CURRENT LOCATION: NEW YORK


Frederick is working on film, music and audiovisual art projects. He recently co-directed “The Utopians,” a mini series released by the Barbican Centre in 2022.

The Antarctic Biennale

The Antarctic Biennale

CNN / VICE / MONOCLE 24: A pioneering expedition to the seventh continent sought to break down boundaries between art and science.
Found in Ecuador: A Time Capsule for the Ears

Found in Ecuador: A Time Capsule for the Ears

THE NEW YORK TIMES: After his grandfather’s death, a music producer finds a trove of almost perfectly preserved audiotapes representing a vital chapter of Ecuador’s musical history.
Oil and Lava

Oil and Lava

VICE / MOTHERBOARD: The destiny of Ecuador, a small country with outsize ambitions, now depends overwhelmingly on a commodity price it cannot control – while a huge volcano awakens to threaten further chaos.
The Slum Priests of Buenos Aires

The Slum Priests of Buenos Aires

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Before he became Pope Francis, Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio sent many priests to work and live in the slums – or “villas” – of Buenos Aires.
Singing to Be Heard, Behind Bars in Mexico

Singing to Be Heard, Behind Bars in Mexico

THE NEW YORK TIMES: “La Voz Penitenciaría” is a national competition that aims to help reintegrate prisoners into society.
At 450 Years Old, Rio Is Divided Into Two Worlds

At 450 Years Old, Rio Is Divided Into Two Worlds

VICE: As preparations continue for the Olympics in August 2016, Brazil's aspirant global city is in the spotlight once again.
Pimping out Brazil’s invisible recycling force

Pimping out Brazil’s invisible recycling force

BBC: São Paolo artist Thiago Mundano strives to give a voice to a quiet army of 20,000 “catadores” who recycle trash from the streets to keep their city clean.
Flight for Survival

Flight for Survival

BBC / ROADS & KINGDOMS: In the Mexican town of Papantla, the gravity-defying “Voladores” ritual is helping the Totonac people preserve their heritage against the odds.
Latest entries
Manuel Mengis: Freedom First, History Later

Manuel Mengis: Freedom First, History Later

The convoluted side lies in how he twists and turns his ideas, viewing and presenting them from a variety of angles. Many of the tunes possess an element of classical complexity–they are structured in movements, sometimes subtly connected and phasing gradually in and out, but often with clearer lines drawn. “For me the music is...
Alex Wilson - Salsa Con Soul

Alex Wilson – Salsa Con Soul

On his sixth solo album, the award-winning Wilson looks more towards commercial influences than previous work. It would be easy for a man of Alex Wilson’s pianistic talent to cruise along comfortably, picking up sideman or session gigs here and there and continuing to operate in the time-honoured medium of standard small jazz groups. But...
Omara Portuondo: 77 Not Out

Omara Portuondo: 77 Not Out

At 77, Omara Portuondo is an elder stateswoman of world music. Here she tells Frederick Bernas about her new album, Gracias, and reflects on a long life of innovation, cultural enterprise and funny stories. With a musical career spanning 60 years and counting, Omara Portuondo is far from finished. “It is never enough, there is...
Taking Off: James Morton

Taking Off: James Morton

As the Bristol scene becomes increasingly self-confident and highly talented players pour out of the city seeking wider exposure, Frederick Bernas profiles the latest to make a splash, saxophonist James Morton. “I don’t class myself as a jazz musician,” says James Morton. This 26-year-old saxophonist’s philosophy reflects the Bristol music scene that has nurtured him....
Maceo Parker - Pigalle Club, 20/8/08

Maceo Parker – Pigalle Club, 20/8/08

Published in London Tourdates, 5/9/08.
Avishai Cohen - Gently Disturbed

Avishai Cohen – Gently Disturbed

With this release on his own Razdaz Recordz, Avishai Cohen firmly entrenches himself as a frontrunning innovator in the piano trio medium. The Israeli bassist is joined by Mark Guiliana on drums and countryman Shai Maestro on piano – the latter a change in personnel from Continuo (Razdaz, 2006) and Live At The Blue Note...
Portico Quartet: Mercury For Rising Hang Men

Portico Quartet: Mercury For Rising Hang Men

The Portico Quartet are ‘indie’ in the truest sense of the word. Frederick Bernas talks to the Mercury-nominated post-jazz ensemble. It is a genuine musical fairytale. In 2004, the Portico Quartet was just one of countless acts busking the hallowed walkways of London’s South Bank. Four short years later, the group finds itself nominated for...
Polar Bear - Polar Bear

Polar Bear – Polar Bear

Published in London Tourdates, 8/8/08.
Samay - Dingwalls, 16/7/08

Samay – Dingwalls, 16/7/08

The first thing that strikes you about Samay is the intriguing combination of Western and Indian instruments: guitar, bass, saxophone, Tabla and Sarod. From the opening moments of this CD launch gig, it was clear a wonderful sense of communication existed: the five musicians frequently exchanged glances and pushed each other forward during solos. In...

North Sea Jazz Festival 2008

North Sea Jazz Festival Ahoy, Rotterdam July 11-13, 2008 The 33rd North Sea Jazz Festival was a showcase of epic proportions. Fifteen different stages in the Ahoy Centre played host to 200 artists; venues varied in size from large concert halls like the Amazon, Darling and Hudson to smaller, more intimate spaces and stadiumesque acoustic...
Neil Cowley Trio: What's In A Name?

Neil Cowley Trio: What’s In A Name?

Neil Cowley is a jazz musician who doesn’t listen to jazz. Frederick Bernas talks to him about his 20-year career on the piano stool. When their debut album Displaced was released independently in 2006, the Neil Cowley Trio received mixed reactions. Conservative critics with a penchant for old school hard bop and pure, mainstream jazz...

Neil Cowley Trio – Koko, 20/7/08

Neil Cowley Trio + Portico Quartet Koko, Camden Sunday, 20/7/08 Two of our jazz scene’s rising names graced the stage at Koko, a venue normally reserved for the very latest disposable indie bands. Kudos must go to the iTunes festival programmers: even though the total number of acts performing at the month-long free event is...