Tim Berne and the Copenhagen Art Ensemble With Herb Robertson and Marc Ducret: Open, Coma

In his nearly half-century of making music, Tim Berne has been exceptionally committed to evolutionary exploration in terms of his compositions, ensembles and the presentation of the two in always unpredictable and exciting ways.  This listener was blown away in 1991 with the purchase of his Pace Yourself album with the Caos Totale collective.  The whole album was incredible, but the centerpiece to these ears was "The Legend of P-1," a 26-minute tour de force with the altoist joined by trombonist Steve Swell, Mark Dresser on bass, drummer Bobby Previte, Marc Ducret on guitar and Herb Robertson playing trumpet, cornet, flutes, flugelhorn and more.

A few years later, the next Caos Totale recording was Nice View, with the group joined by Django Bates on keys, piano and the E-flat horn and stretching, in the best way, for nearly 40 minutes is the astounding "Impacted Wisdom."  Recorded that same year, 1994, and released the following one was Memory Select, the third in a series of live albums by another phenomenal Berne group, Bloodcount, including Ducret along with Chris Speed on clarinet and tenor, bassist Michael Formanek and Jim Black on drums.  Only two tracks were on the recording, including the 51-minute "Eye Contact."

With these three mammoth works performed live for radio broadcast and the new studio-recorded "Open, Coma," the album of this latter name marked the first time Berne recorded with a larger ensemble, including ten musicians and a conductor, allowing him to work with the material and the performers in a different way because he released this stunning recording on his own Screwgun label.  What stands out to this largely untutored listener is how the complex compositions, which already sounded full-bodied with Caos Totale and Bloodcount, become richer and deeper and the sound is more expansive and enveloping.

Robertson and Ducret are part of the ensemble, which includes tenor and soprano saxes, flute, clarinet and bass clarinet, a second trumpet, a cornet, a trombone, a bass trombone, a tuba, a piano and organ and a bassist and drummer.  Berne's compositions often have a classical, orchestral feel in the arrangements and the ways the instrumentation works with harmonies, including contrasting ones, but to have this expanded lineup, they effect is even more striking.

What's great, as well, as that, with this more symphonic character, these extended pieces could each be heard as having a variety of movements, as in classical composition, as tempo, tone, and other aspects of form change, including light and shade and movement from quiet, contemplative sections to powerful, propulsive intensity.  The diversity of color in the types of instrumentation also stand out, so that, even if a listener has heard the Caos Totale and Bloodcount pieces on those three records, there are, of course, familiar aspects, namely melodic elements, but there is a freshness to the larger ensemble performance that makes them sound new, including, as just one example, the use of organ and piano with Ducret's guitar in "Impacted Wisdom" that hearkens somewhat to Miles Davis' In A Silent Way.

In 35 years of listening to Berne's amazing body of work, Open, Coma stands out because of this rare opportunity for a big band-type of ensemble and it should be noted that it took him, Robertson and Ducret traveling to Europe for it to happen.  This was more than a quarter-century ago and it seems only fair and reasonable that Berne be given an opportunity to make more music like this in our country.

Tim Berne's Snakeoil: You've Been Watching Me

With Tim Berne, there's pretty much a constant that there is no constancy in his prolific catalog of work dating back now close to a half-century.  The alto saxophonist and composer is so fascinating because he continually pushes his music in new directions through varied ensembles, instrumentation, and sonic approaches to his pieces.  While he often has groups gathered under a banner, such as Snakeoil, even these can be very different from recording to recording.

With this project, Berne was signed to ECM, the German label that made its name largely because of its long-running association with Keith Jarrett and for whom Berne's wife worked as its American label chief, and this meant more opportunity for a broader audience, especially as he had not released a studio album in eight years when the self-titled Snakeoil album was released in 2012.  This was then followed the next year by Shadow Man, and then, in 2015, with You've Been Watching Me.

Recorded at the end of 2014, the album features Berne's usual pastiche of pieces offering complex themes, remarkable dynamics, often abrupt time-shifting and incredible playing requiring musicians who can listen to and work off each other.  Piano is not an instrument heard on that many of the composer's records, though the incredible Craig Taborn memorably made a huge impact on Science Friction and the astounding The Sublime And in the early 2000s.

Here, Matt Mitchell plays the instrument and introduces electronics to great effect, adding significant color and shading.  For the rhythm section, Ches Smith uses all the resources of his drum kit, as well as vibraphone, tympani and other percussive elements and works very well with Mitchell.  There is no bass guitar, by Oscar Noriega, bass clarinet and the impressive guitar work of Ryan Ferreira, often function to develop that section of the ensemble.  Moreover, Noriega provides a remarkable counterpoint in sound to Berne's alto when they play in unison and offers impressive solos.  Berne is always a fascinating player projecting innovation and intensity buttressed by awesome ensemble support and You've Been Watching Me is another compelling and deeply immersive listening experience by a great composer and musician who should garner more attention and support for his diverse and significant body of work over the decades.

