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Bernie Worrell
Bernie was born in 1944 and grew up in Plainfield, NJ. A musical prodigy, he began formal piano
lessons by age three and wrote a concerto at age eight. He went on to study at the Juilliard
School and received a degree from the New England Conservatory of Music in 1967.
After meeting George Clinton, leader of a Plainfield-based doo wop group called The Parliaments, Worrell, Clinton, The Parliaments and their backing band, The Funkadelics, moved to Detroit, MI; thereafter, both groups became collectively known as Parliament-Funkadelic. During the 1970s the same group of musicians separately recorded under the names Parliament and Funkadelic, but toured as P-Funk. Worrell played grand piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, Hohner Clavinet, Hammond B-3 organ, ARP String Ensemble and Moog synthesizer, co-wrote, and wrote horn and rhythm arrangements on hit recordings for both groups and other associated bands under the "Parliafunkadelicment Thang" production company, and many of his most notable performances were recorded with Bootsy's Rubber Band, Parlet, The Brides of Funkenstein and The Horny Horns. While funk musicians traditionally utilized electric keyboards, such as the Hammond organ and Fender Rhodes electric piano, Bernie was the second recipient of the Moog synthesizer created by Bob Moog. He used the ARP Pro Soloist as well. Worrell's synthesizer work is prominent on the majority of Parliament's most popular songs throughout the 1970s. When Parliament-Funkadelic took a hiatus from touring in the early 1980s, Worrell was recruited to perform and record with Talking Heads during their most inventive period. Though he never officially joined Talking Heads, he was a de facto member of the group for most of the '80s. From the late 1980s through the 2010s, Bernie recorded extensively with Bill Laswell, including Sly and Robbie's Laswell - produced Rhythm Killers and the 1985 Fela Kuti album Army Arrangement. Worrell performed with Gov't Mule. Through the beginning of the 21st century, he became a visible member of the jam band scene, performing in many large summer music festivals, sometimes billed as Bernie Worrell and the Woo Warriors. He appeared on several Jack Bruce albums. Bernie joined the rock group Black Jack Johnson, with Mos Def, Will Calhoun, Doug Wimbish and Dr. Know. Bernie's project Baby Elephant was a collaboration with Stetsasonic member/De La Soul producer Prince Paul and longtime Paul associate Don Newkirk. Bernie appeared in the 2004 documentary film Moog with synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog and several other Moog synthesizer musicians. In 2011, he toured with Bootsy Collins, another major figure from Parliament-Funkadelic. From 2011 through 2015, Bernie performed with his group, the Bernie Worrell Orchestra. The band became known for the appearance of special guests at live performances, including Bootsy Collins, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, Jimmy Destri, Mike Watt, Rah Digga and Gary Lucas. In 2015, Bernie appeared in the movie Ricki and the Flash as the keyboard player in Meryl Streep's band. During May 2016, the New England Conservatory of Music gave Worrell an honorary Doctor of Music degree. In January 2016, Worrell was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer. He died at the age of 72 on 24 June 2016. source: Wikipedia |
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homepage: | www.bernieworrell.com |
Horses And Trees Celluloid NY 6126D released 1986 recorded September to November 1985 |
Ginger Baker, drums Foday Musa Suso, Dousongonni Shankar, violin Bernie Worrell, Hammond organ Nicky Skopelitis, guitar Bill Laswell, bass Daniel Ponce, bata, bells Aiyb Dieng, tschatan, bells |
Funk Of Ages Gramavision R279460 released 1990 recorded 1990 in New York City/USA |
