ROBERT LEWIS
a&e | POP, ROCK & JAZZ PREVIEW
Famed alto saxist Tim Berne (foreground) with pianist Matt Mitchell
TIM BERNE INTERVIEWED
D
eep-dish jazz fans in Santa Barbara What can we expect from the show? Most may have found themselves doing likely, we’ll be playing these new things a double take when checking out I’ve been messing around with — lots SOhO’s February calendar. Could that be of melodic fragments and way less conthe Tim Berne coming to trapuntal than usual. These are ideas that the club on Tuesday, in a duo with acclaimed piasprang from a bunch nist Matt Mitchell? Yes, of exercises I wrote to it’s the one and only, the try and help me expand famed N.Y.C. alto saxist/ my melodic playing. As bandleader/composer/ always with me, I problabel keeper who has ably won’t make any maintained a respected final decisions until and ever-evolving posiab out f ive m i nute s by Josef Woodard tion in the avant-garde before we play, but this jazz spotlight for four is my current plan. decades. As far as my history Santa Barbara’s live jazz bookings rarely with Matt over the past 10 years, it’s venture outside of mainstream fare, which been incredibly inspiring to work with makes the Berne/Mitchell date extra special someone so creative and committed to in town. Berne, who has gotten a lot of trac- the music. Meeting Matt really reinvigotion and respect in Europe, has recorded rated me at a time when I was beginning many albums, for his own Screwgun Records to have my doubts about being able to label as well as ECM and Columbia. maintain a committed working ensemble The Independent caught up with Berne last anymore. week for an interview while he was in Europe with his wily electro-acoustic group Snakeoil Sun of Goldfinger, like many of your projects, — his primary focus in the past decade. dips into multiple genres — and appeals to Asked about prior Santa Barbara gigging, fans of different types. Have you always been Berne recalled shows at Westmont College something of a happy misfit, in terms of not in the early ’80s, with Nels and Alex Cline catering to specific musical markets? Ha… and trumpeter Herb Robertson. The time is Yes, I guess so. My first long-term teacher ripe for another Berne encounter in the 805. was [legendary jazz adventurist and DIY champion saxist] Julius Hemphill, which Matt Mitchell has really become a creative power probably explains that. broker on the jazz piano scene in N.Y.C. You have a duo album out, Angel Dusk, and are touring. What I first heard you on the 1983 record you did with is your background in playing with him, and can Bill Frisell. The work you were doing 30-plus you talk about the rapport you have together? years ago, alongside a young John Zorn and Matt and I met 10 or so years ago, teaching others in the “new music” sphere, was in a more at Ralph Alessi’s school, SIM. He had written underground setting. Could you have imagined me a letter when he was at Eastman school back then that your musical life would expand asking to buy scores which I sent him. We and extend outward the way it has? I’m a played that week, and I immediately asked pretty even-keeled guy and kind of stay him if he’d want to be in a new band, which in the present, if I can help it. There were became Snakeoil—maybe 2009-ish. We’ve definitely few signs that I would be a been playing steadily since then in a variety musician when I was young. Pretty lucky, of settings, mostly in Snakeoil. Matt’s an I would say. amazing musician.
FAMED N.Y.C. ALTO SAXIST PLAYS SOHO
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Tim Berne and Matt Mitchell play Tuesday, February 11, at SOhO Restaurant & Music Club (1221 State St.). See sohosb.com.
THE UCSB MULTICULTURAL CENTER PRESENTS
RESILIENT LOVE SERIES
From “The Central Park Five” to “The Exonerated Five” Yusef Salaam FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Tues, Feb 11th, 6 PM Lecture/ UCSB Corwin Pavilion FOR THE FULL WINTER2020 CALENDAR VISIT MCC.SA.UCSB.EDU UCSBMCC
by Lauren Yee directed by michael bernard
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FEBRUARY 6, 2020
THE INDEPENDENT
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