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| It's unlike Tim Berne to be concise. The avant-jazz saxophonist, as renowned for his mind-bendingly complex compositions and his ability as a bandleader as he is for his chops, almost always seems to work with huge canvases, songs lasting anywhere from 20 to 50+ minutes. From his mid-90s work with Bloodcount (which, for prog fans, features a familiar name in Chris Speed, now playing with The Claudia Quintet), where pieces regularly hit the 45 minute mark, to his more recent Science Friction quartet, whose live album was a monstrous test of endurance with pieces averaging 20 minutes or so, Berne has never really been one for the shorter stuff, especially in a live setting. And that's why Electric and Acoustic Hard Cell Live is such a surprise. Clocking in at a mere 45 minutes, and comprised of four relatively brief pieces, this album proves that Berne can be just as effective in a more concise format. All of his compositional hallmarks are here, with obtuse melodies slowly and surely de- and re-constructed over the course of lengthy composed sections that disintegrate almost imperceptibly into thrilling collective improv parts. The trio of Berne, Craig Taborn (who plays acoustic piano on two tracks and mostly Fender Rhodes, I think, on the other two), and drummer Tom Rainey is tight and energetic throughout, with a surprisingly full sound for a trio lacking a bassist. Rainey, as is his wont, is the engine of this group, often playing a highly entertaining, maximalistic style with a relentless energy that the other two members seem to feed off of. This guy is fast becoming one of my absolute favorite drummers regardless of genre, and Hard Cell Live is a perfect example of why. Berne's groups always shine live — I tend to be lukewarm about his studio efforts but love his live ones. Here, every cut is an improvement over their studio counterparts (drawn from various albums). "Manatee Woman" in particular beats the crap out of the original version on Science Friction, with inspired soloing from Taborn over what must be his own synthesized bass lines; a truly manic Rainey in the first few minutes, spinning the group to cathartic heights of intensity; and Berne himself, bringing the band back to earth with a certain kind of admirable restraint. In fact, Berne is at his most accessible throughout this album, toying playfully with his melodies and avoiding the ear-piercing upper registers that he sometimes favors. "Traction" is instructive: at the outset, Taborn plays the main melody (not without embellishment and deviation) while Berne solos freely but delicately over the top. The two players, over Rainey's insistent rolls, finally meet in some midpoint between the melody and something else entirely, and then the trio is off, with Taborn going in entirely new and exciting spontaneous directions. A few minutes later, Taborn's solo dwindles away and he and Berne flip the roles they had at the beginning: Berne riding the original theme (and some variations thereof) for all it's worth while Taborn pounds out a fierce, free solo that nonetheless manages to weave into Berne's melodic lines from time to time. Electric and Acoustic Hard Cell Live is probably a great album for Berne neophytes. It contains all of his complexity and intensity, captures him and his two sidekicks at the top of their game, and is surprisingly accessible in both length and composition. It also happens to be my favorite Berne album of the past few years, which is saying a lot — this is one prolific musician, and I haven't heard anything from him that wasn't of high quality. Interested in modern avant-jazz? Give this one a shot, and you can thank me when you get hooked. review by Brandon Wu — 4-4-06 —
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