Pat Bergeson
Encyclopedia
Pat Bergeson is an American
guitarist
, harmonica
player and occasional songwriter
. Based in Nashville, he is best known for his live and session work with Chet Atkins
, Lyle Lovett
and Suzy Bogguss
.
, Illinois
, and first started playing drums and later picked up the guitar and the harmonica. He studied music at the University of Illinois in Urbana and then moved to New York City, studied Jazz
at William Paterson University
and worked in New York for ten years. After hearing him on a demo tape made by Robert Lee Castleman
, Chet Atkins invited Bergeson to play on his record Sneakin' Around
with Jerry Reed
. Upon Atkins' request Bergeson moved to Nashville and soon established himself as a sought after session and live musician.
Equally at home in fingerstyle and flatpicking guitar playing as well as diatonic and chromatic harmonica styles, Bergeson toured and recorded with Atkins for several years and afterwards became a member of Lyle Lovett's band and also worked with Shelby Lynne
and Wynonna Judd
. His recording credits include albums by such diverse artists as Chuck Loeb
, Sixpence None the Richer
, Trace Adkins
, Randy Travis
, Emmylou Harris
, Bill Evans
, Jon Randall
, Jeff Coffin
, Michael McDonald
, Martin Taylor
, Jo Dee Messina
, Kenny Rogers
, Alison Krauss
, Asleep At The Wheel
, Jesse Winchester
, Martina McBride
, Gail Davies
, Bill Frisell
and Jill Sobule
. Bergeson also contributed to various movie soundtracks, including Ratatouille: What's Cooking?, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Dr. T & the Women
, Two If by Sea
and Michael
.
Bergeson co-wrote songs for artists like Chet Atkins (Mountains of Illinois with Atkins himself and Take a Look at Her Now with R.L. Kass aka Robert Lee Castleman for the album Read My Licks
), Alison Krauss (That Kind of Love with Michael McDonald for the album Forget About It
) and Jeff Coffin (The Evil Boweevil with Coffin, Tom Giampietro and Derek Jones for the album Bloom
).
Under his own name, Bergeson has released three CDs with New York vibraphonist Steve Shapiro
as well as a tribute album to his friend and mentor Chet Atkins and a Mel Bay
instructional video/DVD for jazz guitar titled Contemporary Improvisation.
Bergeson was married to Alison Krauss from 1997 to 2001; together they have one son. He is now married to jazz singer Annie Sellick, with whom he occasionally tours as a duo. Bergeson is also a member of the Hot Club of Nashville with renowned fiddler Stuart Duncan
and guitarist Richard Smith
among others.
He has recently toured worldwide with singer Madeleine Peyroux
, playing electric guitar
and mandolin
, and repeatedly with Suzy Bogguss.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player and occasional songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. Based in Nashville, he is best known for his live and session work with Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
, Lyle Lovett
Lyle Lovett
Lyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man"...
and Suzy Bogguss
Suzy Bogguss
Susan Kay "Suzy" Bogguss is an American country music singer. In the 1980s and 90s she released one platinum and three gold albums and charted six top ten singles, winning the Academy of Country Music's award for Top New Female Vocalist and the Country Music Association's Horizon Award.After...
.
Biography
Bergeson was born in BataviaBatavia, Illinois
Batavia was founded in 1833, and is the oldest city in Kane County, Illinois, with a small portion in DuPage County. During the Industrial Revolution, Batavia became known as ‘The Windmill City’ for being the largest windmill producer of the time...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and first started playing drums and later picked up the guitar and the harmonica. He studied music at the University of Illinois in Urbana and then moved to New York City, studied Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
at William Paterson University
William Paterson University
William Paterson University is a comprehensive public institution located in Wayne, New Jersey serving nearly 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students through five colleges: , , , , and ....
and worked in New York for ten years. After hearing him on a demo tape made by Robert Lee Castleman
Robert Lee Castleman
Robert Lee Castleman is an American country singer and songwriter.His debut album, "Crazy as Me" was released on Rounder Records in 2000.He has won a Grammy Award in 2002 in the Best Country Song category for writing "The Lucky One" performed by Alison Krauss & Union Station.Other songs he wrote or...
, Chet Atkins invited Bergeson to play on his record Sneakin' Around
Sneakin' Around
-Track listing:# "Summertime" # "Cajun Stripper" # "Vaudville Daze"# "Here We Are"# "The Claw" # "First Born" # "Major Attempt At A Minor Thing"# "Gibson Girl"...
with Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...
. Upon Atkins' request Bergeson moved to Nashville and soon established himself as a sought after session and live musician.
