In a way, saxist Tim Berne and pianist Ethan Iverson’s duo gig at the Stone on Friday began online a few days earlier. Last Monday, Iverson—best known for his work with The Bad Plus—posted a fascinating long-form interview with Berne on his blog, Do the Math, and the show’s intimate nature made it seem like a continuation of that wide-ranging chat. As in the Q&A, the contrast between the two musicians (pictured, as half of the collaborative quartet Buffalo Collison: from left, Berne, Iverson, cellist Hank Roberts and drummer Dave King) was striking in the live setting: If their rapport seemed uneasy at times, it also displayed a compelling tension.

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In jazz, unlike in rock, all-star team-ups tend to actually be meaningful affairs. Consider the pairing of pianist Ethan Iverson, best known for his work in The Bad Plus—a forward-thinking jazz trio profiled a while back in TONY—and saxist Tim Berne, a hugely imaginative saxist-composer who has been a vital part of the local avant-garde for three decades. The two, who join forces for a duo gig at the Stone this Friday, June 26, have recently worked together in the quartet Buffalo Collision (pictured: from left, cellist Hank Roberts, Iverson, Berne, drummer Dave King). And as noted in a TONY review, that band’s debut showed tons of potential despite a few unfocused patches. Whet your appetite for the Stone gig with this marathon conversation, in which Iverson interviews Berne about his lengthy career and singular aesthetics. The pianist’s previous chats with Wynton Marsalis, Stanley Crouch, Billy Hart and other jazz giants have made for fascinating reading, so we have high hopes.