Alto saxist Tim Berne beefs up his band with the addition of guitarist Ryan Ferreira for this in concert recording along with the hefty team of Oscar Noriega/bcl-cl, Matt Mitchell/p-elec and Ches Smith/dr-perc-vib. The band’s got chops, no doubt about it, and for the most part they show off their muscles in a series of frenetic and high energy pieces.
Berne’s alto sears along with Mitchell’s intricate piano work as they lock horns on “Lost in Redding” while the band trudges along with Noriega’s brooding bass clarinet on the wailing “Small World in a Small Town.” A 14 minute traffic jam on “Embraceable Me” includes some noisy guitar-like effects as the horns and piano sound like an avalanche of rocks. Ferreira gives an oasis of acoustic calm on “You’ve Been Watching Me” just before there’s another cataclysm of drums and piano on “Semi-Self Detached” and the band closes with some vibes colliding with bop sensibilities on “False Impressions.” The technical acuity of everyone is impressive here, as is the expressiveness; a bit more time to catch a breath or two in each piece might have made for better digestion.
ECM Records