Bonus Feature: Tim Berne's art of precarious balance

Tim Berne has always been a model of self-reliance. But that's not the only thing.

Almost exactly three years ago, the band known as Sun of Goldfinger — Tim Berne on alto saxophone, David Torn on guitar and effects, Ches Smith on drums — was out on tour when the first coronavirus lockdown went into effect. The band reluctantly canceled an Ars Nova Workshop show in Philadelphia, hours before showtime. They went on to play their schedul…