About - Berp & Co
about us
welcome to berp & company
We help musicians become better at what they do. We’re musicians ourselves, and our self-diagnostic tools are based on decades of teaching and performance experience, so we know they really work. It’s important to us that all of our musical accessories are produced locally, using sustainable and recycled materials. We’re proud to provide something of genuine value to our fellow performers—and to put part of our profits back into the music community. The more you know about us, the more we hope you’ll find that our business, like each of our products, is one of a kind.
- Mario Guarneri, President and Founder, berp & company
about mario
mario has done everything from playing dixieland with louis armstrong at the age of thirteen to performing in the los angeles philharmonic for fifteen seasons under conductors zubin mehta and carlo maria giulini.
He was principal trumpet for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for a decade, toured Europe with the Los Angeles Brass Quintet, and has performed with the New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, and even the Barnum & Bailey Circus.
In addition to his solo albums on the Crystal and Nonesuch labels, one of which was nominated for the Prix de Rome, Mario has played on hundreds of television and motion picture soundtracks, and was a featured soloist for movies like Lonesome Dove and Godfather III.
Mario has taught trumpet for more than twenty-five years, including master classes in Asia and Europe, and is currently an instructor at the San Francisco Conservatory. He performs and records regularly with his jazz quartet in the San Francisco area, and has established a worldwide reputation as a creative musician of the highest level.
in 1986, he developed the buzz extension and resistance piece (b.e.r.p.) for all brass instruments.
The berp turned out to be a dynamic advancement in brass pedagogy. Since then, Mario’s lectured extensively on the berp concept at music conventions across the country, including the Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic, Texas Music Educators Association, the International Trumpet Guild, and New York Brass Conference.
the guarneri jazz quartet
The Guarneri Jazz Quartet has established a dedicated following for its innovative interpretations of jazz classics and originals. The group features some of the most creative musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area, and reflects their wide diversity and vast experience. Its members have performed and recorded with artists including Ahmad Jamal, Jimmy Smith, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson, Mose Allison, John Heard, George Duke, Donald Byrd, George Cables, Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders, and Roger Kellaway.
tbd
tbd is a new quartet featuring Mario Guarneri and Erik Jekabson on trumpet and flugelhorn, with Akira Tana on drums, and John Wiitala on bass. The quartet play their music in a linear way, creating implied harmonies and stretching traditional forms.
- Mario founded the nonprofit organization Jazz in the Neighborhood to bring talented Bay Area artists, developing players, and communities together for live music events. Jazz in the Neighborhood creates an environment where professionals can nurture the great American art form with dignity and respect. Our programs provide jazz education, support local venues, and enable dedicated professionals to pass a vital legacy on to the next generation.
Berp and Company is proud of its commitment to putting part of its profits back into the music community. Jazz in the Neighborhood, founded by Mario Guarneri, is the recipient of this money. JitN supports a guaranteed living wage for jazz artists in the San Francisco Bay Area along with inspiring young and old alike to discover the joy of improvisation. “We are putting the music back into the neighborhoods”, says Mario, “where the art form has evolved and been appreciated for decades.”