French bassist talks about how Robert Trujillo and Flea helped inspire his multi-genre-spanning bass career and more
Exclusive video interview with FBPO’s Jon Liebman
September 4, 2017
By David Sands
Bertrand Beruard has been making waves in his native France for some time now — and in recent years he’s been making quite a splash around the wider world as well. A lover of many styles, his musical explorations have taken him through a multiplicity of genres, including jazz, rock, funk, salsa and world music. Right now, he’s a permanent member of the Dexter Goldberg Trio, Brice Wassy Quartet, Lynx Trio, Sur Ecoute trio and Cedric Hanriot’s GroOovematic. Beruard also leads his own ethno-groove-jazz ensemble BEPS (a French acronym that stands for Electric Bass, Percussions and Saxophones). Past groups he’s been involved with include Gueules d’Aminche, Son Del Salon, Gustavo Ovalles Group, French Stories, Matteo Pastorino Quartet and the electro-jazz outfit frogNstein.
Beruard’s early education encompassed training at conservatories in Nancy-Metz and Paris (where he studied with Gildas Boclé, Yves Rousseau, Diego Imbert, Dominique Di Piazza and Joe Sanders) as well as stints with the French rock groups Notorious and Les Amis d’ta Femme. Over the course of his career, he’s played with an eclectic roster of artists that includes Orsono Poleo , Nemanja Radulovic , Terri Lyne Carrington, Logan Richardson, Luis Salinas, Ben Powell and others. His musical travels have included performances at international festivals in Canada, China, Uruguay and Argentina. He’s also won numerous awards including the SACEM and SPEDIDAM prizes for his work with frogNstein and the Matteo Pastorino Quartet and the competition of La Défense for his work as a sideman with the Anne Quillier Sextet. He’s also been a professor of jazz since 2007, teaching at institutions like CFPM Paris-Montrouge, APEJS Chambéry, MAI Nancy, PESM de Bourgogne and the Conservatoirex of Clamart-Malakoff and offering masterclasses during tours of Indonesia, SIngapore and Uruguay.
At the World Headquarters of Warwick and Framus in Markneukirchen, Germany, FBPO’s Jon Liebman had an opportunity to speak with Beruard on a variety of topics, including what led him to the bass and why he isn’t looking back after switching to a Warwick five-string Corvette.
Watch our interview with Bertrand!
