JAZZ REVIEW | Connor Bernhard "Pathways" by Jeff Cebulski

Connor Bernhard.  Pathways, self-produced 2026.

By Jeff Cebulski | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Connor Bernhard, trumpet and flugelhorn

Julius Tucker, piano

Jeff Swanson, guitar

Evan Salvacion Levine, bass

Clif Wallace, drums

Nearly five years after his debut album Altitude, Chicago trumpeter Connor Bernhard gathered most of his cohorts for another recording of personalized themes, now released as Pathways, which continues along the same lines as the debut, albeit with more offerings and chances at covers. What also returns is the same bright, engaging horn that distinguishes Bernhard and lifts the proceedings significantly. His band—the three repeaters Julius Tucker on piano, Jeff Swanson on guitar, and Clif Wallace on drums, joined by Evan Salvacion Levine on bass—follows through with their own engaging support. The unusual combination of trumpet and guitar keeps Bernhard’s arrangements interesting, with Swanson opening up more as the instrumental tag team invigorates the music.

Different from the debut, there are no extended cuts (like the sprawling 11-minute “Bourdain’s Final Tour”) on the new release, yet the compositions leave enough room for exploration. The opener “Jackalope” is a 12/8 romp that imagines the fictional animal out loose. Bernhard’s crystal-clear delivery, aptly matched by Swanson, acts as a revile for the listener, as Wallace provides an exotic back beat upon which Tucker reacts with a measured solo supported by an active Levine. The family-dedicated “Support” drops the pace considerably, with Bernhard and Swanson in lovely tandem. Once again, Tucker and Levine pair for a thoughtful duet that rises in mood before Bernhard re-enters with a paean of appreciation; Wallace’s contrapuntal beats give the song an added complexity.

The driving bop theme “Altitude” reflects Bernhard’s love of the outdoors; his rapid speed tests his band mates, but they come through admirably. After Levine’s relatively lazy solo, Swanson picks up the pace on a swinging extension before the band furiously follows Bernhard to the end. “Claudio,” a tribute to the great Roditi, is a swift, pleasant Samba enhanced by Tucker’s Flanagan-ish comping and Swanson’s Green-like solo. The ballad “Evenings with Linnea” is about a boat, in fact, one of the vessels Bernhard operated on Chicago River cruises; the melody came to him as he heard his trumpet sound bouncing off riverside buildings. The first of three covers follows: Bobby Timmons’ “Dat Dere,” a reharmonization with a great blues solo from Swanson and a Morganesque statement from Bernhard.

Two more memories follow: the hard bop “Moo the Mooch” remembers the food-obsessed family dog, getting spirited solos from Tucker and Swanson; “Lament for Roy” is dedicated to the late Roy Hargrove, as Bernhard exquisitely plays flugelhorn in tribute. After the breezy original “Struttin’,” where trumpet and guitar again pair up (with kudos to Levine’s sumptuous bass support), two covers complete the album. The early Harry Ruby classic “Three Little Words” is rendered with a blazing attack that evinces Bernhard’s and Tucker’s broad range, while a new classic, Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman,” receives what Bernhard calls a “pseudo-latin tex-mex rhythmic feel” that gives the famous melody one more palette among many.

Pathways in an impressive second album by the trumpeter Bernhard, whose talent goes beyond his playing and into imaginative arrangements of songs and fellow musicians, especially in his pairing of trumpet and guitar, piano and bass. Repeated listening makes clear that the future of this ensemble looks as bright and shiny as the tone of its leader.

An album release concert will be performed at The Jazz Showcase in Chicago, Wednesday, April 29. For more info, go to jazzshowcase.com. More info about the album can be found at connorbernhard.bandcamp.com/album/pathways.

About Jeff Cebulski

Jeff Cebulski, who lives in Chicago, is a retired English educator (both secondary and collegiate) and longtime jazz aficionado. His career in jazz includes radio programs at two stations in southeast Wisconsin, an online show on Kennesaw State’s (GA) Owl Radio from 2007 until 2015, and review/feature writing for Chicago Jazz Magazine since 2016, including his column "Jazz With Mr. C". He has interviewed many jazz artists, including Joshua Redman, Charles Lloyd, Dave Holland, John Beasley, and Chris Brubeck, as well as several Chicago-based players. Jeff is a member of the Jazz Journalists Association. Contact Jeff at jeff@chicagojazz.com