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Tim Berne: The Deceptive 4—Live

By Mark Corroto
October 23, 2020
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The difference between disc one and disc two of

Tim Berne

saxophone, alto
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Tim Berne's Snakeoil release The Deceptive 4, two live recordings made eight years apart, might be the same difference between

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis' first and second great quintets. Where Davis' The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions (Prestige, 2006) with

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane from 1955-56 are stellar, they lack the complex riskiness of his 1965 date, The Complete Live At The Plugged Nickel 1965 (Columbia, 1995) with

Wayne Shorter

saxophone
1933 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Wayne Shorter,

Herbie Hancock

piano
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Herbie Hancock,

Ron Carter

bass
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Ron Carter and

" data-original-title="" title="">Tony Williams.

The earlier of these two live recordings, when Berne had yet to christen this quartet with the moniker Snakeoil, was recorded in November 2009 at Roulette in New York. Not to confuse issues, it is disc two here. The band went on to release four titles for ECM Records plus the 2019 studio album The Fantastic Mrs. 10 (Intakt, 2020). Berne has added and subtracted guitarists

Ryan Ferreira

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Ryan Ferreira and

Marc Ducret

guitar
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Marc Ducret for two of the previous titles.

Which leaves us with this quartet. Let's call it Berne's second great quartet, after the longstanding Bloodcount with

Chris Speed

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Chris Speed,

Jim Black

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Jim Black, and

Michael Formanek

bass, acoustic
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Formanek. Like Bloodcount, Snakeoil is a vehicle where composition vies with improvisation for supremacy. He has found a most simpatico partner with pianist

Matt Mitchell

piano
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Matt Mitchell. Listening to him track the saxophonist on "Deception" before blasting off into his own solo, you grasp how the pianist has internalized this music. Berne's music always threatens to go off the rails, but it never does. Credit each of the musicians.

Ches Smith

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Ches Smith (

Marc Ribot

guitar
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Marc Ribot,

John Zorn

saxophone, alto
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">John Zorn,

Satoko Fujii

piano
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York) and

Oscar Noriega

clarinet

" data-original-title="" title="">Oscar Noriega (Endangered Blood,

Kris Davis

piano
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Kris Davis,

Anthony Braxton

woodwinds
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Anthony Braxton), along with Mitchell as perfect exponents and interpreters. The music is often gnarly and complex, with the earlier session a bit more restrained than the 2017 Firehouse 12 recording. Highlights here are "Hemphill," dedicated to

Julius Hemphill

saxophone, alto
1938 - 1995

" data-original-title="" title="">Julius Hemphill Berne's mentor and perhaps someone whose DNA has has been sequenced by the saxophonist, and "Moornoats," a joyride in a very fast and slippery stolen vehicle. The maneuvering of this, and all Berne's compositions are the gifts to the listener.

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Track Listing

CD1: Perception; Moornoats; Seven; Deception. CD2: OCDC; Spare/Citta; Scanners; Hemphill.

Personnel

Tim Berne

saxophone, alto

Matt Mitchell

piano

Oscar Noriega

clarinet

Ches Smith

drums

Album information

Title: The Deceptive 4 - Live | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Intakt Records

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