Bern Nix

Bern Nix
Bern Nix, Les Gallery Clemente Soto Velez, February 2005
Background information
Born	September 21, 1947 Toledo, Ohio,U.S.
Died	May 31, 2017(2017-05-31)(aged 69) New York City, U.S.
Genres	Avant-garde jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Years active	1975–2017
Labels	Tompkins Square

Bern Nix(September 21, 1947 – May 31, 2017)was an Americanjazzguitarist.He is best known for recording and performing withOrnette Colemanfrom 1975 to 1987, notably with guitarist Charlie Ellerbee in Coleman'sPrime Timegroup on recordings includingDancing in Your HeadandIn All Languages.Nix was voted among the top ten jazz guitarists in a poll byDown Beatmagazine.

Career

A native ofToledo, Ohio,Nix was introduced to music in childhood and began playing the guitar at eleven years old. He listened intently to jazz guitarists includingWes Montgomery,Jimmy Raney,Barney Kessel,andCharlie Christian.He taught guitar upon his arrival to New York City.He attended theBerklee College of Music.

Nix led a trio with bassist William Parker and drummer David Cappello from 1985 until his death in 2017. In 1993, the trio released the albumAlarms and Excursions.Nix released the solo albumLow BarometeronTompkins Square Recordsin September 2006. His composition "Les is More" appears onArt and Money,an album released by 1687, Inc. in 2006. In 2013, the Bern Nix Quartet, featuring Francois Grillot, Reggie Sylvester, andMatt Lavelle,releasedNegative Capability.

Nix's song "The Fire Within" was featured on the soundtrack of the 2015 filmTangerine.

Nix performed withJames Chance and the Contortionsand appeared on their 1981 albumLive in New York.He also worked withJayne Cortez,John Zorn,Marc Ribot,Elliott Sharp,Jemeel Moondoc,Ronald Shannon Jackson,Kip Hanrahan,andLenore Von Stein.

Discography

As leader

• Alarms and Excursions(New World/Counter Currents, 1993)
• Low Barometer(Tompkins Square,2006)
• Negative Capability(56 Kitchen, 2013)
• Tangerine(Milan, 2015)

As sideman

WithOrnette Coleman

• Dancing in Your Head(Horizon,1977)
• Body Meta(Artists House,1978)
• Of Human Feelings(Antilles,1982)
• Opening the Caravan of Dreams(Caravan of Dreams,1985)
• In All Languages(Caravan of Dreams, 1987)
• Virgin Beauty(Portrait,1988)
• Prime Time Live(Repertoire,1990)

WithJayne Cortez

• Unsubmissive Blues(Bola Press, 1980)
• There It Is(Bola Press, 1982)
• Maintain Control(Bola Press, 1986)
• Everywhere Drums(Bola Press, 1990)
• Poetry & Music(Tradition & Moderne, 1994)
• Cheerful & Optimistic(Bola Press, 1994)
• Taking the Blues Back Home(Harmolodic/Verve,1996)
• Borders of Disorderly Time(Bola Press, 2003)

WithJemeel Moondoc

• Nostalgia in Times Square(Soul Note,1986)
• Spirit House(Eremite,2000)
• Live at the Vision Festival(Ayler, 2003)

With others

• James Chance and the Contortions,Live in New York(ROIR, 1981)
• Ronald Shannon Jackson,Eye on You(About Time, 1980)
• Frank Lowe,Lowe-Down & Blue(CIMP, 2002)
• Hotel X, "Uncommon Ground", featuring Bern Nix and Greg Ginn (SST Records 2003)

External links

• Media related toBern Nixat Wikimedia Commons