Tim Berne, Marc Ducret, Craig Taborn, Tom Rainey, Science Friction

Science Friction

Tim Berne, Marc Ducret, Craig Taborn, Tom Rainey

Huevos

iHornet

Sigh Fry

Manatee Woman

Mikromaus

Jalapeno Diplomacy

The Mallomar Maneuvre

Clown Finger

tom rainey: drums

craig taborn: rhodes, laptop, virtual organ

and virtually

marc ducret: electric and acoustic guitars

tim berne: alto saxophone

Open Coma

Tim Berne, Copenhagen Art Ensemble, Marc Ducret, Herb Robertson

disc 1

open, coma (28:02)

eye contact (46:10)

disc 2

the legend of p-1 (33:00)

impacted wisdom (41:55)

tim berne

+

copenhagen art ensemble

+

marc ducret

herb robertson

The Sevens

Tim Berne

Repulsion (11:22) ARTE Quartett

Sequel Why (2:49) Marc Ducret, acoustic guitar

Reversion (4:20) ARTE Quartett (source material);

David Torn, electric guitars, loops,

sonic nurturing

Quicksand (25:20) ARTE Quartett;

Tim Berne, alto sax;

Marc Ducret, acoustic guitar

Tonguefarmer (4:53) Marc Ducret (source material);

David Torn, electric guitars, loops,

sonic redistribution

Sequel Ex (2:31) Marc Ducret, acoustic guitar

ARTE Quartett:

Beat Hofstetter, soprano sax;

Sascha Armbruster, alto sax;

Andrea Formenti, tenor sax;

Beat Kappeler, baritone sax.

This selection of Berne releases brings together the three quite disparate elements of his recent musical output: firstly there's "Science Friction", the more familiar small ensemble freak-out very much characterized by Berne's disjointed free blowing, Ducret's scratchy fried discordance, Taborn's dense landscapes and stuttering ejaculations and Rainey's seamless solid battery. It's a great sound and one capitalized on throughout the years; this lineup has been the kernel for most of Berne's outfits: Bloodcount (w/ Michael Formanek, Chris Speed, Jim Black, Marc Ducret), Caos Totale (w/ Mark Dresser, Steve Swell, Bobby Previte, Herb Robertson, Marc Ducret, Django Bates), Big Satan (w/ Tom Rainey, Marc Ducret), Hard Cell (w/ Tom Rainey, Craig Taborn), Science Friction (w/ Tom Rainey, Craig Taborn, Marc Ducret) and Paraphrase (w/ Tom Rainey, Drew Gress). Then there's "Open Coma", an unusual outing with a big band backing the core members, and finally "The Sevens" is a Berne-penned album of extraordinary experimental chamber jazz with a limited playing role for himself, sentimental of his guru Julius Hemphill's latter role before which he was a co-founder of the World Saxophone Quartet with Hamiet Bluiett, Oliver Lake and old curmudgeon Stanley Crouch's long-term associate David Murray. It's all pretty crazy, manic stuff that may take a couple of listens to find (what a mad thought in this immediate and hurried world!) but while Berne's music may be difficult and experimental, it is very approachable - he always leaves the listener a hook, whether it is a repeated motif in one section of the band while the soloist blows wild or a recognisable style of beat to anchor the heady music - and consistent with the usually-present technical electro-acoustic wizardry of David Torn and album covers by reputable graphic designer Steve Byram. Berne's music is more exciting and unpredictable than avante-garde and I'm still kicking myself for recently being talked into a Tinariwen concert instead of seeing Berne live. Frick!

The album's title "Science Friction" would imply a link with Ornette Coleman wouldn't it? But even though Hemphill and Coleman came out of Fort Worth in Texas and were even supposedly cousins, Berne claims more of an influence through Hemphill from Parker, Konitz and especially Cannonball. Evidently, the connection with Coleman is about as tenuous as the one with Roy Harper's music label. The music here is thematic and along the lines of the probably better known but more produced "Fulton Street Maul". In places it's a rolling tumbling bulldozer of funk unavoidably comparable to Coleman's "Caravan of Dreams" (e.g., "Manatee Woman" and "Mikromaus") later ster-etching out into a Medeski, Martin & Wood-type post-bop workout on "Jalapeno Diplomacy". The closing "Clown Finger" throws up whispy horn and guitar signature laid over with a mighty heavy John Paul Jones "Zooma" bassline. Critical mass!

The double album "Open Coma" is a huge treat hearing a contemporary unison big band being orchestrated in the loose swinging jam-style of Sun Ra then Brotherhood of Breath and still Ornette Coleman and more recently Django Bates. The only bummer is the comparatively straight blues guitar soloing on "Eye Contact" very out of character, but it soon saves itself with some interesting off-key patches and that magnificent South African sounding brass chorus. The free blowing is spikey and fearsome throughout. The trumpet takes off like Don Cherry or Mongezi Feza's playing with Johnny Dyani and Okay Temiz. Now add in Ducret's scratchy Sharrock guitar and chunky comping with his long bluesy note bends and up the stakes with more ecstatic groove oriented free blowing and ... well, I tell you, it's out there ... tight as a ... gnat's chuff. That's tight!

Sevens kicks off with a Berne piece reminiscent of orchestral Zappa called "Repulsion" written for the ARTE Quartett it is a poised calculated piece like the pretty plateaus between Archie Shepp crescendos, but without the same promise of excitement and pyrotechnics. "Sequel Why" is another slower number but on here there is plenty of excitement from acoustic pyrotechnics. You rarely get to hear solo acoustic guitar played in this verging-on-the-avante-garde way. From there on we get plenty more snippets of Ducret's brilliant homogeneous treatment of classic blues licks and extreme playing including the "Meeting of the Spirits"-like "Sequel Ex". We also hear a new direction in Berne's approach with introduction of electronics, post-production, stereo effects and hip-hop beats scrawled across with acerbic guitar. Energising street vibes and a glorious update of a Led Zeppish riff with modern grooves and electronic disorder on "Tonguefarmer". Tasty!