History Tim Berne’s Bloodcount

Tim Berne's quartet/quintet during the mid/late '90s, Bloodcount specializes in long-form songs (10 to 50 minutes), interspersing catchy, jagged composed riffs with free-form improvising.

The band has since dispersed, with each member building a strong career on his own. Jim Black's AlasNoAxis, led by drummer Jim Black, has been particularly impressive.

Bloodcount's first "official" releases on JMT have been reissued by Winter & Winter; it's great stuff taken from concerts in Paris.

Berne has since released other Bloodcount tapes, in more raw form, on his own Screwgun Records label. The sound is more than adequate, if unpolished. These tracks come from a few years later, when the band had further meshed, so the the playing is more energetic. The 3-CD "Unwound," in particular, captures some high-flying performances.

In 2007, Berne unearthed some 10-year-old Bloodcount tapes for a 2-CD and 1-DVD package called "Seconds." The DVD, which combines rehearsal and live footage with images of the band hanging around Paris, is a gem.

Bloodcount reunited in 2008 for a smattering of live shows with all new material, still in the mode of long suites.

Bloodcount is: Tim Berne (sax), Chris Speed (sax/clarinet), Michael Formanek (bass), Jim Black (drums), and sometimes Marc Ducret (guitar).

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