Equally at home in fingerstyle and flatpicking guitar playing as well as diatonic and chromatic harmonica styles, Bergeson toured and recorded with Atkins for several years and afterwards became a member of Lyle Lovett's band and also worked with Shelby Lynne
Shelby Lynne
Shelby Lynne is an American singer, songwriter and actress. The success of the 1999 album I Am Shelby Lynne led to her winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, even though she had been active in the music industry for some time...
and Wynonna Judd
Wynonna Judd
Wynonna Ellen Judd is an American country music singer. Her solo albums and singles are all credited to the singular name Wynonna. Wynonna first rose to fame in the 1980s alongside her mother, Naomi, in the country music duo The Judds...
. His recording credits include albums by such diverse artists as Chuck Loeb
Chuck Loeb
Chuck Loeb is a guitarist who performs numerous styles of music, most notably jazz. Loeb's own solo projects have generally been commercially successful crossover jazz, which has "contemporary" or "smooth" jazz....
, Sixpence None the Richer
Sixpence None the Richer
Sixpence None the Richer is an American rock/pop band that formed in New Braunfels, Texas, eventually settling in Nashville, Tennessee. They are best known for their songs "Kiss Me" and "Breathe Your Name" and their covers of "Don't Dream It's Over" and "There She Goes". The name of the band is...
, Trace Adkins
Trace Adkins
Tracy Darrell "Trace" Adkins is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1996 with the album Dreamin' Out Loud, released on Capitol Records Nashville. Since then, Adkins has released seven more studio albums and two Greatest Hits compilations...
, Randy Travis
Randy Travis
Randy Travis is an American country music singer and actor. Since 1985, he has recorded 20 studio albums and charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 22 of which were number one hits...
, Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, Bill Evans
Bill Evans (saxophonist)
Bill Evans is an American jazz saxophonist. His father was a classical piano prodigy and until junior high school Evans studied classical clarinet. Early in his studies he was able to hear such artists as Sonny Stitt and Stan Getz live at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago...
, Jon Randall
Jon Randall
Jon Randall Stewart is an American country music artist. Signed to RCA Records in 1995, he debuted that year with the album What You Don't Know. A second album for RCA, 1996's Great Day to Be Alive, was recorded but never released...
, Jeff Coffin
Jeff Coffin
Jeff Coffin is an American jazz and alternative rock musician best known as the saxophonist for Dave Matthews Band and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. In addition to the saxophone, he plays clarinet, flute and oboe.-Biography:...
, Michael McDonald
Michael McDonald (singer)
Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan...
, Martin Taylor
Martin Taylor
Martin Taylor, MBE is a British jazz guitarist who has performed in groups, guitar ensembles and as an accompanist to many of the world’s most famous musicians...
, Jo Dee Messina
Jo Dee Messina
Jo Dee Marie Messina , known professionally as Jo Dee Messina, is an American country music artist. She has charted nine Number One singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and has been nominated for two...
, Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
, Alison Krauss
Alison Krauss
Alison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
, Asleep At The Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel is a American country music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, but based in Austin, Texas. Altogether, they have won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception. In their career, they have released more than twenty studio albums, and have charted more than twenty...
, Jesse Winchester
Jesse Winchester
Jesse Winchester is a musician and songwriter who was born and raised in the southern United States. To avoid the Vietnam War draft he moved to Canada in 1967, which is where and when he began his career as a solo artist. His highest charting recordings were of his own tunes, "Yankee Lady" in 1970...
, Martina McBride
Martina McBride
Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range....
, Gail Davies
Gail Davies
Gail Davies is an American country music singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of country singer Tex Dickerson....
, Bill Frisell
Bill Frisell
William Richard "Bill" Frisell is an American guitarist and composer.One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late 1980s, Frisell's eclectic music touches on progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise and more...
and Jill Sobule
Jill Sobule
Jill Sobule is an American singer-songwriter best known for the 1995 single "I Kissed a Girl", and "Supermodel" from the soundtrack of the 1995 film Clueless...
. Bergeson also contributed to various movie soundtracks, including Ratatouille: What's Cooking?, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Dr. T & the Women
Dr. T & the Women
Dr. T & the Women is a 2000 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Altman. It stars Richard Gere as wealthy gynecologist Dr. Sullivan Travis and Helen Hunt, Farrah Fawcett, Laura Dern, Shelley Long, Tara Reid, Kate Hudson and Liv Tyler as the various "women" that encompass his everyday...
