# Bernie Senensky

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{{Short description|Canadian jazz pianist, organist, and composer}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Bernie Senensky
| image           =
| caption         =
| image_size      =
| birth_name      = Bernard Melvin Senensky
| alias           =
| birth_place     = [Winnipeg](/source/Winnipeg), [Manitoba](/source/Manitoba), Canada
| birth_date      = {{Birth date and age|1944|12|31}}
| death_place     =
| death_date      =
| instrument      = Piano, organ
| genre           = [Jazz](/source/Jazz)
| occupation      = Musician, composer
| years_active    = 1970s–present
| label           =
| website         =
}}

'''Bernard Melvin Senensky''' (born December 31, 1944) is a Canadian [jazz](/source/jazz) pianist, organist, and composer.

==Life and career==
Senensky was born in [Winnipeg](/source/Winnipeg), [Manitoba](/source/Manitoba), on December 31, 1944.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110512210951/http://www.canadianjazzarchive.org/en/musicians/bernie-senensky.html "Bernie Senensky – Biography"]}}. Canadian Jazz Archive. Retrieved February 26, 2015.</ref><ref name="AM">Yanow, Scott [http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bernie-senensky-mn0000760209/biography "Bernie Senensky"]. AllMusic. Retrieved February 26, 2015.</ref> He received classical piano lessons from the age of nine and became interested in jazz around age 15.<ref name="AM" /><ref name="Hum">Hum, Peter (September 23, 2014) [https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/music/jazzblog/the-bernie-senensky-interview "The Bernie Senensky Interview"]. Ottawa Citizen.</ref> He had one jazz teacher, and thereafter was self-taught.<ref name="Hum" />

He moved permanently to Toronto in 1968.<ref name="AM" /> He played briefly with high-profile visiting musicians, including [Chet Baker](/source/Chet_Baker), [Art Blakey](/source/Art_Blakey), [Art Farmer](/source/Art_Farmer), and [Art Pepper](/source/Art_Pepper).<ref name="Hum" /> Senensky played with [Moe Koffman](/source/Moe_Koffman) between 1980 and 2000, and they toured internationally for several years.<ref name="Hum" /> Senensky has recorded several small group albums since 1975.<ref name="Grove">Miller, Mark [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/J734800 "Senensky, Bernie (Bernard Melvyn)"]. ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'' (2nd ed.). Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 22 May 2015. (Subscription required).</ref>

==Playing style and influences==
Senensky described himself as "essentially a [bebop](/source/bebop) player, and beyond. My heroes are anyone from [Bud Powell](/source/Bud_Powell) to [McCoy Tyner](/source/McCoy_Tyner) to [Keith Jarrett](/source/Keith_Jarrett) and [Herbie Hancock](/source/Herbie_Hancock)".<ref name="Hum" /> Senensky was influenced on organ by [Larry Goldings](/source/Larry_Goldings), [Mike LeDonne](/source/Mike_LeDonne), and [Larry Young](/source/Larry_Young_(musician)).<ref name="Hum" /> ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'' states that "His playing is characterized by his obvious comfort in a wide range of styles, from swing to the assertive post-bop of his own groups."<ref name="Grove" />

==Discography==
An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.

===As leader/co-leader===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year recorded
!Title
!Label
!Personnel/Notes
|-
|1975
|''New Life''
|[PM](/source/PM_Records)
|Trio, with Michel Donato (bass), Marty Morell (drums)
|-
|1989
|''Friday the 14th''
|[Unity](/source/Unity_Records)
|Trio, with Kieran Overs (bass), Barry Elmes (drums)
|-
|1991
|''Re: Action''
|Unity
|Septet
|-
|1991
|''Homeland''
|[Timeless](/source/Timeless_Records)
|Quartet, with [Gary Bartz](/source/Gary_Bartz) (alto sax, soprano sax), [Harvie Swartz](/source/Harvie_S) (bass), [Akira Tana](/source/Akira_Tana) (drums)
|-
|1993
|''Wheel Within a Wheel''
|Timeless
|Quartet, with [Bobby Watson](/source/Bobby_Watson_(American_musician)) (alto sax, soprano sax), [Ray Drummond](/source/Ray_Drummond) (bass), [Marvin "Smitty" Smith](/source/Marvin_%22Smitty%22_Smith) (drums)
|-
|1996
|''Rhapsody''
|Timeless
|Trio, with Jim Vivian (bass), [Bob Moses](/source/Bob_Moses_(musician)) (drums)
|-
|1995
|''New Horizons''
|Timeless
|Quintet, with [Kirk McDonald](/source/Kirk_MacDonald_(musician)) (sax), [Eddie Henderson](/source/Eddie_Henderson_(musician)) (trumpet), [Neil Swainson](/source/Neil_Swainson) (bass), Jerry Fuller (drums)
|-
|2022
|Don't Look Back
|Cellar Live
|Quintet with [Bob Mover](/source/Bob_Mover) (alto sax), [Sam Noto](/source/Sam_Noto) (trumpet), [Neil Swainson](/source/Neil_Swainson) (bass), Barry Elmes (drums)
|-
|2023
|Moment To Moment
|Cellar Live
|Quartet with [Eric Alexander](/source/Eric_Alexander_(jazz_saxophonist)) (sax), Kieran Overs (bass on 1,3,4,6,7 & 8), [Joe Farnsworth](/source/Joe_Farnsworth) (drums on 1,3,4,6,7 & 8), [Dave Young](/source/Dave_Young_(bassist)) (bass on 2 & 5), Morgan Childs (drums on 2 & 5)
|}

Main source:<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bernie-senensky-mn0000760209/discography "Discography"]. AllMusic. Retrieved February 16, 2015.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Senensky, Bernie}}
Category:1944 births
Category:Canadian jazz pianists
Category:Hard bop pianists
Category:Musicians from Toronto
Category:Musicians from Winnipeg
Category:Living people
Category:21st-century Canadian pianists

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bernie Senensky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Senensky) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Senensky?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.