Gregg Belisle-Chi: Koi – Performing the Music of Tim Berne
Relative Pitch Records

Gregg Belisle-Chi's Tim Berne homage Koi arrives with ringing endorsements from Bill Frisell, Andy Summers, Marc Ducret, plus the honouree himself, and as if their kudos weren't enough, the album's co-produced by no less than David Torn and the saxophonist. Interestingly, the recording doesn't present high-decibel, large-ensemble takes; instead, Belisle-Chi recorded steel-string acoustic versions at his Kingston, New York-based apartment under the most modest of circumstances—in a bedroom-converted studio, on a squeaky chair, and using a guitar with a temperamental truss. Presented as such, the essence of the saxophonist's writing is captured and its lyrical and melodic qualities brought into sharp relief. Even listeners long familiar with his work will have a newfound appreciation for it after hearing Koi.

It's not the first time Berne's music has been interpreted by another. In 2017, Matt Mitchell released førage, solo piano treatments of Berne compositions and a fascinating companion volume to Koi (Torn, incidentally, also produced førage).The seed for Belisle-Chi's recording was planted when the saxophonist caught some of the guitarist's Instagram posts showing him playing along with Berne's Sacred Vowels release and was so impressed he suggested he record an entire album of his music on acoustic guitar. After Berne sent him a stack of sheet music from which to choose, Koi began taking shape.

The tribute to the NYC-based jazz stalwart is deserved. Berne and his music have long been inspirational, not only for his writing but for the unwavering pursuit of his vision. Belisle-Chi learned much about counterpoint and compositional structure from studying these oft-intricate pieces, and no doubt other instrumentalists can do the same. While Summers and longtime Berne associate Ducret note, respectively, Belisle-Chi's “flawless technique and sensitivity” and “truly musical approach” to the compositions, Frisell praises the guitarist for his lack of affectation and for “letting the music speak.”

In presenting the music on acoustic guitar, Berne's music has never felt so intimate. Belisle-Chi's refined touch and considered handling of space and tempo allow the music to breathe naturally and its melodies to emerge with clarity. While the essential details of a composition are delineated, Belisle-Chi isn't boxed in by the writing. Improvisation is woven fluidly into the playing (see “Reception,” for instance), though never so much that the identity of the piece suffers. Much of the material is challenging—check out the spidery complexities of “Three Whisky Exception” and “Giant Squids,” to cite two examples—yet the guitarist navigates a smooth path through even the knottiest passage. Comparatively simpler in structure are “Middle Seat Blues,” during which Belisle-Chi uses all manner of bent notes to bolster evocative impact, and “Sequins,” which ends the release on a rather tender note.

July 2021