Starting in 2012 as a quartet with Oscar Noriega (reeds), Matt Mitchell (piano), and Ches Smith (drums/vibes), then expanded with guitar, saxophonist Tim Berne's Snakeoil now moves to the Swiss Intakt label, swapping guitarists for Marc Ducret, and releasing this fantastically intricate album of Berne compositions + 1 Hemphill piece, launching points for extraordinary soloing!
Format: CD Condition: New Released: 2020 Country: Switzerland Packaging: Jewel Case Recorded at Clubhouse, in Rhinebeck, New York, on May 29th, 2019, by D. James Goodwin and Shubham Mondal.
"Tim Berne recorded for Intakt Records for the first time in 2019 as the saxophonist in Michael Formanek's Very Practical Trio with Mary Halvorson. Now the New York saxophonist, composer and bandleader presents a new album with his ensemble Snakeoil. After three albums this is the first Snakeoil record to be released on Intakt. The band balances the possibilities of composition, improvisation and the tonal possibilities of an acoustic and electric playing jazz band in an unmistakable way. The Fantastic Mrs.10 is one of Snakeoil's most mature and at the same time most edgy releases. Guitarist Marc Ducret joins the core quartet of Tim Berne, Matt Mitchell, Oscar Noriega and Ches Smith. The band's sound is also influenced by sound engineer and Berne's musician cohort David Torn, who completes the postproduction. Tim Berne says in the liner notes "I think this is the best one yet. That's a stupid thing to say, but it's kind of a culmination. Ches, Matt, Oscar - it's almost like we always forget what we did the last time out, and that's a really healthy amnesia. There's a dedication to moving ahead. They're truly into it, and it motivates me."-Intakt
"Imagine Tim Berne as the lead in the 1980's' American television series The A-Team, declaring: "I love it when a plan comes together!" He must return to that catchphrase every time his ensemble Snakeoil finishes a recording. After four outings on Manfred Eicher's ECM Records, the previous being Incidentals (2017), he moves his A-Team to Intakt Records. The Fantastic Mrs. 10 confirms this ensemble is on par with the saxophonist's other great band, Bloodcount, with Chris Speed, Jim Black, Michael Formanek and Marc Ducret.
A new addition to Snakeoil, the guitar of Ducret joins Berne's cast of pianist Matt Mitchell, clarinetist Oscar Noriega and percussionist Ches Smith. Like Bloodcount, it is difficult to imagine any other musicians playing this music. Berne's distinctive compositions are at the same time heretically free and structurally regimented. His logic, which flows from his early years as understudy with Julius Hemphill, is elaborate yet straightforward.
The bass-less quintet maintains time in an unstated fashion, with each musician free to comment within Berne's structures. The pace of "Surface Noise" with its quiet piano and glockenspiel opening, courses stream-like into eddies and an eventual whirlpool of sound with the addition of the other musicians. The track flows into a quieter alluvial plain of scratchy guitar effects and a Noriega clarinet whale-song before the shock and awe ending. Berne's distinctive compositions are idiosyncratic without being pretentious. The one cover, "Dear Friend" by Julius Hemphill, is a beautiful ballad with gentle horns, ringing notes and scurrying of mice feet (not really) over guitar strings. Where other jazz composers are playing checkers, Berne is playing chess. "-Mark Corroto, All About Jazz