shaman. Bern could be very strong leading a melody, even back then in those massive waves of emotion sound. Outside of the band, Bern told me that the memory that still had him shook from back then, was that Jackson had gotten him into chanting and he was really committed. When the manifestation wouldn’t always work out, Jackson told him he was chanting wrong. In line with the times and the environment, Bern also recorded on Zambomba, with Kip Hanrahan, and with The Sedition Ensemble on Regeneration Report.
Now we’re going to drill down to the center of my piece here, Bern’s work after Ornette. These are not in chronological order or ranked. If I have missed anyone please let me know. There’s zero shade coming from me here as we celebrate Bern.
Bern left Prime Time, and there are various versions of how it went down. In the end, 13 years of very intensive sideman work had run it’s course, and it was time to move on. They remained on good terms and Bern visited with OC in his later years. Bern preferred the trio format all the way up to the mid-2000’s. The dates are not clear, but 4 trio’s existed. One with William Parker and David Cappello (unrecorded to my knowledge). 10 years with Adrian Valosin (drums) and Bill Zola (bass) recorded on the unreleased A James Lord Portrait film soundtrack. Bern recorded and released Alarms and Excursions in 1993 with Fred Hopkins (bass) and Newman Taylor Baker (drums). Later he led a trio with Jackson Krall (Drums) and Francois Grillot (bass).
The soundtrack that Bern created is slated for release! There is a lot of information on it in a very informative interview with Bern on All About Jazz. Within the interview there’s a clip from the film with Bern's music. Once the music is released it will stand tall as a vital part of an all to short discography as a leader, stay tuned!
Bern’s record from 1993 looms large as a great example of the kind of space where he felt most at home. The record is also important for anyone interested in Bern for truly masterful and extensive liner notes by writer Robert Hicks. Hicks even included a bibliography of 6 out of print articles on Bern, with an editorial by Bern himself for Guitar Player in 1988 titled “Great Art, Sad Profession.” (I’m on the case to read this as OC would say) On Alarms, we finally get to hear Bern as the lone lead and melodic voice. He speaks his musical language from his personal inner world. Like many of us out here today, his music is the ultimate version of talking to him. His music encompasses his entire relationship with himself and the world. Bern was meticulous and patient is his quest to leave no guitar sound combination undiscovered His sound always had this light, or a glow. Not unlike the old Lite-Brite toys, but with more conviction, clarity, and sharpness.
Bern recorded a truly amazing solo album in 2016 titled Low Barometer! He was demure when I asked him about it calling it an exercise in vanity, but it stands tall as pivotal in his discography, entirely unique. Objects of Correlation is my favorite on the album. I must have listened to it over 100 times. It’s still on repeat for the positive vibe.
Finally, Bern’s final band as a leader was his quartet. Francois stayed on and he had Reggie Sylvester on drums and yours truly on trumpet and alto-clarinet. The story of this band is a piece all to itself and I’ll continue it down the road. We made one recording titled Negative Capability . There’s lots of us on YT, and my most recent discovery is here. We were totally dedicated to Bern, rehearsing weekly for years. We worked quite a bit and traveled twice. I’ll take it a step further here and share one of the tunes we spent a lot of time on:
One highlight in the story of the BN4 is that one of Bern’s pieces from the record we made was used in a soundtrack for a film by Sean Baker called Tangerine. The Fire Within was used on the scene of the bus beat down, I’ll leave it at that. I’ll never forget watching the film on the big screen sitting next to Bern. That theater at Lincoln Center was sold out. We were so happy for him watching and then going to the reception and party after the premiere.
The way Bern’s story ended was tragic. We performed on a Saturday. I spoke to him the next day. He had a performance with flutist Cheryl Pyle then went home, turned on WKCR and went to sleep. That’s were I found him as he had been missing for a couple days. His gear for a Prime Time Reunion at Lincoln Center was cleaned and pressed and hanging up, ready for the concert. His hat was selected for the gig. One thing that I can’t stand is when great stories have the worst ending.
Next is what I have referred to as the treasure trove. 12 known collaborations and sideman recordings with Bern in the after OC years. These are not in chronological order or ranked. Each one is a different environment and Bern plays differently every time. Needless to say Bern’s Wikipedia is way off. Let’s get this listening party started!
