The Bernstein polynomial of an isolated hypersurface singularity has subtle relations with the spectral numbers and the Tjurina number. To study these relations we use the Gauss-Manin connection, Malgrange's description of the Bernstein polynomial and ideas of M. Saito. A general discussion of mu-constant families leads to manageable methods for explicit calculations, which we use on a number of examples. We introduce a matrix which determines simultaneously the Bernstein polynomial and the Tjurina number.