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Karl Berger: Heart Is A Melody

By Dave Linn
May 26, 2023
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Karl Berger

vibraphone
1935 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Karl Berger, one of the more unsung and underrated jazz musicians of our time, passed away on April 9, 2023. He had just turned 88 years old. Berger released several dozen albums as a leader and scores more as a sideman. His discography reads like a Who's Who of modern jazz. He recorded with people such as

Don Cherry

trumpet
1936 - 1995

" data-original-title="" title="">Don Cherry,

Bill Laswell

bass
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Laswell,

Carla Bley

piano
1938 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Carla Bley,

Anthony Braxton

woodwinds
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Anthony Braxton,

Chick Corea

piano
1941 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Chick Corea,

Pat Metheny

guitar
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Pat Metheny,

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic
1922 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus,

Lee Konitz

saxophone, alto
1927 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Konitz and

John McLaughlin

guitar
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">John McLaughlin, among many more. Berger also arranged the strings on Jeff Buckley's album Grace (Columbia, 1994), which includes Buckley's classic version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."

Berger first began playing the vibraphone at Cave 54, a small club in Heidelberg, and to paraphrase him, he immediately enjoyed playing an instrument that allowed him to move and even dance a little while playing—especially if and when the piano wasn't in tune. Admittedly not a student of the vibes, his approach was just different from everyone else's at the time. Then, he suddenly started winning jazz magazine polls: "Because I didn't know how to really play it."

All of these musical experiences, culled from over 60 years of playing, combined with his career as an educator and the co-founder with

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Ornette Coleman of the famous Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, NY, coalesced into this superb career-summarizing final album, Heart Is A Melody, released just before his passing.

The album opens with an obscure Don Cherry composition, "Ganesh." It's a simple, groove-like vamp with Berger, on the Fender Rhodes, laying out the foundation. The rhythm section of

Jay Anderson

bass
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Jay Anderson on bass and

Matt Wilson

drums
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Matt Wilson on drums enters to push things forward awaiting the entrance of album co-leader

Kirk Knuffke

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Kirk Knuffke on cornet. This very accessible and fun opener sets the tone for the entire album.

The album explores many styles over its 10-song tracklist. "Before or Since" is reminiscent of "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down," only in a quartet setting with vibes instead of guitar. It is one of four tracks written by Knuffke. Knuffke's (who studied with Ornette Coleman for four years before being mentored by

Lawrence "Butch" Morris

cornet
1947 - 2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Lawrence "Butch" Morris) abilities and approach to the various styles being played is stunning. "Could Hear You" has an old-school ECM records flavor, with Berger finding the spaces between the drums and bass, while Knuffke lays a

Kenny Wheeler

flugelhorn
1930 - 2014

" data-original-title="" title="">Kenny Wheeler-type sound on top.

Berger's song, "Ornette," is exactly what you'd think it would be. The melody is classic Coleman circa the early 1960s. The band both imitates and expands on the sound and style of those compositions. Anderson and Wilson remind one of

Charlie Haden

bass, acoustic
1937 - 2014

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Haden and

Ed Blackwell

drums
1929 - 1992

" data-original-title="" title="">Ed Blackwell while Knuffke plays Cherry-like angular and jagged lines, before soaring above it all. The two other Berger compositions on the record also invoke Coleman. "Why Not?" utilizes Berger's choice of melodica (reminiscent of

Dewey Redman

saxophone, tenor
b.1931

" data-original-title="" title="">Dewey Redman playing musette) to change the feel of the tune, while "Going Out" allows Wilson to stretch out on drums in between the statements of melody. "Gentle Giant" may be the most straight-ahead piece on the album. Anderson and Wilson are a force underneath, while Berger and Knuffke solo joyfully.

The title track and the album closer, "Heart Is A Melody of Time," is an inspired choice. It is a tune by

Pharoah Sanders

saxophone, tenor
1940 - 2022

" data-original-title="" title="">Pharoah Sanders (with whom Berger led a band in 1970) that incorporates the theme used in both

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" and Sanders' "The Creator Has A Master Plan." It is a beautiful, spiritual song and one that summarizes both the record and Berger's life. This is a fully realized recording and a wonderful testament to a jazz icon.

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Track Listing

Ganesh; Before Or Since; Couldnt Hear You; Ornette; Gentle Giant; Art; Why Not; Noble Heart; Going Out; Here Is A Melody Of Time.

Personnel

Karl Berger

vibraphone

Kirk Knuffke

trumpet

Jay Anderson

bass

Matt Wilson

drums

Additional Instrumentation

Karl Berger: vibraphone, Rhodes, piano, Melodica.

Album information

Title: Heart Is A Melody | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Self Produced

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