The Shell Game

The Shell Game es un álbum del saxofonista alto Tim Berne que incluye al tecladista Craig Taborn y al baterista Tom Rainey, el cual fue grabado en 2000 en el Make Believe Ballroom en Nueva York y lanzado en 2001 por el sello Thirsty Ear. Recepción La reseña de AllMusic otorgó al álbum 4 estrellas y afirmó: "The Shell Game shines forth as a charismatic effort from a preeminent stylist who is willing to take risks". John Fordham de The Guardian calificó al álbum con 4 estrellas de 5, diciendo: "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". Michael Chamy de The Austin Chronicle señaló: "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". La reseña de All About Jazz dijo que "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". Writing in JazzTimes Daniel Piotrowski señaló: "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 Todas las composiciones de Tim Berne "Hard Cell (for Tom)" - 9:26 "Twisted/Straight Jacket" - 21:07 "Heavy Mental (for Wayne Krantz)" - 6:28 "Thin Ice" - 29:41