Tim+berne

American tenor saxophonist Tim Berne joins Umberto Petrin's piano trio for four of the nine tracks on this CD, which features tunes written by the pianist. Petrin launches a broadside in the liners, stating that "avant-garde" and "experimentalism" are no longer relevant terms, but that idea and form should hold sway…

Berne calls this band Caos Totale, and if it doesn't quite achieve that lofty goal, it comes close enough to provide a fine mix of rich, involved compositions and lusty, almost rockish, improvisations. One of Berne's songwriting trademarks has been lengthy pieces (often exceeding 30 minutes) with multiple themes that emerge and disappear in an organic but unpredictable way, and this is clearly on view here. Pieces begin in one place but invariably end in another area entirely, but the ride is quite scenic…

This octet session, recorded live in the studio in June 1997 but not released until 2011, is a departure for Tim Berne. His 1990s quartet Bloodcount (with clarinetist Chris Speed, bassist Michael Formanek, and drummer Jim Black) is augmented by trumpeter Baikida Carroll, violinist Dominique Pifarély, cellist Erik Friedlander, and acoustic guitarist Marc Ducret. The disc contains only two compositions, the first running over 35 minutes and the latter a shade under 30…

This 1993 release for the Italian Soul Note label signifies one of those lightly marketed gems that may have gotten lost in the grand mix of modern jazz-style fare. Here, three of the most prominent figures in the area of new jazz coalesce for a shrewdly focused and compactly organized excursion. And while many folks recognize Tim Berne for his alto saxophone work, the artist performs on baritone sax throughout many of these pieces…