Welcome
“It would be easy to say that listening to a typical Bernard Brogue track like Birdwatching conjures up the same mood as Solid Air or Pink Moon but nowadays there are a multitude of singer songwriters who invoke the names of John Martyn and Nick Drake in an effort to share in their magic and give the impression that they stand on the shoulders of those giants.
Bernard would be the first to note their influence and yet he has never lost sight of his own original sound. Bernard is unique. His songs come from his travels, which is to say the journey of his heart as much as his literal wanderings.
A song like Sylvia for instance is drawn from a situation where many would only see sex, some would see pity, some passion but Bernard somehow mixes all of these elements and provides compassion. He gives a view of a woman we want to meet; he makes her valued rather than valuable. It’s not difficult to see the connection between Sylvia on the Birdwatching CD and Woman in need on the Escape The Day CD; Bernard isn’t just unique because he writes with honesty and from his heart, which is enough to make each of us fall into the same category; Bernard is unique because he combines that with something magical...a wonderful musical talent.
His song writing is expressed through complex guitar motifs and superb arrangements played by musicians like Vincent Gal, Tom Janssen and a host of other contributors including former Brainbox-singer Kaz Lux. Bernard shares his passion for song writing with other writers and musicians and shares his talent in the best way possible, by collaborating with them to give his songs (and theirs) depth and meaning.
I’ve been lucky enough to have co-written several songs with Bernard and I’ve seen that effort provide us with songs of which I am immensely proud. It’s sad to say but almost inevitable that, in this day of marketing and consumerism, even someone as individual as Bernard has to be filed under a particular category in order to be heard and so, if I was drawn, I would say his music could best be described as Celtic jazz, which he sets against contemporary lyrics that let us into his wandering heart. Now that is unique.”
Tom Fairnie
Bernard Brogue belongs to the British ‘school’ of singer–songwriters like John Martyn, Nick Drake and Irishman Luka Bloom.
Though he still performs solo, Bernard performs frequently with Tom Janssen on fretless bass and Vincent Gal on drums and percussion.
“Certainly there’s some reason the way it goes. Know in my dreams the truth will show.”
Welcome to the new official Bernard Brogue website!