Bernie Worrell, clavinet, organ, synthesizer, vocals Steve Jordan, drums, guitar, percussion, vocals Charley Drayton, bass, guitar, percussion Keith Richards, guitar Gary Cooper, vocals Loren Qualls, vocals Uptown horns William Collins, bass, guitar Herbie Hancock, keyboards Maceo Parker, sax |
Middle Passage Island Records 210879 released 1990 recorded in New York City/USA |
Ginger Baker, drums Jah Wobble, bass Jonas Hellborg, bass Bill Laswell, bass Nicky Skopelitis, guitar Faruk Tekbilek, Ney, Zurna Bernie Worrell, Hammond organ Aiyb Dieng, Doff, Dumbek Mar Gueye, Sabar Magette Fall, Tama |
Ritual Beating System Island Records 314510856-2 released 1992 recorded in New York City/USA |
Carlinhos Brown, guitar, percussion, vocals Olodum, drums Wayne Shorter, soprano sax Herbie Hancock, piano Bernie Worrell, Hammond B-3 organ Henry Threadgill, flute Larry Wright, buckets David Chapman, buckets Tony "Funky Drummer" Walls, drums |
Pieces Of Woo - The Other Side CMP CD65 released 1993 recorded 1992/93 in Brooklyn, NY/USA |
Bernie Worrell, Hammond B-3 organ, syntheziser Fred Wesley, trombone Vincent Chancey, French horn Marty Ehruch, bass clarinet Janet Grice, bassoon Patience Higgins, clarinet Amina Claudine Myers, Hammond B-3 organ Bill Laswell, loops, samples |
Live In Japan Restless Records 7 72739-2 released 1993 recorded live 02 August 1992 at Shinjuku Pit Inn, Tokyo; 05 August in Kyoto and 07 August in Imabari/Japan |
Nicky Skopelitis, guitar Foday Musa Suso, koran, guitar, ngoni, percussion, vocals Bernie Worrell, organ, piano, clavinet, synthesizer Bill Laswell, bass Ginger Baker, drums Aiyb Dieng, percussion |
Blacktronic Science Gramavision R279474 released 1993 recorded 1993 in Brooklyn, NY/USA |
Bernie Worrell, Hammond B-3 organ, syntheziser, harpsichord George Clinton, vocals Bootsy Collins, guitar Gary Cooper, vocals Maceo Parker, alto sax Fred Wesley, trombone Bill Laswell, loops, samples Aiyb Dieng, cowbells, percussion Tony Williams, drums |
The Last Poets: Holy Terror Rykodisc RCD 10319 released 1993 recorded in Brooklyn, NY/USA |
Bootsy Collins, guitar, bass, vocals Bernie Worrell, organ, piano, synthesizer Bill Laswell, bass Aïyb Dieng, percussion Don Babatunde, percussion Grandmaster Melle Mel, voice Umar Bin Hassan, voice Abiodun Oyewole, voice George Clinton, vocals |
Color Me Badd: Time And Chance Giant Records 9 24524-2 released 1993 recorded in Los Angeles, CA; New York City; Edina, MN/USA |
Kenny Garrett, alto sax David Boruff, sax Kenneth Holmen, sax Raymond Harris, trombone Fred Wesley, trombone Mike Mossmann, trumpet Ron Tooly, trumpet Dean Brown, guitar Dee Dee James, guitar Michael Thompson, guitar, sitar Amir Bayyan, synthesizer, bass Greg Fitz, Hammond B-3 organ Jimmy Jam, synthesizer Hamza Lee, synthesizer Guy Roche, synthesizer Stephen Wade, piano Bernie Worrell, Hammond B-3 organ Jay Hoggard, vibes Andrea Stern, harp string section Bootsy Collins, bass Omar Hakim, bass Sam Simms, bass Stokley, drums Earl Yowel, percussion Tre Balfour, percussion |
Live Westbound Records CDSEWD 108 recorded live 12 September 1971 at Meadowbrook in Rochester, MI/USA |
Harold Beane, guitar Ed Hazel, guitar Bernie Worrell, organ Bill Nelson, bass Tyrone Lampkin, drums George Clinton, vocals Ray Davis, vocals Fuzzy Haskins, vocals Calvin Simon, vocals Grady Thomas, vocals |
Dope Dogs Dogone Records DOG-9816 recorded in Eastpoint, MI and Brooklyn, NY/USA |
