| The Shell Game | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 20, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | 2001 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 66:42 | |||
| Label | Thirsty Ear THI 57099.2 | |||
| Producer | David Torn | |||
| Tim Berne chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Shell Game is an album by alto saxophonist Tim Berne featuring keyboardist Craig Taborn and drummer Tom Rainey which was recorded in 2000 at the Make Believe Ballroom in New York and released in 2001 on the Thirsty Ear label. [1] [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Guardian | [4] |
| The Austin Chronicle |  [5] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [6] |
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". [3] 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". [4] 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". [5] 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 nuance—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". [7] 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". [8]
All compositions by Tim Berne
Tim Berne is an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and record label owner. His primary instruments are the alto and baritone saxophones.
Thirsty Ear Recordings is an American independent record label. It was founded in the late 1970s as a marketing company for the then-unnamed alternative music field, and expanded to issue its own records in 1990.
Craig Marvin Taborn is an American pianist, organist, keyboardist and composer. He works solo and in bands, mostly playing various forms of jazz. He started playing piano and Moog synthesizer as an adolescent and was influenced at an early stage by a wide range of music, including by the freedom expressed in recordings of free jazz and contemporary classical music.
Tom Rainey is an American jazz drummer.
Gerald Cleaver is a jazz drummer from Detroit, Michigan.
Big Satan is a musical project headed by composer and alto saxophonist Tim Berne, featuring drummer Tom Rainey and electric guitarist Marc Ducret. Rainey and Ducret are regular Berne collaborators, and both contribute compositions as well.
Prezens is an album by guitarist David Torn recorded in 2005 and released on the ECM label.
Big Satan is a live album by saxophonist Tim Berne's Big Satan which was recorded in 1996 and released on the Winter & Winter label.
Please Advise is a live album by saxophonist Tim Berne's Paraphrase which was recorded in Germany in 1998 and released on Berne's Screwgun label.
Visitation Rites is a live album by saxophonist Tim Berne's Paraphrase which was recorded in Germany in 1996 and released on Berne's Screwgun label.
Pre-Emptive Denial is a live album by saxophonist Tim Berne's Paraphrase which was recorded at The Stone in 2005 and released on Berne's Screwgun label.
Electric and Acoustic Hard Cell Live is a live album by saxophonist Tim Berne's Hard Cell which was recorded in 2005 and released on Berne's Screwgun label.
Feign is a studio album by saxophonist Tim Berne's Hard Cell which was recorded in 2005 at The Clubhouse Recording Studio and released on Berne's Screwgun label.
Science Friction is a studio album by saxophonist Tim Berne which was recorded in 2001 and released on Berne's Screwgun label.
The Sublime And is a live double album by saxophonist Tim Berne's Science Friction which was recorded in Switzerland in 2003 and originally released on the Thirsty Ear label. The album was rereleased in 2007 along with Berne's 2002 Science Friction album as part of the Screwgun Records compilation Mind Over Friction.
Light Made Lighter is the second album by American jazz pianist Craig Taborn, which was released in 2001 on Thirsty Ear's Blue Series.
Junk Magic is an album by Craig Taborn, with Aaron Stewart, Mat Maneri (viola), and Dave King (drums). It was released in 2004 by Thirsty Ear Recordings.
Ubatuba is the eponymous debut album by German jazz saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock's quintet featuring saxophonist Tim Berne, trombonist Ben Gerstein, tuba player Dan Peck and drummer Tom Rainey. It was recorded in 2014 and released on Firehouse 12.
Bells for the South Side is a double album by American jazz saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell, which was recorded live in 2015 at Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago in the context of "The Freedom Principle", a 50th-anniversary exhibition devoted to the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, and released on ECM.
Underground is the tenth studio album by jazz saxophonist Chris Potter released on the Sunnyside label in 2006. It features guitarist Wayne Krantz, keyboardist Craig Taborn and drummer Nate Smith.
