SHELLY BERGER who resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a busy arranger, composer, producer and bassist in numerous musical settings. He has worked recorded and toured with many name jazz artists such as Diana Krall, Louis Bellson, Kenny Burrell, Herb Ellis, Lew Tabakin, Ernestine Anderson, Ruby Braff, Mark Murphy, Joanne Brackeen, Red Norvo, Don Menza and Roger Kellaway. Shelly also occupied the Musical Director’s chair for Anita O’Day for approximately 3 years.
In the world of contemporary entertainment, Berger worked as an arranger-producer for Sharon, Lois & Bram, Quartetto Gelato, and Matt Dusk, and produced, arranged, and recorded with numerous pop acts including Loreena McKennitt, Chaka Khan, Don Ross & Emilie-Claire Barlow & David Clayton-Thomas,.
In the broadcast field he served as arranger/producer for television series including The Elephant Show and Sesame Street, as well as themes for TSN Sportsbreak and TSN Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos baseball broadcasts.
To date, Shelly Berger has released four CDs: Solana, The Shelly Berger Big Band, Shelly Berger & Look Up.
Here is a partial list of orchestras Shelly Berger has written arrangements for:
- The Toronto Symphony Orchestra
- The Kitchener/ Waterloo Symphony
- Metropole Orckest
- The Kingston Symphony Orchestra
- The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
- The Utah Symphony Orchestra
- The Portland Symphony Orchestra
- Moscow Symphony Orchestra
- Windsor Symphony Orchestra
- Orchestre Symphony de Quebec
- National Arts Centre Orchestra
- The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
- The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
- The Missouri Symphony Orchestra
- Danville Symphony Orchestra
- Niagara Symphony Orchestra
- The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra
- The Philadelphia Pops Orchestra
- The Virginia Symphony Orchestra
- Canada Pops Orchestra
- Allentown Symphony Orchestra
- Symphony Nova Scotia
- The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
- The Greensboro Symphony Orchestra
- The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
- The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
- The Rochester Symphony Orchestra
- The Houston Symphony Big Band
Shelly Berger has either produced, performed, arranged or written compositions for the following artists:
- Anita O’Day
- David Clayton Thomas ( formerly with Blood ,Sweat & Tears )
- Emilie-Claire Barlow
- Peter Erskine ( formerly with Weather Report .Chick Corea & Pat Metheny )
- Sammy Nestico ( formerly with Count Basie, Frank Sinatra & Sarah Vaughn )
- Lew Tabakin
- Ed Bickert
- Louis Bellson ( formerly with Duke Ellington )
- Don Menza ( formerly with Henry Mancini, Buddy Rich. Neil Diamond & Dolly Parton )
- Charles McPherson
- Sonny Fortune
- Ernestine Anderson
- David Benoit
- Ruby Braff
- Nathaniel Dett Chorale
- Larry Goldings ( formerly with James Taylor & Aretha Franklin )
- Alan Broadbent ( formerly with Woody Herman & Natalie Cole )
- Dizzy Reese ( formerly with Hank Mobley, Victor Feldman, Dizzy Gillespie & Philly, Joe Jones )
- The Philly Pops
- Aura Urziceanu-Rully
- Sam Noto ( formerly with Stan Kenton , Count Basie & Dexter Gordon )
- Ollie Mitchell ( formerly with Frank Sinatra, Harry James & Shorty Rogers )
- Marc Murphy
- Sharon, Lois and Bram
- Helen Forrest ( formerly with Harry James, Artie Shaw & Dick Haynes )
- Liberty Silver
- Kenny Burrell
- Jimmy Cleveland ( formerly with Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, James Brown, Gil Evan’s & Milt Jackson )
- Steven Page ( formerly with The Barenaked Ladies )
- Joanie Sommers
- Jack Dejohnette
- Arturo Sandoval
- Martin Short
- Scatman Cruthers
- Donald O Conner
- Mickey Rooney
- Roger Kelloway
- Jules Buckley ( Metropole Orkest)
- Bill Watrous ( formerly with Quincy Jones, Deodato, Maynard Ferguson & Milton Nascimento )
- Dave Koz
- Lorne Lofsky ( formerly with Oscar Peterson, Ed Bickert & Chet Baker )
- Frank Strazzeri ( formerly with Billie Holiday & Harold Land )
