In March 2025, multireedists (and twin brothers) Will and Peter Anderson released an album on the Arbors Records label entitled The Best of Berlin, performing 13 tunes composed by Irving Berlin.
“Even though all of the songs may be well known,” wrote The New York City Jazz Record‘s Scott Yanow, “these renditions ultimately sound both fresh and lively.” Highlights, he added, were “How Deep is the Ocean” with Will on flute and Peter on tenor saxophone, Will’s “Phil Woods-esque alto feature on ‘They Say It’s Wonderful’, and the uptempo ‘All By Myself’.” The album, he added, “is a must for fans of swinging (and sometimes rollicking) jazz.”
On Sunday, June 7, the Andersons (photo above), joined by pianist Ehud Asherie, will be playing songs from the album and talking about Berlin’s life story at NJJS’ Jersey Jazz LIVE! concert at the Madison (NJ) Community Arts Center.
This will be the Anderson Brothers’ second Jersey Jazz LIVE! performance. In January 2025, they presented a concert featuring the music of several American composers including the Gershwins, Harold Arlen, and Hoagy Carmichael.
Born and raised in the Washington, DC, area, the Andersons moved to New York City to attend Juilliard. They have performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center; and they were part of the Grammy Award winning soundtrack of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire with Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks.
Asherie was featured in the April 2024 issue of Jersey Jazz in connection with his appearance at the Chicken Fat Ball in Maplewood, NJ. Called “a master of swing and stride” by The New Yorker, Asherie started playing professionally in 1997 with his own trio — Kenji Robinson on bass and Tom Pleasant on drums — performing late Sunday nights at Smalls. Then, he played in bands led by saxophonists Grant Stewart and Bob Mover.
In January 2025, Asherie and trumpeter Bruce Harris released an Arbors album entitled Thank You Barry Harris, a tribute to the late bebop pianist and educator. In the April 2024 interview, Asherie revealed that, “In my formative years, I kind of grew up in bebop — Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Barry Harris — that New York kind of piano playing.” In 2016, his Blue Heron album, Shuffle Along, paid tribute to Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle’s 1921 Broadway musical of the same name. According to Jersey Jazz‘s Joe Lang, it contained “scintillating solo interpretations of eight songs from the show.”
The Andersons and Asherie will be preceded by a Rising Stars opening act featuring tenor saxophonist Sofia Carrasco and pianist Victor Sotomayor (photo below), graduate Jazz Studies students at New Jersey City University, and Co-Founders of the Misti Peruvian Jazz Project, an ensemble dedicated to exploring the intersection of jazz and Peruvian musical traditions.
The Madison Community Arts Center is located at 10 Kings Road in Madison, NJ. The Jersey Jazz LIVE! concerts begin at 3 p.m. Admission is $15 for NJJS members and $20 for non-members. Student admission is $5 with valid ID. There will be light refreshments for purchase. Click here to order tickets in advance.
Funding for Jersey Jazz Live! has been made possible, in part, by funds from Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of The National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding is provided by The Summit Foundation.
ANDERSON BROTHERS PHOTO BY LIA CHANG
