b.mez is an extension—and a departure—from the long-running creative orbit of Birdsongs of the Mesozoic. Developed by core members Michael Bierylo, Ken Field, and Rick Scott, and joined here by original Birdsongs co-founder Roger Miller, the project shifts the focus from composed structures toward something more immediate: spontaneous composition as a primary language.
While Birdsongs has always allowed space for individual voices within a composed framework, b.mez emerges from a desire to push further into improvisation. That impulse took shape in October 2007, when the trio began a residency at Outpost 186 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a vital hub for experimental music in the Boston area. Each session invited a different fourth collaborator, resulting in fully improvised performances that evolved in real time. With each guest bringing their own vocabulary, the music remained fluid and unpredictable.
The name b.mez reflects that lineage while signaling a distinct identity. Over time, these sessions became a laboratory for new approaches—different from, yet informed by, the compositional rigor of Birdsongs. The group developed a shared language rooted in adaptability, where structure emerges organically rather than being imposed.
That language comes into sharp focus in these recordings, captured over three days in May 2019 at Hearstudios in Camden, Maine. For these sessions, the trio reunited with Roger Miller, whose work with Mission of Burma and foundational role in Birdsongs brings both historical continuity and a restless, exploratory energy. Through decades of solo and collaborative work, Miller has cultivated a singular musical voice that fits seamlessly into b.mez’s open framework while subtly reshaping it.
The music itself is entirely improvised, yet far from formless. Each piece unfolds with a clear internal logic, moving between calm and abrasion, consonance and dissonance, density and space. Electronics and processing play a significant role, but never dominate. They function as extensions of each player’s touch, expanding timbre without obscuring the human presence at the core.
What emerges is a cohesive statement built from fleeting moments, existing in the tension between intention and chance. There is nothing ornamental here, nothing gratuitous. Every sound feels earned, discovered in the act of playing rather than predetermined.
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