Karl Berger & Dave Holland

Pianist and vibraphone player Karl Berger cites Ornette Coleman as a close friend and mentor; Coleman's ways of playing jazz are certainly reflected in Berger's concept, more so than any other vibist one could name. Berger eschews four-mallet technique; his style is all single-line, with little (if any) chordal playing. Berger's compositions are brief, songlike free-bop heads in the manner of Ornette, with free/modal solo sections sandwiched in between the theme statements. At his best, Berger's improvisations have much in common with his tunes; they are strongly and logically...