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Tim Berne's Snakeoil: Shadow Man
By Track review of "Cornered (Duck)"The album closer "Cornered (Duck)" spans rush-hour like kinesis amid numerous highs and lows and intricately executed group involvement. The musicians probe, counter and elicit imagery that runs the gamut from contemplation to passionate discussions. Pianist Matt Mitchell moderates the flow via quiet passages, intimating the calm before another storm, followed by malleable woodwind lines by Berne and Noriega.
It's a rhythmic wonderland as the band shapes a geometrical storyline, abetted by drummer Ches Smith's slapping and punching drums hits, where Mitchell subsequently polarizes the body of sound and methodically raises the pitch. The piece fades into an abyss then regenerates with off-kilter yet regimented processes, emphasized by Berne's torrid soloing. Once again they soar to a zenith. Among other positive accolades, Snakeoil is a band defined by the musicians' distinctive styles cloaked in cunning artistic expressionism and heart- pumping compositions.
Track Listing
Son of Not So Sure; Static; Psalm; OC/DC; Socket; Cornered (Duck).
Personnel
Tim Berne
saxophone, altoTim Berne: alto saxophone; Oscar Noriega: clarinet, bass clarinet; Matt Mitchell: piano, tack and Wurlitzer pianos; Ches Smith: drums, vibraphone, percussion.
Album information
Title: Shadow Man | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: ECM Records
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About Tim Berne
Instrument: Saxophone, alto
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