JAZZ REVIEW : Urban Energy From Stern/Berg

The Mike Stern/Bob Berg Quartet’s Thursday sets at Santa Monica’s At My Place had all the Sturm und Drang of a 42nd Street subway station at rush hour. The New York-based group showcased a brand of improvisational music that pulsated with restless urban energy.

Stern, a veteran sideman with groups ranging from Blood, Sweat & Tears to Miles Davis, is a state-of-the-art contemporary guitarist. His masterfully executed solos--solidly based on a Jimi Hendrix/John McLaughlin foundation--pushed aside the barriers between styles.

At times, he moved very close to what might be described as heavy-metal jazz; at other times his rich harmonies recalled an intensely energized Jim Hall.

Berg’s tenor saxophone playing was equally fervent--at times too much so. A powerful technician, he seemed determined to attack every solo with his complete arsenal of musical weaponry. The resulting series of improvisations took the same basic arc--from opening musical pleasantries to climactic peaks filled with wild-eyed flurries of notes. Impressive, but ultimately too repetitive.

Interestingly, for a group in which half the personnel were the leaders, the evening’s most powerful moments were provided by drummer Dennis Charles. His solo on the concluding number (which, like many of the others, was unidentified) made one suspect that there were one or two extra percussionists hiding behind the stage.

Bassist Lincoln Goines, a solid rhythm player, was the rock on which the other group members built their soloistic impromptus.