Reviewed: Steven Bernstein & Scotty Hard | David Bowden

The Dual Nature of Contemporary Avant-Garde: Bernstein’s ResoNation

The first major entry in this series of releases comes from Steven Bernstein, a figure synonymous with the New York "Downtown" scene since the late 1990s. Best known as the leader of Sexmob—a group currently celebrating its 30th anniversary—Bernstein has long been recognized for his ability to blend ribald humor with a sophisticated, virtuosic approach to the trumpet. His latest project, a double-disc set released on the Royal Potato Family label (RPF2608), presents a fascinating dichotomy between traditional performance and modern production.

The first disc, titled ResoNation, features Bernstein leading a chordless trio alongside bassist Scott Colley and drummer Nasheet Waits. Recorded at Brooklyn Recording in December 2023, the album marks a departure from Bernstein’s signature slide-trumpet work, focusing instead on the valve trumpet and flugelhorn. This shift in instrumentation signals a more somber and focused "seriousness of intent." The trio navigates a series of creative challenges, drawing inspiration from the expressive vocabularies of avant-garde legends such as Lester Bowie and Don Cherry.

Key tracks on ResoNation include "Two Shakes," a free ballad that evokes the melancholic spirit of Tomasz Stańko, and "Pettiford," which utilizes Nasheet Waits’ off-kilter grooves to pay homage to the bebop era. The inclusion of a reverent reading of the classic blues "Sitting On Top Of The World" serves to ground the album in the roots of American music, even as the trio explores more abstract territory in tracks like the stop-start free-bop of "South."

The second disc, Ultra Resonance, serves as a dub-influenced reimagining of the first. Bernstein handed the master tapes to producer Scotty Hard, who utilized the original source material to create a soundscape that recalls the "ill-bient" movements of the 1990s, pioneered by artists like DJ Spooky and DJ Olive. This conceptual approach draws a direct line to the 1970s reggae tradition, specifically the relationship between Burning Spear’s Marcus Garvey and its dub counterpart, Garvey’s Ghost. Hard’s production introduces subsonic bass-lines and dystopian urban textures, over which Bernstein’s trumpet remains a magnetic, central force.

Chronology of the New York Downtown Scene

The emergence of the ResoNation project must be viewed through the lens of the New York jazz evolution over the last three decades.

1990s: The Knitting Factory becomes the epicenter of the Downtown scene, where Bernstein’s Sexmob rises to prominence.
2000s-2010s: Bernstein establishes himself as a premier arranger and session leader, bridging the gap between jazz and pop.
2023: Sexmob celebrates 30 years; Bernstein records the ResoNation sessions in Brooklyn (December 20-21).
2024: The release of the double album on Royal Potato Family, coinciding with collaborations with avant-garde icon Laurie Anderson.

This timeline illustrates Bernstein’s transition from a provocateur to a seasoned elder statesman of the avant-garde, capable of delivering both a "straight" trio record and a radical electronic deconstruction simultaneously.

Redefining the Solo Bass: David Bowden and the Scottish Jazz Renaissance

While Bernstein represents the New York establishment, David Bowden’s Unsong Songs highlights the vibrant energy currently emanating from the Scottish jazz scene. Though born in London, Bowden’s move to Glasgow in 2011 to study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland proved pivotal. He is widely recognized as the bassist for the Fergus McCreadie Trio, a group that has garnered significant acclaim, including a Mercury Prize nomination, for its fusion of contemporary jazz and Scottish folk.

Unsong Songs (DBM001US) is an ambitious venture into the notoriously difficult format of the unaccompanied solo bass. Bowden’s objective was to emulate the phrasing of the human voice and the intimacy of the acoustic guitar without the use of loops or electronic effects. This "purist" approach places an immense technical burden on the performer, who must simultaneously provide melody, harmony, and rhythm.

The album’s repertoire is a blend of original compositions and carefully selected covers, including works by Nick Drake ("From The Morning"), Emilíana Torrini ("Snow"), and Chris Thile ("Jessamyn’s Reel"). Bowden’s original pieces, such as "The Spider’s Talk," draw on his experiences studying music in Ghana, incorporating busy polyrhythms and call-and-response patterns. "WGS Blues" offers a nod to the guttural, blues-inflected style of Charles Mingus, while "Singing Sands" demonstrates a lyrical quality so profound it suggests a vocal presence.

