Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra

Millennial Territory Orchestra

Tearing into witty and funky new arrangements of rarefied jazz nuggets from the 1920s and ‘30s, as well as radically transforming songs by artists such as Prince, The Grateful Dead and The Beatles, Steven Bernstein (Grammy-nominated composer/trumpeter) leads an improvisational nine-piece outfit playing irreverent 21st-century jazz.

Hailed as one of New York City’s most legendary little big bands, Bernstein’s MTO is consistently praised for uniting sexy grooves spanning a century of music—from Don Redman to Sly Stone to the present—with daring jazz abandon.

Most recently, Steven Bernstein’s MTO released a four album series dubbed “Community Music”. Few artists have the audacity to undertake recording and releasing four albums in the time it takes the earth to circle the sun, but that said, few artists are Steven Bernstein. He and his closest musical compatriots from MTO, as well as friends like John Medeski, Catherine Russell and Arturo O’Farrill, offered both original compositions and new arrangements of material ranging from Duke Ellington to George Harrison, Charles Mingus to Louis Armstrong, Allen Toussaint to Earl King. Taking the lessons he’d learned working with legends like Levon Helm, Hal Willner, Henry Butler, Lou Reed and Roswell Rudd, Bernstein proves why he’s considered one of the most unique voices in both modern jazz and creative music across the board.

"...exquisite, with just the right mix of polish and irreverence."

• DownBeat

“This music grooves on multiple levels.”

• WBGO

"...the euphoric energy of the pre-Big Band-era territory jazz ensembles with the audacity of Downtown music and the memorable melodies of pop.”

• Something Else!

"The Hard Way is at once an exercise in humility on the part of the Sexmob and homage to its likeminded sonic savant.”

• Glide Magazine

"....this might be their weirdest and wildest album yet"

• Downbeat, 2023 review of SexMob's The Hard Way

Click here for an amazing WFMU interview covering the entirety of his career.