Neha Patil (Editor)

The Shell Game

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Released
  
March 20, 2001

Length
  
66:42

Artist
  
Tim Berne

Producer
  
David Torn

Genre
  
Jazz

Recorded
  
2001

The Shell Game (2001)
  
Open, Coma (2001)

Release date
  
20 March 2001

Label
  
Thirsty Ear Recordings

The Shell Game httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaen666The

Similar
  
Science Friction, The Sublime And, Songs and Rituals in Real Time, Electric and Acoustic, Mutant Variations

The Shell Game is an album by saxophonist Tim Berne with Craig Taborn and Tom Rainey which was recorded in 2000 in Denmark and Sweden and released on the Thirsty Ear label.

Contents

Reception

The AllMusic review awarded the album 4 stars stating "The Shell Game shines forth as a charismatic effort from a preeminent stylist who is willing to take risks". The Guardian's John Fordham rated the album 4 stars out of 5, saying, "The work of New York saxophonist/composer Tim Berne can sometimes be almost forbiddingly rugged and demanding, but the coherence on this session, and the assertiveness mixed with an unfamiliar mellowness in his tone, amount to a new level of inventiveness and confidence for him". The Austin Chronicle's Michael Chamy noted "The Shell Game plays like an epic novel, full of unexpected twists and turns, ultimately rewarding the repeat listener with a powerful cocktail, equal parts inspiration and intrigue". The All About Jazz review said that "The Shell Game ranks with Berne's best work. It presents a wide variety of textures and moods. At times the trio pursues deceptively straightforward progressions; at others it takes them apart to the very last nuanceā€”and when you least expect it, they break free into exciting groove-driven jams. The only fault one might find with this record is that Berne's playing can sometimes be painfully relentless, because he seems to have a very high threshold [sic] for tension. But that's a minor criticism relative to what otherwise is a surprisingly inventive and creatively resonant recording". Writing in JazzTimes Daniel Piotrowski noted "Berne sticks to the modus operandi of his recent bands: long, meandering pieces with structured melodies making recurring, intermittent appearances. More so than in Berne's other bands, his sidemen are here mostly for texture and support rather than complete integration. In return, Taborn and Rainey create a lot of space for Berne to solo in as much as he likes-and he does at marathon lengths during the four drawn-out pieces".

Track listing

All compositions by Tim Berne

  1. "Hard Cell (for Tom)" - 9:26
  2. "Twisted/Straight Jacket" - 21:07
  3. "Heavy Mental (for Wayne Krantz)" - 6:28
  4. "Thin Ice" - 29:41

Personnel

  • Tim Berne - alto saxophone
  • Craig Taborn - keyboards, electronics
  • Tom Rainey - drums
  • Songs

    1Hard Cell ( For Tom)9:27
    2Twisted|Straightjacket21:08
    3Heavy Mental ( For Wayne Krantz)6:28

    References

    The Shell Game Wikipedia