Bern Nix (September 21, 1947 – May 31, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist. He recorded and performed with Ornette Coleman from 1975 to 1987 in Coleman's Prime Time band.

Career

A native of Toledo, Ohio, Nix was introduced to music in childhood and began playing the guitar at eleven years old. He listened intently to jazz guitarists, including Wes Montgomery, Jimmy Raney, Barney Kessel, and Charlie Christian. In 1975 he graduated from the Berklee College of Music. For the next twelve years, he played guitar in Prime Time, Ornette Coleman's electric band. Nix led a trio with bassist William Parker and drummer David Cappello from 1985 until his death in 2017. In 1993, the trio released the album Alarms and Excursions. Nix released the solo album Low Barometer on Tompkins Square Records in September 2006. His composition "Les is More" appears on Art and Money, an album released by 1687, Inc. in 2006. In 2013, the Bern Nix Quartet, featuring Francois Grillot, Reggie Sylvester, and Matt Lavelle, released Negative Capability. He also worked with Jayne Cortez, Marc Ribot, Elliott Sharp, Jemeel Moondoc, Ronald Shannon Jackson, and John Zorn.

Discography

As leader

As sideman

With Ornette Coleman With Jayne Cortez With Jemeel Moondoc With others