Paraphrase - Please Advise

All Music Guide

Is jazz-based free improvisation still a viable mode of expression? At least in the case of Paraphrase, the answer would have to be "yes." Composed of alto/baritone saxophonist Tim Berne, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer Tom Rainey, the trio is capable of improvising set-length pieces that continually evolve, move through a variety of moods, and show a strong sense of form and dynamics. Unlike some free improv units, Paraphrase doesn't cast aside basic building blocks such as melody, tonal harmony, or pulsed rhythms, instead using them, along with more abstract devices, whenever they see fit. Sometimes Rainey will slip into a backbeat-centered groove, sometimes Gress will lay down a repeating bass figure that clearly suggests a specific key. And while he does make use of over-blowing and other extended techniques, saxophonist Tim Berne is primarily concerned with developing melodic and harmonic ideas, which he never seems to exhaust. There are moments of tumult, calm, aggression, and ac...hing, almost prayer-like reflection over the course of this album's two tracks, and the only real lull comes in the final ten minutes of the 41-minute opener "Critical Mass," which still manages to finish strong. Please Advise continues Berne's streak of quality releases on his Screwgun label during the late '90s, and repays the extra dedication that improvised music of such length requires. - William York, All Music Guide Read more Less