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Ben Goldberg's Brainchild
Brainchild's modus operandi is simple in theory, yet considerably difficult to execute with success. Basically, Ben Goldberg enlists about a dozen available musicians with the biggest "ears" who he thinks will be able to play sympathetically with one another without rehearsals or charts. During performance, he provides verbal cues to the individual players by whispering or shouting (depending on the volume of the band) in an effort to sculpt the dynamic or direction of the music. It's all about hearing and intuiting the form of the evolving sound mass, often before it even coalesces. A Yoshi's gig a couple of years back turned out as well as anything helmed by John Zorn, but given the moment-to-moment variables of this collaborative process, Brainchild doesn't click 100 percent of the time. If Goldberg is slow on the draw as director or the orchestra short on inspiration or musicianship by a single band member, the whole thing can fall apart or meander aimlessly like a dumbed-down hippie. But then, if the transcendence were constant, we'd lose Brainchild's promise of surprise.

-- Sam Prestianni

Ben Goldberg's Brainchild performs on Sunday, May 4, at 9 p.m. at the Paradise Lounge, 1501 Folsom (at 11th Street). The Charlie Hunter/Scott Amendola duo headlines. Tickets are $5; call 861-6906.