Tim Berne/Hank Roberts/Aurora Nealand: Oceans And

After 32 years of following an incredible array of immensely creative and intensely restless musical explorations from the amazing Tim Berne, I finally got to see him perform live last night at Zebulon in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles with long-time collaborator, cellist Hank Roberts, and accordionist, clarinetist and vocalist Aurora Nealand under the banner of Oceans And.

The concert was one extended piece featuring the remarkable interplay between these three master musicians and it was striking to hear the tonal relationships between Roberts and Nealand, especially when he was playing arco, with Berne demonstrating his usual stunning excursions on his alto.  To see all three listening intently, eyes closed, as the performance unfolded was interesting to observe as well as to hear what they offered up.

Often, Roberts would turn to playing the cello pizzicato, as well as tapping and drumming on his instrument, sometimes with breathtaking variety.  Nealand made the most of the accordion in terms of her solos and accompaniment, including as a drone.  The interplay between these two was often staggering as they provided an underlayment to Berne's playing.

There were long passages of quieter performance as well as those with a boiling intensity and it ebbed and flowed (perhaps this is where the ocean metaphor comes in?) and Berne's weaving in and out, sometimes with a plastic bottle inserted in the horn was often very powerful.  So, too, were sections in which overtones were employed and the three instruments were so in sync that it sounded almost orchestral.  Beautiful, mysterious, contemplative, unnerving—a wide range of emotions were expressed, including when Nealand offered wordless vocalizations that echoed what her bandmates were playing.

In many ways, the Oceans And album, released by the Swiss label Intakt in April, is what was heard in the concert, but longer and divided into a dozen tracks.  All of the qualities and characteristics are there, but it doesn't really seem to matter that there are individual pieces and titles and listening to the recording, which is beautifully rendered, recorded, mixed and engineered, it felt like the breaks into the tunes didn't matter because the performance of this highly immersive music made it seem like time was being stretched.

After the playing stopped, a man in front of me commented that, if someone was looking to discover jazz, this was probably not the place to start.  Perhaps—but Tim Berne's immense discography should be part of any primer even if a major recalibration is needed in terms of how to listen to music not observing standard conceptions of time, rhythm and harmony.

The other act performing last night was the power trio Harriet Tubman, so the next post will feature that amazing group and its latest recording, The Terror End of Beauty.

Tim Berne's Bloodcount: Unwound

In his mid-60s, Tim Berne, always a prolific producer of incredible experimental jazz, dating back some four decades, decided to ramp up his releases in 2020, issuing several recordings during the pandemic.  Dedicated to his music and uncompromising in his vision, Berne has been a remarkable and fascinating figure, working with all kinds of ensembles and in small duo and trio settings, churning out just amazing music.

One of his more impressive projects is Bloodcount, in which the alto and baritone sax master is joined by Chris Speed on tenor sax and clarinet, bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Jim Black.  This three-disc set, released by Berne's DIY Screwgun label, of live recordings in spring 1996 from Berlin and Ann Arbor, Michigan allows for Berne's ideas to be stretched out, more fully developed and, ultimately, richer because of the incredible interplay and brilliant solo work found throughout.

The shortest track here, "Loose Ends" is thirteen minutes and "What Are the Odds?" is well over forty minutes, but all of these pieces have their individual segments in which group interaction, solos, points of intensity and then of introspection are so well played and projected that the music never drags.  The quieter (if often foreboding) passages provide a break and contrast from the powerful sections and Berne's uniquely angular approach to composition and group dynamics always guarantee suprises and interesting twists and turns.

Berne and Speed are compelling in their harmonization and their soloing, during which the other horn player often riffs in interesting ways.  Black is a dynamic present behind the kit, playing thunderous and often highly complex solos, while always beautifully supporting the others.  Formanek is perhaps the glue that holds all this together with his amazing and supple presence and really interesting solos.  Berne has always been masterful in juxtaposing power and ambience and making the most of group interplay and Bloodcount and this set represent the best of how this is manifested live.

Tim Berne/Science Friction: The Sublime And

Again, there is no explanation for waiting so long to highlight another record from the great alto saxophonist Tim Berne, but there is certainly no shortage of great material on which to focus.

This live double disc album was recorded at Winterthur, Switzerland in April 2003 and released that fall on Thirsty Ear Records and features Berne at the peak of his compositional and performing powers with a phenomenal band comprised of drummer Tom Rainey, keyboardist (including laptop) Craig Taborn and guitarist Marc Ducret.

All the hallmarks of Berne's writing style are there:  complexity of melody, harmonizing, shifting of time and rhythm, and lengthy tunes that give the musicians time to develop their interactive processes and soloing.

What adds further to the compelling sound is the electricity (literally) of Taborn's ambient and atmospheric, as well as rhythmic, sensibilities and Ducret's explorations of his guitar, including a remarkable solo on "The Shell Game."  Rainey, who has worked with Berne for many years, seems to be able to shift his role on a dime to accompany the other players and has some fine solos to boot.

As for Berne, his playing is always full of interest as he explores melody and harmony in so many striking ways and knows how to play in sync with his bandmates, no matter who they are and in what configuration they are in.