- Matt Catingub
- Mavis Rivers
- Neil Donnell ( currently lead vocalist with Chicago )
- Larnell Lewis l ( currently drummer with Snarky Puppy )
- Peter Appleyard ( formerly with Benny Goodman, Mel Torme & Slam Stewart )
- Joanne Brackeen
- Sam & Dave
- Don Thompson ( formerly with George Shearing, Paul Desmond, Jim Hall & Moe Koffman )
- Sarah Slean
- Ritchie Cole
- Ranee Lee
- Jane Bunnett
- Matt Dusk
- Bowfire
- Quartetto Gelato
- Toronto Mass Choir
- Timothy Bottoms
- Eleanor McCain
- Chris Connor
- Big Nick Nicholous
- Dave Bennett
- Gene Dinovi
- Tommy Banks
- Richard Podolor ( formerly with Three Dog Night, Smith, Alice Cooper & Blues Image )
- Brian Crabb
- Bob Mover ( formerly with Charlie Mingus & Lee Konitz )
- Terry Clarke ( formerly with 5th Dimension & Jim Hall )
- Bill Armstrong ( formerly with The Eagles )
- Archie Alleyne ( (Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins Lester Young), )
- John Mahon ( formerly with Elton John )
- Phil Wilson ( formerly with Louis Armstrong, John Scofield, WoodyHerman & Ernie Watts )
- Chantal Kreviazuk
- Red Norvo
- Herb Ellis
- Quartango
- Hagood Hardy
- Pat Labarbera ( formerly with Buddy Rich & Elvin Jones)
- Norma Winstone
- Guido Basso
- Diana Krall
- Moe Koffman
- Pete Chrislieb
- Don Ross
- Dorthy Donegon
- Loreena McKennitt
- David Rose
- Brent Carver
- Art Of Time Ensemble
- John Riley ( formerly with Lalo Schifrin & Bob Mintzer )
- Ingrid Jensen ( formerly with Maria Schneider )
- Bill Green ( formerly with The Beach Boys & Benny Carter )
- Jim Cox (formerly with Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow & Aerosmith )
- Chet McCracken ( Currently with The Doobie Brothers )
- Michael Colgrass – (Composition) – Composer
- James Rolfe – (Composition) – Composer
- Rick Wilkins – (Arranging) – Freelance Arranger
- Claudio Vena – (Conducting) – Freelance Conductor
- Dr. Anthony Dawson – (Composition)
- Helena Bokun – (Piano) – Concert Pianist
- Bruce Bransby – (Bass) – L.A. Philharmonic
- Jack Smalley ( Composition – Filmscoring ) – Film Composer
- Abe Luboff – (Bass) – L.A. Studio Musician
- Mundell Lowe – (Filmscoring)- Guitarist and Film Composer
- Dick Grove – (Arranging) – Dick Grove School of Music
- Sam Dolan – (Composition)- Royal Conservatory
- Jane McAdam – (Bass) Toronto Symphony
- Ted Moses – (Composition) Jazz Composer Arranger
- Dave McMurdo – (Trombone) – Arranger/ Trombonist
- Murray Lauder – (Bass) Studio Musician
- Tony Braidon – (Bass) Studio Musician
- (2018) “JUNO NOMINEE” – “Old School Yule – ” Matt Dusk (CD) – Arranger
- (2017) “JUNO NOMINEE” – “Quiet Nights – ” Matt Dusk (CD) – Arranger & Producer
- (2016) “JUNO WINNER” – “Jazz Vocal Recording” “ – ” Clear Day “- with the METROPOLE ORKEST conducted by JULES BUCKLEY” – Emilie- Claire Barlow – (CD) – Composer/Arranger
- (2014 ) “JUNO NOMINEE” – My Funny Valentine – The Chet Baker Songbook” Matt Dusk (CD) – Arranger & Producer
- (2013) ” INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS” – Rush Mode- The song Rush Mode was NOMINATED for “Best Jazz Song” and “The Last Of The Summer Days” for best “Jazz Song With Vocals” Mike Field (CD) – Producer
- (1998) ” JUNO NOMINEE” – “As If ” Ted Quinlan (CD) – Producer
- (1991) “JUNO NOMINEE” – “A To Z” Sharon, Lois & Bram (CD) – Arranger
- (1984) “GRAMMY NOMINEE” – “Hi Tech Big Band” “Matt Cattingub Big Band” (CD) – Bass
- (1981) “JUNO NOMINEE” – “Swinging and Singing” Sharon, Lois & Bram (CD) – Arranger
- (1980) “JUNO WINNER” – “Smorgasboard” Sharon, Lois & Bram (CD) – Arranger
GRANTS
- Canada Council “B” Grant ( 2019 )
- Ontario Arts Council Grant
- Canada Council “B” Grant ( 1985 )
- Humber College – (Jazz Arranging, Pop Arranging, Aesthetics Of Recorded Sound, Creative Development, Theory, Jazz Ensemble & Bass )
- Humber College Big Band Conductor/Musical Director, Jazz Composition and Analysis
- Centennial College – ( Composition )
- The Shelly Berger Music School – (Arranging & Theory )
- Mohawk College – (Bass)
- New School of Music – (Bass)