Brian Bromberg: Baton Rouge (Live from Berks Jazz Fest)

Brian Bromberg has released a new live video from the Berks Jazz Fest in 2021 to celebrate the music of the late Nick Colionne. The jazz guitarist, who passed away on New Year’s Day, was his longtime friend and sat in with him for the concert. Bromberg released a statement with the clip.

“When I was writing the music for my album A Little Driving Music, this song just showed up and essentially just kinda wrote itself. Same with the name, Baton Rouge. It just came to me. I was thinking of Baton Rouge in the summer, hot, humid, sticky, and bluesy. A great vibe! The first musician I thought of to play on the song was guitarist Nick Colionne. We have been friends for years and played together a number of times, but never recorded together. I thought this song would be perfect for him and for the two of us to do together,” he wrote. “This video is from the 2021 Berks Jazz Festival where Nick sat in with my band and we got to perform it live together for the first time. Sadly, I had no idea that it would be the last and only time we would play it together. I am heartbroken that we lost Nico way too soon, but I am so happy that we have this performance of us playing Baton Rouge together. I will cherish this performance and the wonderful smiles we both have playing together.”

Colionne certainly brings his spirit to the music. Bromberg wields his hollow-body piccolo bass for the performance, but a track running his double bass supports the song’s low end.

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Share your thoughts

  1. Thank you Mr. Bromberg! What a fantastic & heartfelt tribute to Nick Colionne. This is so beautiful. Love and blessings to his family, friends, you & the Band

  2. MARK B

    VERY NICE