In the spring of 2016, bernards high school Jazz band members Max Berg, Graham Brady, Dan Mayer, and Thomas Reilly formed the Bernards Jazz Quartet. The band, unaffiliated with the high school, formed the group for one sole purpose: “to keep jazz alive in the local community.”
The group members, who had formerly played together for other school and town functions, chose to form the group prior to performing in the high school’s 2016 Senior Fashion Show. Member Graham Brady said, “We were talking and thought it would be a cool idea to play some jazz for the families in attendance.”
The members soon afterwards began to play together at local events and record some of their own music, and in doing so created the Bernards Jazz Quartet. The Quartet provided an outlet to those involved to explore both their “passion for music and improvisation,” said Brady.
With creating their own group came the freedom of being able to choose whichever music they desired. This consists mostly of traditional jazz standards by musicians such as Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and Wes Montgomery. However, the band also plays fusion jazz standards by artists such as Pat Metheny. While the band has never written their own pieces, their improvisation allows them to put their own unique spin on well known standards.
Originally the Jazz Quartet consisted of Berg on guitar, Brady on saxophone, Mayer on bass (upright and electric), and Reilly on drums. However, when Berg graduated in the class of 2017 and left the local area to attend college, a void was left in the group. The band was lacking a chord-playing instrument on which to base its improvisation.
Since Berg’s exit from the group, several musicians have joined the Bernards Jazz Quartet in playing. Depending on availability, the Quartet cycles between three performers: Josh Sigel, Nat Bohach, and Emily Kim. Sigel, who is currently pursuing his B.S. in Engineering at Rutgers University, plays guitar for the group on occasion. Bohach, who is currently pursuing his M.Mus in Jazz Studies at New Jersey City University, oftentimes joins the group on the vibraphone. Kim, a current senior at Bernards, also periodically plays piano for the Quartet.
The Bernards Jazz Quartet’s presence mostly consists of live events. In the past, the Quartet has played at community graduation parties, galas, fundraisers, and wine-tastings. Brady recalled playing at the Bernardsville Public Library Foundation’s fundraiser as his favorite and most memorable live appearance. “The fundraiser was held in a beautiful mansion on the Bernardsville Mountain,” Brady said. “The room we played in was so decadent- a dark wood room with furniture that must have cost tens of thousands of dollars.”
Mayer and Reilly, on the other hand, consider their favorite live shows to be their lesser known ones; particularly their appearance at Daytop New Jersey’s annual fundraiser: the Spirit of Daytop Gala. Daytop New Jersey is a non-profit organization which provides behavioral health services for children and adults.
The Bernards Jazz Quartet has a recording presence as well. The band has thus far released two albums, “The Bernards Jazz Quartet” and “Live at the Palace: Bernards Jazz Quartet with Nate Bohach” on their website bernardsjazzquartet.bandcamp.com.
In an age where such an hefty emphasis for high schoolers is placed on meeting grade and extracurricular criteria requirements, the Bernards Jazz Quartet is a rare find. The Quartet isn’t simply resume bait, but instead a group that plays exclusively to express their love of Jazz. “Through performing in the Bernards Jazz Quartet, we are going out of our own way to do what we want,” said Mayer, “We’re not doing this for college- we’re doing this purely for the experience of playing.”
