"When the time comes, Bernstein clicks an invisible switch and the band pops into semi-flawless unison. At that point, you might imagine yourself in Harlem in 1929," says the Village Voice about trumpeter Steven Bernstein's expansive Millenial Territory Orchestra, an ensemble inspired by the pre-swing era territory bands that crisscrossed the country in the 1920s and 1930s.
Loose, rambunctious, and fun with an irreverent take-no-prisoners approach, the MTO grapples with tunes ranging from Basie and Mingus to Prince and the Grateful Dead to an entire album devoted to the funk of Sly and the Family Stone on 2011's MTO Plays Sly. Returning after last year's sold-out debut of his MTO material, the New York-based Berkeley High alum pays homage to his early years by presenting this decidedly local version of MTO featuring a host of Bay Area jazz luminaries including Howard Wiley, Ben Goldberg, Jeff Cressman, and more.