Sublime
For over two decades, Berne has been one of the most fiercely independent, original, and consistently engaging saxophonists and composers in jazz. The playing on this record is fiery and idiosyncratic, machine-tight yet totally open. Marc Ducret attacks his guitar like a man possessed, Craig Taborn's textural synth-work feels 100% at home inside Berne's unique compositional style, and Tom Rainey steers the ship with quirky grace. Each time the band settles into a groove, he twists the rhythm into surprisingly logical new shapes.