Chris Bergson - East River Blues (2026) [Hi-Res]

East River Blues, the forthcoming CRS release from internationally acclaimed guitarist/singer Chris Bergson is a reflection on 30 years of playing music in New York and pays tribute to some of Bergson's

biggest blues and jazz influences including Muddy Waters, Ray Charles as well as heroes from the classic 60s Blue Note era like Grant Green, Lou Donaldson and Herbie Hancock. The album features Bergson in trio with premier bassist Larry Grenadier (John Scofield), master drummer Herlin Riley (Dr. Lonnie Smith) and on three selections, quartet with longtime bandmate saxophonist Jay Collins (Gregg Allman.)

For guitarist and singer Chris Bergson, the early months of 2025 were auspicious in more ways than one. In January, he completed his 30th year of living in New York City. His Big Apple residency, which started in the mid-'90s amid pre-dawn jams at Smalls, lessons with jazz guitar great Jim Hall and classes at the Manhattan School of Music, had gradually made him a professional musician, as well as a husband, father and deep explorer of the blues. He felt the need to commemorate this anniversary in the best manner he knew how--with the recording of a special album.

Calls were duly placed, schedules were calibrated, and a studio date was booked for June at NRS Recording in Catskill, NY. You can now hear the happy results on East River Blues. Grenadier and Riley's solid, empathetic support of Bergson's guitar and voice is apparent from the second they enter the album's opening cut, a down-and-dirty run through Muddy Waters' Mean Disposition..