Ethan Iverson has an expansive and insightful Tim Berne interview at the mighty Bad Plus blog, Do the Math. The conversation covers a lot of ground, touching on Berne’s mentor Julius Hemphill, the pride and perils of the self-run record business, and of course Berne’s compositions (in detail, with audio clips). You want to go to there.
Since he began posting these long-form interviews -- past conversations have included not only bassist Charlie Haden (a Bad Plus lodestar) but also Wynton Marsalis and Stanley Crouch (both eminently worth reading) -- Iverson has added greatly to the churn of contemporary jazz criticism. His humility and obsessive attention to detail make him a disarmingly effective interrogator, even more than his common affiliation as a player. And coming at a time of constricting opportunity in the mainstream jazz media, he deserves credit for thinking to elevate the underappreciated Q&A format.
Years ago I conducted a series of interviews (pro bono) for Berne’s label, Screwgun Records. Most of these took place at the label’s HQ, a brownstone in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. I’m recalling this now because it was an indication of Berne’s sincere interest in discourse: like Iverson, he values conversation. A lot of jazz musicians share this trait, but it’s by no means universal, as I’m sure many of my colleagues can attest. Anyway, if you’re interested in those old Screwgun Q&As, check out the last four links listed here.
Iverson and Berne are playing as a duo on Friday at the Stone. Buffalo Collision, their collective band with cellist Hank Roberts and drummer David King, released its Screwgun debut in December.
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