Keyboardist, producer, composer, and house musician for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s band, Corey Bernhard, releases “Vita Nuova,” the first single from his upcoming solo LP, A Blessed Leap into Eternity (Birdbrain Records), today. The suite's closing energetic prayer represents a new birth of hope, passion, and faith. Brazilian rhythms and melodies dance over contemporary harmonies as piano and saxophone trade solos. Bernhard's unique orchestration shines through heavily effected fuzz bass, soprano sax, and an arsenal of piano, keyboards, and synthesizers.
"'Vita Nuova' is a musical manifestation of a conjuring of the elements to create a shift, an awakening, or as the English translation of the title suggests, 'New Life,'" says Bernhard.
A Blessed Leap into Eternity explores themes of faith, God, love, and loss in a sprawling and experimental folk jazz suite. The seven original songs are rooted in Bernhard’s love of jazz, hip-hop, improvisation, and indie rock. He worked closely with engineer Michael Cumming at Treacle Mine, Cumming’s Kensington studio.
Each song on Bernhard’s sophomore solo LP reflects the composer’s passion for musical collaboration. He enlisted many of his musician friends to help fully realize the tracks and their soundscapes. The album features performances not only by Bernhard on keys but also by saxophonist and woodwind player Yesseh Furaha-Ali (Snacktime), bassist Jon Smith (who contributed to and produced Jazmine Sullivan’s Heaux Tales), and drummer Lenny Mobley (Lauryn Hill, Jazmine Sullivan, J Brown, YG Marley, Musiq Soulchild).
“With my first solo project, Fool's Pirouette, I was inspired by the musical circles I was part of, which were heavily focused on hip-hop,” says Bernhard. “I spent a lot of time making beats with my old band, Killiam Shakespeare, and recording at Jazzy Jeff's studio. Most of my friends and collaborators at my Germantown studio were rappers and R&B-focused singers. I'm still proud of that project and the insane collection of artists and musicians involved. These days, making beats doesn’t inspire me the way it used to. Playing with musicians like Charlie Hall has gotten me more excited about indie rock and folk textures. At the same time, being surrounded by virtuosos at The Late Show has me listening to and practicing a lot of classical music.”
From touring with superstar jam fusion group Snarky Puppy and hip-hop icons Pusha T and Talib Kweli to backing up Ed Sheeran on SNL and playing a duo with Ariana Grande live on MTV, Bernhard’s versatility knows no bounds. He’s also played experimental sets with members of The War on Drugs and collaborated with Philadelphia legends Bilal and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Despite his busy schedule, Bernhard somehow finds time to excel in his role as keyboardist on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Hailed by Okayplayer as a “pillar of the Philadelphia music scene,” Bernhard’s solo debut, Fool’s Pirouette, was released in January 2022 and featured on NPR’s notable new music playlist. WXPN praised his pandemic-era collaboration with Philadelphia rapper The Bul Bey on SWTS (2020), noting that the duo “tackles big themes to a beautiful score.” Beyond his own projects, Bernhard has performed with Marsha Ambrosius, Bootsy Collins, Teedra Moses, Lil Simz, Cory Wong, Trombone Shorty, Donald Harrison Jr., Terence Blanchard, Eric Roberson, John Scofield, Meshell N’Degeocello, Lalah Hathaway, Andrew Bird, and Rachel & Vilray. As co-founder, producer, and composer for Killiam Shakespeare, Bernhard contributed to three acclaimed projects featuring artists like Aloe Blacc and Freeway, earning accolades from Wax Poetic, Afropunk, The Huffington Post, and more.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Bernhard graduated from Harvard as an economics major and now resides in Philadelphia with his family.
Don’t Miss Corey Bernhard’s Eternity Ensemble Live!
March 14 – Boston, MA – Venue TBD
March 15 – New York, NY – Brothers Wash & Dry
March 16 – Philadelphia, PA – Venue TBD
Find Corey Bernhard Online:
Instagram: @misterweebles
Facebook: weeblesworld
BirdBrain Records: www.birdbrainrecords.com
