Snakeoil (album)

For other uses, see Snake oil (disambiguation).
Snakeoil
Studio album by Tim Berne
Released 27 January 2012
Recorded January 2011
Genre Jazz
Length 68:32
Label ECM
ECM 2234
Producer Manfred Eicher
Tim Berne chronology
The Veil
(2011)		 Snakeoil
(2012)		 Shadow Man
(2013)

Snakeoil is an album by the American composer and saxophonist Tim Berne released on the ECM label.[1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
The Guardian[3]

The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars and stated "Snakeoil is unlike any recording in Berne's large catalog. The lack of physical force (though there is plenty of fire) is more than compensated for, in the thought-provoking concept and complexity with a resonant yet unconventional lyricism".[2]

Writing in The Guardian, John Fordham commented "It's a terrific set, and an object lesson in balancing composition, improvisation and the tonal resources of an acoustic band".[3]

The All About Jazz review by John Kelman said that "That Berne and his group succeed in creating a context where freedom to coexist in such particularly seamless confluence makes Snakeoil a milestone in the saxophonist's career. The virtuosity of the quartet is never in question, and yet there's a refreshing lack of posturing and an "egos at the door" service to the music".[4]

The JazzTimes review by Nate Chinen said "Snakeoil is a magnificent album, a standout not only in his lengthy discography but also in the recent outpouring of left-of-center jazz releases. In its carefully shifting balance of finely wrought composition and open improvisation, it reflects both a longstanding priority for Berne and a current preoccupation in modern jazz. In its impressive execution, it reflects something else: Berne’s tireless pursuit of the limber durability that can only come from the right kind of working band".[5]

Track listing

All compositions by Tim Berne

  1. "Simple City" - 13:56
  2. "Scanners" - 7:21
  3. "Spare Parts" - 14:10
  4. "Yield" (Matt Mitchell) - 12:02
  5. "Not Sure" - 8:39
  6. "Spectacle" - 12:02

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ ECM Catalogue accessed December 12, 2013
  2. 1 2 Jurek, T. Allmusic Review accessed December 12, 2013
  3. 1 2 Fordham, J. The Guardian Review, February 3, 2012
  4. ↑ Kelman, J. Snakeoil Review All About Jazz, February 2, 2012
  5. ↑ Chinen, N. Tim Berne: Snakeoil Salesman JazzTimes, April 7, 2012
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