, Two If by Sea
Two If by Sea
Two If by Sea is a 1996 romantic comedy feature starring Sandra Bullock, Denis Leary, Stephen Dillane and Yaphet Kotto. It was directed by Bill Bennett and written by Ann Lembeck, Mike Armstrong and Denis Leary.- Plot :...
and Michael
Michael (1996 film)
Michael is a 1996 American fantasy film directed by Nora Ephron and released in 1996. The film stars John Travolta as the Archangel Michael, who is sent to Earth to do various tasks, including mending some wounded hearts...
.
Bergeson co-wrote songs for artists like Chet Atkins (Mountains of Illinois with Atkins himself and Take a Look at Her Now with R.L. Kass aka Robert Lee Castleman for the album Read My Licks
Read My Licks
Read My Licks is a recording by American guitarist Chet Atkins.David Hungate and Chet again co-produce with a number of guest musicians. Suzy Bogguss contributes a lead vocal on "After You've Gone". She and Chet released a duet album the same year...
), Alison Krauss (That Kind of Love with Michael McDonald for the album Forget About It
Forget About It
Forget About It is the eighth studio album by Alison Krauss, released in 1999. It reached number 5 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. The lead-off single "Forget About It" peaked at number 67 on the Country Singles Chart and "Stay" reached number 28 on the Adult Contemporary chart.-Track...
) and Jeff Coffin (The Evil Boweevil with Coffin, Tom Giampietro and Derek Jones for the album Bloom
Bloom (Jeff Coffin album)
Bloom was the fourth album released by Jeff Coffin, released in 2005. This album was the second album recorded and released with the Mu'tet, a constantly changing group of guest musicians that play with Coffin.-Track listing:...
).
Under his own name, Bergeson has released three CDs with New York vibraphonist Steve Shapiro
Steve Shapiro
Steve Shapiro is an American music producer, session musician, and jazz vibraphonist.-Biography:Shapiro grew up in Connecticut and graduated from Yale University in 1985 after studying with artists Steve Swallow, Dave Samuels and Anthony Davis. He was an early proponent of midi synthesizers, and...
as well as a tribute album to his friend and mentor Chet Atkins and a Mel Bay
Mel Bay Publications
Mel Bay was a musician best known for his series of music education books. His Encyclopedia of Guitar Chords remains a bestseller.-Childhood and early life:...
instructional video/DVD for jazz guitar titled Contemporary Improvisation.
Bergeson was married to Alison Krauss from 1997 to 2001; together they have one son. He is now married to jazz singer Annie Sellick, with whom he occasionally tours as a duo. Bergeson is also a member of the Hot Club of Nashville with renowned fiddler Stuart Duncan
Stuart Duncan
Stuart Duncan is a bluegrass musician who plays the fiddle, mandolin, guitar and banjo. Born in Quantico, Virginia and raised in Santa Paula, California, where he played in the school band, he has been a member of the Nashville Bluegrass Band since 1985, and is a much-in-demand session musician...
and guitarist Richard Smith
Richard Smith (musician)
Richard Smith is an English guitarist, now residing in the USA and specializing in the fingerstyle tradition of Merle Travis, Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed. He is the 2001 National Fingerstyle Guitar Champion.-Biography:...
among others.
He has recently toured worldwide with singer Madeleine Peyroux
Madeleine Peyroux
Madeleine Peyroux is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Peyroux is noted for her vocal style, which has been compared to that of Billie Holiday....
, playing electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, and repeatedly with Suzy Bogguss.
Discography
Recordings under his own name:- Xylophobia (Curious/Sons of Sound), with Steve Shapiro, Marc Johnson, Danny Gottlieb, Kevin Hays, Tim Ries, Mike Davis, Jim Hynes (2002)
- Low Standards (Sons of Sound), with Steve Shapiro, Doug Weiss, Scott Kreitzer, Jeff Williams, Annie Sellick (2005)
- Country Gentleman - A Tribute To Chet Atkins feat. Pat Bergeson (Green Hill), with Tommy EmmanuelTommy EmmanuelWilliam Thomas "Tommy" Emmanuel AM is an Australian guitarist, best known for his complex fingerpicking style, energetic performances and the use of percussive effects on the guitar. In the May 2008 and 2010 issues of Guitar Player Magazine, he was named as "Best Acoustic Guitarist" in their...
, Suzy Bogguss, Richard Smith, Paul Yandell and others (2007) - Backward Compatible (Apria), with Steve Shapiro, Annie Sellick, Marc Johnson and others (2008)
- Contemporary Improvisation (Mel Bay), instructional DVD for jazz guitar
- Hippy Dance (Angelbutt), with Dan Anderson, Tom Roady, Jeff Coffin, Steve Shapiro and others (2011)