Shelly Berg Trio

About the Performance

A four-time Grammy-nominated arranger/orchestrator, critically acclaimed pianist Shelly Berg makes his Ravinia debut with music from his latest trio project, Alegría, hailed for its “bustling and approachable … landscapes of love, joy, and reflection” (All About Jazz) that brim with “gleeful energy” (Jazz Views). Mixing Berg originals with personal-story-inflected classics, the set gifts that emotive, cathartic power of music to the listener: “The more the audience feels included in the music, the better time everybody has,” Berg says, “the more opportunity for the music to do what music does—to reach them and move them.” A Steinway Artist, Berg also brings favorites from across jazz, having earned particular praise for “a bold … mixture of seminal Gershwin that is fresh, inspiring, and virtuosic” (Michael Feinstein) as well as Record of the Year and Artist of the Year nominations from Jazzweek.

At Ravinia and on Alegría, Berg is joined by longtime collaborators bassist Carlitos del Puerto, who was also a member of the late Chick Corea’s Grammy-winning Spanish Heart Band, and drummer Dafnis Prieto, a 2011 MacArthur Fellow in performance and composition for his work in Afro-Cuban jazz. That musical heritage has been increasingly lending vitality to Berg’s music, such as “Marina Sunset,” through his performances with the Caribbean and South American artists who flock to Miami, where he is dean of the famed Frost School of Music. Blues connections also abound in tracks like “Meatballs and Apple Pie,” a funky nod to Ramsey Lewis and Les McCann. “Dafnis and Carlitos are so plugged into what’s going on,” says Berg. “They inspire me to play a lot of things, but they’re also very plugged in to what I’m playing.”

Performers

Shelly Berg Trio