Tim Berne employs more band names than he does collaborators, so one can be forgiven for needing a flow chart to keep them straight. For the record: Big Satan is the one with guitarist Marc Ducret and drummer Tom Rainey, but without keyboardist Craig Taborn (that's Science Friction). It's also the one that most acutely showcases the benefits of Berne's insular community: The trio is a tightly coiled unit, seemingly able to finish one another's thoughts. The altoist's usual predilection for lengthy, slow-build excursions is supplanted by quick bursts of manic aggression, Berne and Ducret spiraling around each other in a double helix on the wiry melodies while Rainey's unpredictable foundation keeps the two aloft like a master juggler. (Open letter to Ars Nova booker Mark Christman: With openers Eskelin/Parkins/Black you've already got Berne and Jim Black in the same room, Michael Formanek seems to be in town every other week, and Chris Speed is a quick drive away in NYC; when do I get my Bloodcount reunion?)

Thu., April 20, 8 p.m., $15, with Eskelin/Parkins/Black, The Cinema, 3925 Walnut St., www.arsnovaworkshop.com.