Nathan Berg's debut as a leader, 1991's Fish With No Fins (which was made when he was 18), is so impressive that it is surprising that a follow-up has not been recorded yet. The son of jazz educator and critic Chuck Berg, Nathan had early piano lessons and played bass in the school orchestra when he was in the 5th grade. Clark Terry gave him encouragement when he was 11 and, by the time he was 15, he was accepted into the jazz program at the University of North Texas. As a teenager, Berg played concerts and sessions with Terry, James Moody, Carl Fontana, Bobby Shew, Bill Perkins, Steve Khan, Don Grolnick, John Scofield, Roy Hargrove, Bill Perkins, Gary Foster and the Glenn Miller Orchestra among others. Most significant was a seven-month tour in 1990 with Maynard Ferguson's Big Bop Nouveau Band, appearing on Ferguson's Live At Ronnie Scott's release. Surprisingly not much has been heard of Nathan Berg since 1991. Still fairly young, he has the potential to have a great future in jazz. ~ Scott Yanow