Jon Raskin, baritone, alto, sopranino sax; Tim Berne, alto sax; Michael Formanek, bass; Elliot Kavee, drums, cello
The Bass & The Bird Pond exalts the individual and collective talents of three of the most distinguished composers/improvisers currently enriching and extending the jazz vocabulary－ROVA stalwart Jon Raskin, the inimitable Tim Berne, and bassist extraordinaire Michael Formanek. Aided and abetted by the nuanced and sensitively colored percussion work of Elliot Kavee, they plumb the depths in the way only musicians of this calibre, operating at this level of intuitive understanding, can.
Impeccable compositional instincts facilitate the interweaving of individual epiphanies within intricate structures to create four rich, emotionally resonant works. Berne's Bloodcount and Raskin's Chapter 269, Death, (as hinted at by the titles) are introspective but burn with an intense inner flame, while The Third Path to No Where, launched by a brilliant Formanek solo, and the title track inhabit less shadowy realms. Deep, thought-provoking music that will satisfy those interested both in the individual artists and the continuing evolution of jazz composition.
