Steven Bernstein
Steven Bernstein (born October 8, 1961) is an American trumpeter, slide trumpeter, arranger/composer and bandleader based in New York City. He is best known for his work in The Lounge Lizards, Sex Mob, Spanish Fly and the Millennial Territory Orchestra. Sex Mob's 2006 CD Sexotica was nominated for a Grammy.
Steven Bernstein
Svíčková · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Steven Bernstein
- Born
- 8 October 1961
- Birthplace
- Berkeley, CA
- Occupation
- Musician
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Documentary summary
Steven Bernstein (born October 8, 1961) is an American trumpeter, slide trumpeter, arranger/composer and bandleader based in New York City. He is best known for his work in The Lounge Lizards, Sex Mob, Spanish Fly and the Millennial Territory Orchestra. Sex Mob's 2006 CD Sexotica was nominated for a Grammy.
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Authority files
museum · f3fed5f6-6d19-46df-9201-1ac50e1030a7 · wikidata · Q2347469
In this article
Biography
Biography
Bernstein has been the musical director for the Kansas City Band (from Robert Altman's film Kansas City), Jim Thirlwell's Steroid Maximus and Hal Willner's Leonard Cohen, Doc Pomus and Bill Withers projects. Bernstein has released four albums under his own name on John Zorn's Tzadik Records: Diaspora Soul, Diaspora Blues, Diaspora Hollywood and Diaspora Suite. He has performed with jazz giants including Roswell Rudd, Sam Rivers, Don Byron and Medeski, Martin & Wood, as well as musicians ranging from Aretha Franklin to Lou Reed, from Linda Ronstadt to Digable Planets, from Sting to Courtney Love. Since 2004 Bernstein has been a member of Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble band, playing in Helm's Woodstock home, as well as touring with the band. He has composed for dance, theatre, film and television, and with composer John Lurie, arranged the scores to many feature films, including Get Shorty. Bernstein is perhaps best known for playing the slide trumpet. There’s not really anyone to compare your sound to.
Steven Bernstein live at Saalfelden 2009
Davide Leonardi
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Steven Bernstein • Born — 8 October 1961 • Birthplace — Berkeley, CA • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — Musician • Instrument — * Trumpet • Slide trumpet • Label — Tzadik, Impulse • Associated Acts — The Lounge Lizards, Sex Mob, Spanish Fly • Website — stevenbernstein.net • Illustration — Steven Bernstein (2007)
Solo/collaborations
Solo/collaborations
• Diaspora Soul (Tzadik, 1999) • Diaspora Blues (Tzadik, 2002) • Diaspora Hollywood (Tzadik, 2004) • Diaspora Suite (Tzadik, 2008) • Baby Loves Jazz: Go Baby Go! (Verve, 2006) • Tattoos and Mushrooms - with Marcus Rojas and Kresten Osgood (ILK Music, 2010) • Viper's Drag - with Henry Butler (Impulse, 2014) • ResoNation Trio / Ultra Resonance (Royal Potato Family, 2026)
Sexmob (Sex Mob)
Sexmob (Sex Mob)
• Din of Inequity (Columbia/Knitting Factory, 1998) • Solid Sender (Rex, 2000) • Theatre & Dance (2000) • Sex Mob Does Bond (Atlantic/Ropeadope, 2001) • Dime Grind Palace(Ropeadope, 2003) • Sexotica (Thirsty Ear, 2006) • Sex Mob Meets Medeski/Live in Willisau (Thirsty Ear, 2009) • Sexmob Plays Fellini (Royal Potato Family, 2013) • Cultural Capital (Rex, 2017) • The Hard Way (Corbett vs. Dempsey, 2023)
Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra
Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra
• MTO Volume 1 (ADA Global, 2006) • We Are MTO (Royal Potato Family, 2008) • MTO Plays Sly (Royal Potato Family, 2011) • Tinctures in Time (Community Music, Vol. 1) (Royal Potato Family, 2021) • Good Time Music (Community Music, Vol. 2) (Royal Potato Family, 2022) • Manifesto of Henryisms (Community Music, Vol. 3) (Royal Potato Family, 2022) • Popular Culture (Community Music, Vol. 4) (Royal Potato Family, 2022) With John Lurie • Live in Berlin, Vol.1, The Lounge Lizards (Intuition Music, 1991) • Live in Berlin, Vol.2, The Lounge Lizards (Intuition Music, 1993) • Get Shorty, Soundtrack (Verve, 1996) • Queen of all Ears, The Lounge Lizards (Strange and Beautiful Music, 1998) • Excess Baggage, Soundtrack (Prophesy, 1998) • African Swim (Strange and Beautiful Music, 1999) • Fishing with John (Strange and Beautiful Music, 1999) • The Legendary Recordings of Marvin Pontiac (Strange and Beautiful Music, 2000) • Music from the Series, Painting with John [Royal Potato Family, 2024) With Nels Cline • Lovers (Blue Note, 2016) With Mario Pavone • Mythos (Playscape, 2002) • Orange (Playscape, 2003) • Deez to Blues (Playscape, 2006) With Michael Blake • Kingdom of Champa, (Intuition Music, 1996) • Drift, (Intuition Music, 2000) • Hellbent, (P&M Records, 2007) • Combobulate, (Newvelle Records, 2022)
TV appearances
TV appearances
• SOLOS: the jazz sessions (Bravo! Canada - 2005)
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- MusicBrainz artist record for Steven Bernstein
Scholarly · MetaBrainz Foundation
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q2347469: Steven Bernstein
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
Literature
Literature
Literature
Bernstein, Steven, Oxford Music Online, 2012
Bernstein, Steven (jazz), Oxford Music Online, 2003
Out of the Territories (Steven Bernstein), Weather Bird, 2006
Scholarly footprint
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Layman, Will (2006) "A Reluctant 'Jazz' Hero: An Interview with Trumpeter, Composer, and Arranger Steven Bernstein", PopMatters, November 1, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2014
- 2."Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra: On Sly", NPR, September 27, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2014
- 3.Layne, Joslyn "Diaspora Soul Review", Allmusic. Retrieved November 8, 2014
- 4.Westergaard, Sean "Sex Mob Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved November 8, 2014
- 5.Changing Molecules: A Conversation with Steven Bernstein (Part Two). 3 September 2021.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
MusicBrainz artist record for Steven BernsteinMetaBrainz Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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