Artie Bernstein

Arthur Bernstein (February 4, 1909 – January 4, 1964) was an American jazz double bassist.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, he started his musical career playing cello on board cruise ships to South America, and also studied law at New York University. However, by 1929 he had started playing bass, and began performing in clubs around New York City. He performed with trumpeter Red Nichols, Red Norvo, Kay Thompson, Lou Bring, Ziggy Elman, The Boswell Sisters, and others, and recorded with Ben Pollack, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, and many others in the 1930s. In 1939 he performed with Benny Goodman at the second From Spirituals to Swing concert.

He fell out with Goodman in 1941 - Goodman fiddled with Bernstein's music-stand light so that he would have problems reading the music and appear incompetent, giving Goodman a pretext to fire him. After leaving Goodman in the summer of 1941, Bernstein planned on heading to Los Angeles for work from New York. Before heading out though, he learned that Teddy Wilson's bassist Israel Crosby was forced to leave the band for Chicago and be inducted into the army. So Bernstein halted his own plans in order to fill in for Wilson for a week until he could hire a new bassist, Bernstein even giving his week's salary to Crosby. A noble gesture rarely seen in the industry at the time.

Despite his fallout with Goodman, he won the Down Beat readers' poll in 1943. He later moved to Los Angeles and worked in the film industry for such companies as Universal Studios and Warner Bros., continuing to work for the latter organization until 1963.

He died in Los Angeles at the age of 54.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 4, 1909 (Brooklyn), Died January 4, 1964 (Los Angeles)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1933 - 1942

Roles Represented in DAHR: string bass

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 70 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-07785 10-in. 4/13/1937 Carelessly Kay Thompson Orchestra ; Rhythm Singers Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and mixed vocal ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor BS-07786 10-in. 4/13/1937 There's a lull in my life Kay Thompson Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor BS-07787 10-in. 4/13/1937 It had to be you Kay Thompson Orchestra ; Rhythm Singers Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and female vocal ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor BS-07788 10-in. 4/13/1937 Exactly like you Kay Thompson Orchestra ; Rhythm Singers Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and male vocal ensemble instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor PBS-026186 10-in. 10/12/1938 J'ai ta main Lou Bring Orchestra ; Jean Sablon Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor PBS-026187 10-in. 10/12/1938 Two sleepy people Lou Bring Orchestra ; Jean Sablon Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor PBS-026188 10-in. 10/12/1938 Un coussin, deux tetes Lou Bring Orchestra ; Jean Sablon Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor PBS-026189 10-in. 10/12/1938 Cette melodie Lou Bring Orchestra ; Jean Sablon Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor PBS-026190 10-in. 10/12/1938 Star dust Lou Bring Orchestra ; Jean Sablon Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor PBS-026191 10-in. 10/12/1938 Blue nightfall Lou Bring Orchestra ; Jean Sablon Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor PBS-036149 10-in. 4/26/1939 Strange enchantment Dorothy Lamour Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor PBS-036150 10-in. 4/26/1939 That sentimental sandwich Dorothy Lamour Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor PBS-036151 10-in. 4/26/1939 The lamp is low Lou Bring ; Dorothy Lamour Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor PBS-036152 10-in. 4/26/1939 The man I love Lou Bring ; Dorothy Lamour Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor BS-037604 10-in. 6/8/1939 You're mine, you! Ziggy Elman Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor BS-037605 10-in. 6/8/1939 Let's fall in love Ziggy Elman Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor BS-037606 10-in. 6/8/1939 Zaggin' with Zig Ziggy Elman Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor BS-037607 10-in. 6/8/1939 I'll never be the same Ziggy Elman Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor BS-043921 10-in. 11/27/1939 What used to was, used to was (Now it ain't) Ziggy Elman Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor BS-043922 10-in. 11/27/1939 Bye 'n bye Ziggy Elman Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor BS-043923 10-in. 11/27/1939 Love is the sweetest thing Ziggy Elman Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor BS-043924 10-in. 11/27/1939 Deep night Ziggy Elman Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor BS-046028 10-in. 12/26/1939 Forgive my heart Ziggy Elman Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor BS-046029 10-in. 12/26/1939 Tootin' my baby back home Ziggy Elman Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor BS-046030 10-in. 12/26/1939 I'm through with love Ziggy Elman Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, string bass  
(Results 1-25 of 70 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Bernstein, Artie," accessed April 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110373.

Bernstein, Artie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110373.

"Bernstein, Artie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110373

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