Will Bernard & Beth Custer | "Sky"

Guitarist Will Bernard and clarinetist and singer Beth Custer have forged a remarkable, musical partnership that spans decades and is reflected in their new release, SKY. From the opening, wistful ‘Bear in Shamanic Transformation’ to the deep and doleful ‘The Curve’, from the Chopin influenced ‘Sweeping Staircase’ waltz to the raunchy ‘Not Necessarily Stoned, ‘SKY’ features diverse compositional styles and mastery of instruments. Sixteen tracks that take the listener on a 52-minute a sweet, luscious road trip, one that pulls the listener in, leaving them wanting to take the SKY trip endlessly. Recorded by Jeff Cressman Studios in San Francisco, and mastered by Jeremy Goody of Oakland, and produced by Bernard and Custer, SKY is made of mostly first takes, with very little over- dubbing. Sonically, Custer’s growling bass and soaring Bb clarinets, and her unique, tender voice mix enticingly with Bernard’s palate of guitar sounds that include acoustic and electric lap steels, vintage acoustics, resonator guitars, both clean and effect drenched. When listening you feel as if you’re in the room with the duo, the recording is so intimate. Trailblazing in its simplicity, the CD showcases a musical endeavor that is deeply listenable and multi-dimensional, ‘SKY’ is one for the permanent collection.

Will Bernard's unique voice was formed from the most part from the rich cultural roots of the San Francisco Bay Area. Along the way he studied classical music, jazz, played in basements and coliseums and absorbed the Bay Area Multi Kulti, the funk of New Orleans, and the New York downtown edge. He has performed and/or recorded with Charlie Hunter, Stanton Moore, Robert Walter, John Medeski, Bill Laswell, Ben Sidran, Peter Apfelbaum, Dr John, Tom Waits and a lot of other known and unknowns. His 2007 CD "Party Hats" as well as his 1997 collaborative project T.J. Kirk "If Four Was One" were both nominated for Grammys. “Pond Life”, released 2022 on Dreck to Disk records is his11th album as a leader. Will is a resident of Brooklyn NY. Ranking in the top tier for clarinetistry in DownBeat Reader’s poll, Beth Custer is a member of the Club Foot Orchestra, of David James’s GPS, of the 4th world Trance Mission, the triphop duo Eighty Mile Beach, the jazz quartet Clarinet Thing, and the ensemble Russian Telegraph, named for two of San Francisco’s hills. Beth has created scores for Zeitgeist, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, for the films of Brad Coley, William Farley, Esther Paik-Mander, and Cathy Lee Crane. She received an EMMY for her KQED score ‘Mantis Shrimp.' She’s created scores for the dance troupes the Joe Goode Performance G.