Bern recorded three times with the great Jemeel Moondoc. I met him subbing for Roy Campbell in this band. Moon is another story that needs to be told! The 3 records are Nostalgia in Times Square (1986), Spirit House (2000), and Live at Vision (2005). This live video here by Robert O’Haire is a great window into Moon’s realm. It also links up my last Substack, as Roy Campbell was there and on fire of course. Bern is the chord man here but he was free harmonically of course. He supports everyone brilliantly and cuts loosed when Moon opens the window.
I have written in earlier Substacks about the profound nature of Bern’s work on Lowe-Down & Blue with master tenor player Frank Lowe. The recording is essential Bern for me. Music where so much emotion flows from the guitar. This is a moment where Bern had what is more often associated with horn players, emotion tone. Horn players are more vocal as we have to blow right into the instrument. Air has to pass through us and be altered by the instrument. String players can’t do this, but here Bern does. Mat Maneri can do this also. Frank Lowe was saying goodbye to the world, and Bern met him there in a fragile, vulnerable, place. Perhaps the most human space you can be in.
Bern mentioned Patrick Brennan to me at rehearsals and added that he liked what they were doing. Patrick is a visionary. I found 2 great videos they did at the Knitting Factory where Bern plays aggressively and more notes than usual. Bern dips into the lower register like I never heard him do. They used to shed Bird tunes. Present Personic 1 and Present Personic 2. Playing without drums enables more of that clarity from Bern that OC spoke about.
In 1999 guitarist Keith Yaun made a fascinating CD called Amen, Improvisations on Messiaen with Bern, Mat Maneri, and the late Johnny McLellan on drums. This is another recording with in-depth liner notes by Stuart Boomer. Bern is on the left channel, a brilliant move. Boomer observes that Bern played with Negative Capability, defined as the ability to absorb and reflect your environment without preconception or identity getting in the way. Bern may been laying in the cut, but there are moments in beginnings and endings where his playing takes on a clarity and precision unlike anything I’ve heard. This is one of the best recordings of Bern’s true sound. I feel like I’m right next to him, which I actually was for hundreds of hours. The imagery Bern conjures here is truly unreal. One on piece with headphones on, I felt like I was looking in on a room during sunset where nobody was present. On another I felt like I was sleeping in a giant grassy field on a gorgeous day, with the sky a very bright blue.
Next is one of those records that just got by everyone. Coming Together with Bern, Daniel Carter, Marc Edwards, and Jair Rohm Parker Wells. Bern never mentioned it and I discovered it after his death. Daniel had forgotten about it when I asked him about it. The world really missed a great one, and I get it with 10 records coming out every day. What makes this one work so well for me is that Daniel and Bern share a similar sense of dynamics. Less is More. They are both careful, even gentle improvisers. Hearing their 2 languages mesh so well speaks to a deep connection that occurred and was captured. Jair has his own language and Marc Edwards is a legend who plays differently here than I have ever heard him. He met Bern and DC there in the sensitive and sublime.
Next, 3 unique duos, all chapters in the book of Bern.
Flutist Cheryl Pyle played with Bern extensively. They also had a shared sensibility. They had a long time friendship and playing relationship. There’s quite a lot on YT but this duo here with Bern on acoustic guitar is a great place to start. Again, an entirely unique space. Cheryl as mentioned, was the last one of us to see Bern alive.
As it was with Coming Together, I had no knowledge of Bern and Kevin Norton on vibes playing on a recording titled Live at Roulette. Another totally different sound. It sounds like 2 stars dancing at night to me. There’s a purity in the 2 sounds and I daresay an innocence, ha! Bern would find that particularly amusing.
Bern had a guitar brother in Ayman Fanous. I was thrilled to find this Roulette concert available. They spent many hours playing together. Bern and Ayman were absolutely trying to push themselves and each other into going deeper into their own harmonic DNA. They were coming from very different personal worlds, yet found a combined syntax.
Bern played with Elliott Sharp, though I can’t find anything online unfortunately. He did release a solo Bern piece that he recorded called Of the Moment. Marc Ribot was into Bern, and I found a live performance they did together! What a trip to see Bern with a great amped up crowd with Ribot’s Young Philadelphians . Ribot came to the Bern Nix memorial. Though I have yet to find any recording, Bern also had a great time playing in a trio with Joe Morris and Stephen Haynes , covered here in the NY Times.
Last with evidence, but certainly not the least, my buddy Dave Bryant brought Bern up to Cambridge. They were both from the 2 different Prime Times and came together here years later. These were 2 people who went all the way with Ornette. Bern lived with him. Dave started out as a student of the Bern Prime Time and would go on to be very close with OC.
