Hard Cell

Hardcell: Feign

by Sean Patrick Fitzell
October 17, 2005

Like a double helix of alto saxophone and piano, no matter how far Tim Berne and Craig Taborn twist and diverge their improvisations, they are always connected, intersecting with composed passages and enveloped in the swimming rhythms of drummer Tom Rainey. Feign further explores the acoustic sensibility tested on half of last year's Hard Cell Live, with Taborn exclusively playing piano. The acoustic instrument's clarity highlights the synchronization between pianist and saxophonist, sometimes lost in the maelstrom of electric keyboard ...

Hard Cell: Feign

by AAJ Staff
September 22, 2005

Once you've heard a couple of hours of Tim Berne's music, you can usually identify something new as his within just a few seconds. That distinctive character has something to do with his bittersweet alto playing, but it's also related to the way foreground and background layers interweave over time, the way his snaky melodies uncurl, and the simmering tension--often without much release.

Berne is never easy listening whatever the setting, but his incredibly rich and personal music ...

Hard Cell: Feign

by John Kelman
September 9, 2005

Groove means different things to different people. To a hard core bebop addict, it might mean a mighty sense of swing, to a funk fan a strong backbeat. Exchange positions and neither would feel the visceral impact the other's music represents to them.

While considerably more rhythmically complex than a simple backbeat or straight-eights swing, alto saxophonist Tim Berne's music--especially his work with Science Friction, Big Satan, and Hardcell since the turn of the decade--has maintained a strong groove component. ...