Manny About Town
Bassist Bergeron Books Bands

By Manny Meland

Chuck Bergeron and Manny Meland

I heard that Chuck Bergeron was involved with the former Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club at the Deauville Hotel on Collins Avenue. The club has a good name and is well known for bringing in top jazz acts. Sandoval’s departure was a surprise as was Bergeron’s appearance on the scene. I knew that Bergeron has been in the business a long time and knows the musicians.

Music has always been a part of Chuck Bergeron’s life. He was born in New Orleans and began studying percussion when he was 8 years old. At 17, he switched from drums to bass and began playing professionally around town. Later, he earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Loyola University and then a master’s in jazz studies at the University of Miami, where he is presently a faculty member. He resided in New York for 12 years, touring and recording with a wide range of jazz luminaries, including Stan Getz, Woody Herman and Buddy Rich. He is a member of the International Association of Jazz Educators and a composer and arranger. For the past five years, Bergeron has been co-arranger and backup bassist for Kevin Mahogany, who Downbeat voted male vocalist of the year.

Chuck Bergeron

I first met Bergeron as back-up bassist with singer Dana Paul when they performed upstairs at the Van Dyke. I decided to email Paul to ask him if he knew what Chuck’s role was at the Deauville. Before I receiving a reply, I happened to drop into the Globe restaurant on Alhambra Street in Coral Gables. Guess who was playing there? Chuck Bergeron. Furthermore, I learned that he had played here two weeks earlier with trombonist John Fedchuck. A week later he and Fedchuck performed together at the Jazz Club at the Deauville. Bergeron and Fedchuck had both played in the Woody Herman Band.

Bergeron told me that he is the musical director at the club at the Deauville. He books their acts. He invited me to the club the following Thursday to hear his 15-piece South Florida Jazz Orchestra. They were doing a farewell concert for trumpeter Alex Norris, who is departing for New York. This first class big band consists of four trumpets, three slide trombones, five saxophones, a bass, a set of drums and a piano. Bergeron is its bassist and leader. “I love this space,” he said. “I’m grateful to Arturo Sandoval for giving us an opportunity to nurture the band’s development at this first class jazz club.”

It was a thrill to hear the South Florida Jazz Orchestra and I admired the musicianship of each of the players. Usually I would expect to see an orchestra of this caliber in a concert hall setting. I wondered how the club could afford to pay 15 top musicians. I guess that is why they play here only once a month.

South Florida Jazz Orchestra.

The good news is that they kept their prices financially friendly for the jazz crowd. The $20 cover at the door gets you two free drinks. There is free parking at the city’s 64th St. and Collins parking lot or you can valet for $12. They provide an affordable menu for a bite or you can order a meal.

Jazz is featured on Thursday night only. Be hip and go see this quality performance in a comparatively intimate setting. For reservations call 305-403-7565 or visit www.deauvillelounge.com.

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