George Clinton, organ, synthesizer, vocals Marcus Belgrave, horn Greg Boyer, horn Benny Cowan, horn Rick Gardner, horn Richard "Kush" Griffith, horn Maceo Parker, horn Greg Thomas, horn Fred Wesley, horn Jerome Ali, guitar Jeff Bass, guitar, organ, synthesizer Bootsy Collins, guitar, bass Phelps "Catfish" Collins, guitar Eddie Hazel, guitar Andrew Innes, guitar Cordell "Boogie" Mosson, guitar Michael "Clip" Payne, guitar, organ, synthesizer, bass, drums, vocals Garry Shider, guitar, vocals Dennis White, guitar Andre Williams, guitar, vocals Robert Young, guitar Tracey Lewis, keyboards, piano, vocals Bernie Worrell, organ, synthesizer Lige Curry, bass, vocals Lonnie Motley, bass Henry Olsen, bass Gabe Gonzales, drums, percussion Man In The Box, drums, percussion Frankie "Kash" Waddy, drums, percussion Barbarella Bishop, vocals Steve Boyd, vocals Jessica Cleaves, vocals Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, vocals Starr Cullars, vocals Raymond Davis, vocals Sandra Feva, vocals Joe Harris, vocals Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins, vocals Shirley Hayden, vocals Larry Heckstall, vocals Amelia Jesse, vocals Kevin Johnson, vocals Robert "P-Nut" Johnson, vocals Louis Kabbabie, vocals Pat Lewis, vocals Jeannette McGruder, vocals Calvin Simon, vocals Grady Thomas, vocals Lloyd Williams, vocals Belita Woods, vocals |
Save Our Children Verve 557297-2 recorded 1998 in West Orange, NJ/USA |
Pharaoah Sanders, soprano sax, tenor sax William Henderson, piano, harmonium Bernie Worrell, organ, piano, syntheziser Tony Cedras, harmonium Jeff Bova, synthesizers Alex Blake, bass Zakir Hussain, tablas, mbira, voice Trilok Gurtu, drums, tablas, percussion Abdou Mboup, talking drum, voice Abiodun Oyewole, voice Asante, voice |
Hallucination Engine Axiom 314-518 351-2 recorded in Brooklyn, NY/USA |
Wayne Shorter, soprano sax, tenor sax Jihad Racy, ney Nicky Skopelitis, baglama, guitar, sitar, synthesizer Jeff Bova, synthesizer Bernie Worrell, Hammond organ, piano Simon Shaheen, oud, violin Lakshminarayana Shankar, violin Bootsy Collins, bass Jonas Hellborg, bass Bill Laswell, bass Sly Dunbar, drums Aïyb Dieng, chatan, congas, percussion Zakir Hussain, tabla Vikku Vinayakram, ghatam William S. Burroughs, voices Liu Sola, voices |
Live At Wetlands bootleg recorded live March 1999 at Wetlands in New York, NY/USA |
Jimmy Herring, guitar Bernie Worrell, organ Jeff Sipe, drums NN, bass |
Twenty Years of Talking Tabla Manteca MANTDBL517 compilation, recorded 1989 through 2003 |
Trilok Gurtu, drums, caxixi, clay pot, congas, percussion, tabla, vocals Huun-Huur-Tu Jan Garbarek, soprano sax, tenor sax Pharoah Sanders, sax Jaya Deva, guitar, vocals Nicolas Fiszman, guitar Amit Heri, guitar Steve Lukather, guitar John McLaughlin, guitar Ralph Towner, guitar Ravi Chary, sitar, harmonium Daniel Goyone, keyboards, piano Célia Reggiani, keyboards William Henderson, piano Bernie Worrell, organ, piano, synthesizer Joe Zawinul, keyboards Carlo Cantini, violin Lakshminarayana Shankar, violin Sandro di Paolo, viola Enrico Guerzoni, cello Kai Eckhardt, bass Jonas Hellborg, fuzz bass Abdou M'Boup, talking drum, voices Zakir Hussain, tabla Sultan Khan, sarangui Sayan Bapa, throat singing Neneh Cherry, vocals Shobha Gurtu, vocals Sabine Kabongo, vocals Salif Keita, vocals Angélique Kidjo, vocals Hadja Kouyate, vocals Shankar Mahadevan, vocals Abiodun Oyewole, vocals Oumou Sangaré, vocals |
MTO Plays Sly The Royal Potato Family RPF 1110 recorded in Brooklyn, NY/USA |
Millennial Territory Orchestra, c/ by Steven Bernstein Peter Apfelbaum, soprano sax, tenor sax Erik Lawrence, soprano sax, baritone sax Doug Weiselman, tenor sax Curtis Fowlkes, trombone Steven Bernstein, trumpet Matt Munisteri, banjo, guitar Vernon Reid, guitar Bernie Worrell, Hammond organ Charlie Burnham, violin Ben Allison, bass Bill Laswell, bass Ben Perowsky, drums Dean Bowman, vocals Antony Hegarty, vocals Shilpa Ray, vocals Sandra St. Victor, vocals Martha Wainwright, vocals |
Live At The Beachland Ballroom bootleg recorded live April 2013 in Cleveland, OH/USA |
Bernie Worrell, keyboards Andrew Kimball, guitar Kyle Cadena, guitar Scott Hogan, bass Glen Fittin, percussion Evan Taylor, drums Nicole Scorsone, violin Derek Davis |
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