Adapting to An Intimate Space
The theater in the Rubin Museum of Art is a beautiful room that seems ideal for housing classical or jazz performances. The music of tonight's set straddled both genres. Tim Berne and Craig Taborn are two thirds of the group Hard Cell, which includes drummer Tom Rainey, and in the Rubin they altered their off-kilt and raucous groove approach to fit the space. A mixture of composed passages and improvisation, each piece sounded reminiscent of 20th century atonal classical saxophone literature.Without a Drummer
Berne's compositions are rhythmically surprising and their melodic lines are angular and dramatic. When Tom Rainey is along for the ride, his unpredictable and displaced grooves provide a thrillingly unstable foundation.Without Rainey in the mix, Berne and Taborn had to find other ways of toying with the degrees of suspense present. They alternated between sweet, quiet passages and sections of frenetic collective improvisation. At times the intensity was riveting, and when it seemed like it could not get any more heated, it did. However, this technique of alternating between sweet and gruff was a bit overused, and as a result each of the four pieces told a similar story.
Challenging Yet Accessible
One of the great things about Tim Berne's Music is that despite its lack of familiar harmony and rhythm, it is expressive and powerful in a relatable way. Berne's tone is rich and clear, with a perfect balance of warmth and edge. Taborn's shining technique is no more than a means by which he achieves a variety of moods, ranging from muted and serene to hammering and utterly frantic.Telling a Story
The highlight of the show was the third piece, the title of which was not announced. Beginning with unison figures in the saxophone and Taborn's right hand, its heightening intensity was broken up by periods of brief calm, with angry interjections in Taborn's left hand foreshadowing the oncoming storm.The tension built to a peak, when Taborn evoked thunder with regular strikes at the piano's depths, as Berne's high register cries pierced the air like an alarm. The thunder eventually subsided, slowly transmuting into a low, irregular repeated groove, creating a trance-like atmosphere until finally dissipating.
The duo setting, which by Berne's admission was unrehearsed, showed signs of genre-breaking promise. It is exciting to think of the musical possibilities if these two excellent musicians were to hone their approach.
