Saxophone Reveals Soul of Tim Berne

Saxophonist Tim Berne is an honest, look-you-in-the-eye expressionist. His duo performance with bassist Michael Formanek as part of the New Music Monday series at LunaPark sometimes took the form of a confession as Berne, playing alto or baritone, seemed intent on revealing his every emotion.

With the possible exception of John Zorn, Berne is the best-known saxophonist to come out of New York’s downtown alternative scene. His early recordings with guitarist Bill Frisell and, more recently, with his various ensembles--Bloodcount, Caos Totale--have given him a maverick’s reputation.

Monday’s performance found him emphasizing method over madness. The tunes mostly followed familiar form: simple, sometimes twisted themes and choruses gave shape to involved improvisations. Longtime Berne colleague Formanek sometimes used his upright to enforce rhythmic order but often harmonized or played in unison with the saxophonist. At times it seemed that both men were soloing at once as they contrasted circular phrases or extended each other’s lines.

Berne played with surprising lyricism, allowing narrative flow to make his point and resorting only infrequently to cries, caterwauls and resonating overtones. His every sound, including those reflecting the most intense emotions, carried a genuineness that gave his telltale ways distinct identity.

Koto player Miya Masaoka and guitarist G.E. Stinson took a more free-form approach to their opening duets. Masaoka has frequently applied her traditional Japanese string instrument to nontraditional purposes, appearing with Toshiko Akiyoshi’s Orchestra, recording Thelonious Monk tunes and jamming with new-thing guitarist Fred Frith.

Here, she and Stinson, collaborating for only the second time, used electronic effects and slow-motion call and response to create glistening surfaces that mirrored occasional flashes of sound. The frequently beautiful results were often hypnotic, occasionally unsettling.