In the 1970s, Berlin started playing professionally and was a part of many jazz and fusion bands. He rose to fame as a member of the band Bruford, which also included Allan Holdsworth on guitar, Dave Stewart on keyboards, and former Yes drummer Bill Bruford. Berlin’s bass performance on the 1979 album “One of a Kind” is regarded as a genre masterpiece.
Berlin carried on performing and recording with numerous jazz and fusion bands, including his own band, the Jeff Berlin Band, during the 1980s and 1990s.
During this time, he issued a number of solo albums, such as “Pump It!” (1986), “Taking Notes” (1988), and “In Harmony’s Way” (1998). He contributed to the albums of musicians including Joe Walsh, Billy Cobham, and George Benson as a studio player.
Berlin is a musician, but he is also an educator and an author. “The Total Jazz Bassist” and “Bass Logic: A Comprehensive Method for Learning Bass” are only a couple of the bass playing instructional books he’s published. Along with these institutions, he has also taught at the Musicians Institute and the Berklee College of Music.
