Steven Lantner (photo: Larry Volk) Joe Morris

So where was Rashid Bakr, the trio's drummer? The 5C is not allowed to present acts with amplified, percussive or even reed instruments -- just piano and strings. As a result, Lantner and Morris had to leave their talented drummer behind and go it alone as an unplugged duo.

In this case, necessity was the mother of fulsome invention. Unamplified jazz has become an increasing rarity, and it was great to be able to sit in an intimate space and be able to listen closely without being hit over the head by a loud PA system. As Avant Jazz venues tend towards the small, it would be great if more of them eschewed maximum amplification.

What's more, Lantner and Morris seemed to thrive in this chamber setting. 5C has its own grand piano, and so the audience was treated to Lantner playing the real thing (instead of the digital instrument he was obliged to employ at CB's). Morris played his bass standing right next to Lantner, and the two engaged in a musical dialogue in which their improvisatory communication mirrored their proximity.

The first set featured two pieces. The first was more wide-ranging, beginning with a driving rhythm but enduring several shifts of tempo, a wide harmonic vocabulary and stirring solos from both players. Lantner's classical training showed in the particular fleetness of his runs, and the widely spaced harmonic configurations he musters reminded me of the Second Viennese works in which he is so well steeped. The pianist seemed to choose his pitch vocabulary with planned care. Sometimes, as in the first piece/first set, he worked at the most chromatic end of the spectrum in an entirely post-tonal environment. Even when the music was at its most active, he demonstrated a keen ear for the circulation of all 12 pitches, and carefully varied the pace of their appearance.

On other performances, like the second tune of the first set, Lantner pushed his harmonies toward a kind of extended tonality, closer to Honegger and Messiaen than Schoenberg or Webern. There was also an infusion of a slow blues affect in the tune's pacing and phrasing. The audience member next to me called it a ballad and, despite the relatively modern context, it really was.

After an intermission, the duo, fueled by carrot and orange juice from the premises' juice bar, fired off an energetic second set that seemed even tauter and more daring than the creations of the first. Morris has an excellent grasp of the various roles inherent in bass-playing -- rhythmic definition, harmonic underpinning, and the more melodic capabilities of the instrument. He seems instinctively capable of turning on a dime and coming through when Lantner shifts gears and requires one or the other of Joe Morris's bass-playing personae -- one-man rhythm section or virtuoso down-low soloist. This is especially striking when you consider that Morris has really only been performing as a bassist for a few years; his other musical exploits were and are as a guitarist.

While the audience was relatively small, they were appreciative, attentive and enthusiastic. 5C is a great little place, with comfortable seating and (thankfully) effective air-conditioning. Smoke and alcohol free, it offers the dual pleasures of an espresso and juice bar. For a seven dollar cover, how can you go wrong? I hope that Lantner and Morris play there again soon -- I can't think of a better way to spend a hot summer night than listening to free jazz and having some more of that carrot juice!

5C Cafe is on 5th Street and Avenue C in the East Village. For more information, visit 5ccc.com.

Joe Morris and Steven Lantner's CDs are available on Riti Records through AUMFidelity.com.

Article by Christian Carey