Technical Data and Track Analysis: Unsong Songs

The album, recorded at Solas Sound in Glasgow, runs for approximately 26 minutes—a concise duration that ensures the listener’s attention remains focused on the nuanced textures of the bass.

Instrumentation: Solo Double Bass (Acoustic).
Rhythmic Complexity: High usage of West African-inspired polyrhythms.
Dynamic Range: Ranges from the tender "Lullaby For Esmée" to the roving, ambitious momentum of "Hakken-Kraks."

Bowden’s ability to maintain a strong "ebb and flow" throughout the record suggests that the solo bass format, when handled with such dexterity, can be as accessible as it is adventurous. His work contributes to the broader narrative of the "Scottish Jazz Renaissance," a movement characterized by its willingness to integrate local folk traditions with global improvisational techniques.

Minimalist Architecture and Improvisation: Jonas Cambien in Oslo

The third pillar of this exploration is Jonas Cambien’s Man Eating Tree, released on the Sonic Transmissions label (STRLP39). Founded by bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten in 2020, Sonic Transmissions has become a vital outlet for the experimental music scene in Oslo. Cambien, a Belgian-born pianist who relocated to Norway in 2008, brings a classically trained background to a style that defies easy categorization.

Man Eating Tree is a solo outing that leans heavily into the traditions of 20th-century minimalism, specifically the works of Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. The album consists of four contrasting pieces that utilize both the grand piano and the Ace Tone organ. The opening track, "Tre," is an austere, machine-like composition that employs prepared piano to create repetitive, phase-shifting rhythms.

Cambien’s work is characterized by "patiently developed" structures. On "Árbol," he utilizes a panoply of piano preparations to create a "wall of sound" that occasionally recalls the free-ranging improvisations of Keith Jarrett. The track "Silverware" moves into an electro-acoustic realm, where the physical properties of wood and metal are explored through overtones. The album concludes with "BOOM," where the Ace Tone organ introduces minimalist pulses that evoke the spiritual jazz of Alice Coltrane and the cosmic futurism of Sun Ra.

Supporting Context: The Norwegian Experimental Scene

The success of Cambien’s work is deeply rooted in the infrastructure of the Oslo experimental community.

The Label: Sonic Transmissions documents a "tight circle of like-minded creatives," emphasizing the importance of independent labels in sustaining non-commercial music.
The Artist: Cambien is a central figure in the city’s scene, performing with groups like Maca Conu and the Arabic-improv collective The Handover.
The Studio: Recorded at Ugla Lyd Studio in Nesodden, a location known for its high-fidelity captures of experimental acoustic instruments.

Cambien’s approach suggests that minimalism is not merely a historical style but a living language that can be integrated with Ethio-jazz and avant-garde composition to create something "defiantly idiosyncratic."

Broader Impact and Industry Implications

The simultaneous release of these three projects underscores several key trends in the global jazz industry. First, there is a clear move toward the "solo" or "small ensemble" format as a means of personal artistic statement. Whether it is Bowden’s solo bass or Cambien’s solo piano, these artists are choosing formats that offer no safety net, highlighting their individual mastery.

Second, the role of the producer has become increasingly integrated into the jazz aesthetic. Scotty Hard’s work on Bernstein’s Ultra Resonance proves that the "remix" or "dub" version of a jazz record can be as intellectually stimulating as the original performance. This blurring of lines between the live room and the mixing desk is a hallmark of the 21st-century avant-garde.

Finally, these releases demonstrate the importance of geographic diversity. The dialogue between New York, Glasgow, and Oslo shows that jazz is no longer a US-centric art form but a global language with distinct regional dialects. Bernstein’s blues-inflected New York grit, Bowden’s folk-integrated Scottish lyricism, and Cambien’s minimalist Norwegian structures all contribute to a richer, more complex tapestry of modern music.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

As these artists continue to tour and promote these works, the critical reception suggests a growing appetite for music that challenges the listener while remaining grounded in high-level musicianship. The Royal Potato Family, Solas Sound, and Sonic Transmissions labels have provided the necessary platforms for these uncompromising visions to reach a global audience. For listeners, these albums offer a rewarding experience that stands up to "frequent and repeated listening," proving that the spirit of innovation in jazz remains as vibrant as ever.