When I with Bern, he always mentioned Lenore Van Stein being on his calendar. They had a regular session at a TV studio. Here she is discussing their relationship after his death. They have a recording called Art & Money that I have on order. Bern did a record called Hotel X with Tim Harding and Greg Ginn that I’m looking forward to hearing. Finally at the bottom of the audio portion of my deep dive, Bern made 2 sessions with guitarist and artist Jeff Shurdut: The Dream of a Ridiculous Man with my mentor Sabir Mateen, and Any Day Like This with Daniel Carter, Chris Forbes, and Hill Greene. Even further down on Discogs I found Bern with Jim Nolet and Joe Gallant.
Now on to the next part of Bern process, Bern the writer. Words, not notes. I have incredibly found quite a bit of it online. While I was with Bern he frequently mentioned a writing class he was taking at a library. He was very much into exploring this part of his art in his later years. I do hope you will indulge yourself into: 3 Stories, and Victrola. On Bern’s facebook he posted links to Oscar Wilde and Charles Bukowski.
I always have felt that listening to someone’s music is how you really get to know their true self, and I’ve tried to arrange that here. There’s still 2, possibly 4 records to hear. I have yet to do any transcriptions. Any guitar players out here into transcribing some of Bern’s chords? I met Bern’s brother and sister at the memorial we did. I know Bern had 2 significant long term relationships in his life as well. The interview I linked on AAJ is great for history, but to truly know Bern through words, his interview with William Parker is the place to go to from Conversations III.
There are several short interviews with Bern online. Head on over and hear it all from the source. Incorrigible, The Paradox, Rhythmic Vitality, Space, Time, and Loft Party.
Bern and I were brothers. He was a full generation before me, but he trusted me. He told me one of the reasons I got the gig with him was that I had experienced the world of Ornette when he’s got you under his harmolodic microscope. I was under only for a minute compared to Bern, but I had a window into that universe. Bern originally heard me in his world on flugelhorn. I have always struggled with the flugel because it’s just so honest. To really draw out it’s power you have to make yourself vulnerable emotionally. Bern was inviting me into his space. At the time I was too afraid to do it. The same kind of fear I had when Ornette said I could move in if I really wanted to learn harmolodics. Still, Bern let me stay and pop off on trumpet. His ballad Naomi that I posted above was my chance to really get into his dynamic and I feel that’s the closest I ever got. Daniel Carter was naturally adjacent in his own boat which is why their record worked so well.
There’s a few stories I recall. Bern and I were invited to a book release party for the book Free Jazz, Harmolodics, and Ornette Coleman by Stephen Rush. The book was not sanctioned by the Coleman family and Branford Marsalis wrote the intro which is odd in itself since he tried to condemn Skies of America. Bern and I didn’t know that and just thought we would go to a party and hang out, you know, check out the scene. It was in a mega-expensive loft in Tribeca. It seemed like everyone at the party was rich. We were hanging out at the bar. A guy came over to us and started whispering..
“If you guys are interested, I have the inside track. The place were in here is going on the market for only 19 million. Let me know if you want in before anyone gets the word.”
Bern and I might have had 19 dollars between us. We looked at each other and then Bern said:
“It’s OK man, we’re cool.”
I was like yeah, I’m good. Maybe down the road I’ll look you up.
After he left, all we could do is laugh. Bern said,
“Wow, that was really out.”
We both had another drink.
Another occasion I booked Bern and Giuseppi Logan at Nublu on a double bill, Francois and I were in both bands. Giuseppi decided to play Fender Rhodes with Bern his whole set! Bern dug what he was doing! Then Bern played with Giuseppi’s quartet. I have pictures, what a night. Giuseppi and his music are next up here on No Sound Left Behind.
Another time Bern joined my 12 Houses Orchestra and Francois arranged his piece Lost in the Catacombs. On another occasion we did a double bill with Charles Gayle and Charles used Reggie and Francois. Same guys but they had to play very differently!!
In the end, everything comes down to Bern’s sound and how he delivered it with such care. He never sounded rushed. His ideas seemed to come from an endless reservoir where ideas might be similar but were always in variation, a kind of cycle of newness.
He spent his life searching for and finding new sounds.
Bern Nix plugged in the moon, and then started changing it’s colors into a spectrum that was yet to exist.
For Bern
TBC