From Alarm by Mike Hilleary.
For the past few nights, Steven Bernstein has been in what he calls “alternate universe.” Playing in Oakland as a special guest to virtuosic guitarist Charlie Hunter, the prolific trumpeter, bandleader, arranger, and composer has found himself in a rare state of artificial rest. “It’s been nice, man,” says Bernstein while walking around the Bay area. “It’s a good side-band gig where I’m just being paid to improvise. I’ve actually been bereft of any responsibility and I’ve been taking full advantage of it.”
Bernstein will soon be back to his standard workload, supporting the release of his latest self-titled album, Diaspora Suite. The album is the fourth edition of his Diaspora series, an avant-garde exploration into the mysticism and tradition of Hebrew music. Brought to fruition at the request of eclectic composer/saxophonist John Zorn and his Tzadik label’s Radical Jewish Culture imprint, the Diaspora series infuses everything from New Orleans blues to Afro-Cuban roots and West Coast jazz into the tradition’s canon. However, unlike his previous records—Diaspora Soul (1999), Diaspora Blues (2002), and Diaspora Hollywood (2004) —Bernstein’s latest collection contains all original music.