28 | SMOOTH JAZZ NEWS “Having the group allows us to take more risks, which we might not do on our solo records, but it’s an opportunity to do things we normally might not do,” Brown said. “On ‘Black Pearl’ (from Seriously), I had the idea to combine my two favorite bands from the ’70s—Weather Report and the Grateful Dead—and I think we pulled it o . Normally, a record company would be like ‘Hmm, I don’t know about that.’ But that’s the kind of freedom we have here.” e band have a full slate of tour dates for the year, including the Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest in Reading, Pennsylvania, in March and the Seabreeze Jazz Festival in Panama City Beach, Florida, in April. ey were e usive about the Berks festival and joked about how much they were looking forward to playing onstage with the catwalk at Seabreeze. “I love playing Berks. It’s fantastic,” Bromberg said. “I’ve been playing there for a long time, and John Ernesto (who served as the festival’s artistic director for decades before retiring in 2024) and I have become good friends. I have wonderful memories playing there.” He laughed, remembering that Brown spent the last Berks Jazz Fest in the hospital with a gallbladder issue. “Yes, I had to spend a week there, if you can believe it,” Brown recalled. “Brian visited with John Ernesto, so yeah, I had better times there than that. But I love Berks, otherwise.” e three band members continue to work on music projects outside of the band. “I’ve been busy with a music production company, but I’ve put out four singles in the last couple of years,” Paulo said. “I do a lot of concerts in California and Hawaii every year, but if BPM calls, I drop everything for this.” Bromberg is busy working with Brown on his next solo album. “Hopefully, I’ll have it out by the summer,” Bromberg said. “I’m still playing upright bass in traditional acoustic jazz. I’m an old-school jazz player, and I’ll do another traditional straight-ahead record, also. I love that balance because I don’t have to worry about commercial radio for that kind of record, and that clears my head.” Brown is hard at work producing and mixing for other artists, emphasizing that he’s looking to play as many shows as BPM can t into their schedule. e year promises to be an exciting time for BPM, as they explore the possibilities of the group and make inspired music without boundaries. “Paul talked about Fourplay before,” said Bromberg. “And when they came out, nobody sounded like them. And Spyro Gyra. ey were unique, too. I don’t know what our identity is, but I know what it isn’t, which is great. It means we have a voice, whatever the voice is, that doesn’t sound like anybody else. And that’s the way we want it.” For more information on BPM, including their tour schedule, visit https://bpmjazz.com. ON TOUR continued from page 27 March 22 35th Annual Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest Sunday Brunch DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Reading Reading, Pennsylvania www.berksjazzfest.com April 23 27th Annual Seabreeze Jazz Festival Aaron Bessant Park Panama City Beach, Florida www.seabreezejazzfestival.com June 28 South Coast Winery Resort & Spa presents Rhythm on the Vine® Jazz Concert Series South Coast Winery Resort & Spa Temecula, California www.southcoastwinery.com Photo: Alex Brown
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