That's one of the most admirable things about Berne--that he writes and plays the music he wants, with the people he wants, and has adhered to that way of doing things for over thirty years.  He doesn't get much attention or big album sales. but his commitment to his craft is worthy of support for those who can get into his adventurous explorations in all of the various configurations over the years.

And, yes, this amazing live recording is sublime!

Julius Hemphill: Five-Chord Stud

The great altoist and composer Julius Hemphill had a heart condition that cut short his life at 57 and he was unable to play on this fantastic Black Saint recording from November 1993, though he composed and conducted all the pieces by a sextet composed entirely of horns.

The overall sound is reminiscent of the amazing World Saxophone Quartet, of which Hemphill was a key composer and performer until his health worsened.  The amazing altoist Tim Berne, a Hemphill acolyte; baritone sax player Fred Ho; tenors James Carter and Andrew White; and altoists and soprano sax performers Marty Ehrlich (a longtime Hemphill associate) and Sam Furnace play together beautifully and are fully in tune with Hemphill's pieces, which he conducted.

The interplay is something and Hemphill's ability to work in his composing to blend and contrast the tonal range of the various saxes is something to behold.  Some pieces are bluesy, others more abstract, but the writing is sure and steady and the performances highly sympathetic to Hemphill's compositional characteristics.  Soul, blues, free jazz and other elements abound with a couple of the pieces being really "out," while others having a welcoming accessibility even without traditional rhythmic accompaniment from a bass, drums, piano and the like.

Two pieces were listed as collective improvisations with no individual soloing, while a third had a trio improvisation by Ehrlich, Furnace and Carter and then a group improvisation.  The other six tracks featured at least one soloist and up to five, as in the title track.

Five-Chord Stud was also one of five Hemphill albums rereleased as part of a Black Saint box set repackaging and it is a highlight of the set and his career generally.  Even if too ill to play, his distinctive writing and arranging is keenly heard throughout and Berne, Ehrlich, Carter and White in particular are exceptional.

Tim Berne's Caos Totale: Pace Yourself

This was another early foray into the adventurous side of jazz and an early CD purchase as a brand-new release, way back in 1991, from the German label JMT (Jazz Music Today.)  Berne's Caos Totale, a sextet, has a wide-ranging array of instrumentation, from the leader's alto sax and the highly expressive Mark Dresser's bass to Bobby Previte's energetic drumming and Marc Ducret's excellent electric guitar playing to the trombone of Steve Swell and multi-instrumentalist Herb Robertson's trumpet, cornet, flute, fluegelhorn, whistles and other sounds.

If anything can be expected from Berne, it is that he has richly arranged pieces that can often go on at great length, although Pace Yourself is somewhat restrained, with four of its six tunes clocking in at under ten minutes, "Sam's Dilemma," which is this listeners' highlight, at over thirteen, and the expansive "The Legend of P-1" extending over 26 minutes.  Sometimes, though, the length has to be viewed in the context of changes in tempo, new melodies and what might be thought of as movements.

The opener, "Bass Voodoo," is perhaps most notable for its pairings of guitar and bass and trumpet and trombone duets, which reveal the great sensitivity the members of the band have for each other, an essential quality between "total chaos" and an "aware freedom." The second piece, "The Noose," contains an excellent drum solo from Previte, whose playing throughout the record in tandem with the always-compelling Dresser is stellar.  "The Usual" is a more ambient, down-tempo, and softer tune and provides a bit of a respite from the frenetic and complex sounds that embody much of Berne's work.

As noted above, "Sam's Dilemma" is the favorite track on this album.  Ducret's searing and searching electric guitar intro lays the groundwork and Previte's percussion is exceptional.  There is also a probing and inventive bass solo from Dresser, which is no surprise to anyone who's heard his work with Anthony Braxton (or read Graham Lock's Forces in Motion about the British tour headed by Braxton and including Dresser.)  Dresser then plays the melody that leads into the finale with the full band and it's a fantastic way to end a great tune.

"The Legend of P-1" has an atmospheric and soft opening that continues for several minutes gradually building to a fuller sound.  This work is a showcase for how Berne utilizes shifting tempos and changing melodic and rhythmic ideas and with a band as sensitized to the way the leader writes, arranges and plays, this lengthy piece doesn't drag or wander.  It's a testament to how solid a composer and arranger Berne is that the tune never fails to hold interest, even at 26 plus minutes.

The closer, "Luna," is another slower, softer, almost ambient piece and here Berne gives a nice expression, almost mournful or somber, to his alto sax work.  It's a nice way to end an album that shows all of the dynamic interplay of an excellent band working with some inspired material.  Those who have heard Julius Hemphill, whose big band record was highlighted here recently, will recognize his influence on his student, but Berne also has his own style or way of expressing himself and "Pace Yourself" is an apt title for a record that runs the gamut of the various tempos, melodic concepts, harmonic interplay and rhythmic variety that is a Berne hallmark.

Tim Berne's Caos Totale:  Pace Yourself (JMT, 1991)

1.  Bass Voodoo  9:57
2.  The Noose  7:34
3.  The Usual  8:15
4.  Sam's Dilemma  13:33
5.  The Legend of P-1  26:21
6.  Luna  4:32