Big Satan (Tim Berne, Marc Ducret, and Tom Rainey)
Big Satan – the iconic trio of saxophonist Tim Berne, guitarist Marc Ducret and drummer Tom Rainey – produced three albums over a decade: I Think They Liked It, Honey (Winter & Winter, 1997), Souls Saved Hear (Thirsty Ear, 2004) and Live Incognito (Screwgun, 2006). Each is a classic in the art of collision – the collision between composition and improvisation, between expectation and surprise, between gray matter and guts. Next to Big Satan, metal bands seem safe and most improv groups humorless. In other words, if jazz were an amusement park, the music of Berne, Ducret & Rainey would be the thrill ride that the big boys and girls love to take. Fittingly, All Music Guide called the trio’s music “truly mesmerizing,” while Pop Matters declared it “full of endless concepts, boundless energy and combustible conversations.” All About Jazz encapsulated Big Satan nicely as “the expressionist yang to the Motian/Frisell/Lovano trio’s impressionist yin.” Having ventured only a few furtive reunions, Big Satan is finally set to tear up stages again. Reflecting on the band’s dynamism, Berne says: “Marc and Tom have such chemistry that they can go anywhere rhythmically. They also share an interest in taking chances – and they pull me into the vortex, every time.” — Bradley Bambarger