Tim Berne

Alto and baritone saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and label boss Tim Berne has a strong and singular musical personality, one that links each of his diverse, frequently absorbing works, almost always juxtaposing meticulously noted arrangements with free improvisation. Berne's two recordings for Columbia in the 1980s included the cult classic Fulton Street Maul. From 1988 to 1995, he delivered nine albums for the JMT label, including two Live in Paris volumes from his avant-fusion band Bloodcount. Berne started the Screwgun label in 1996, which hosted Bloodcount as well as other Berne-led projects, including his bands Hard Cell, Paraphrase, and Big Satan (with Marc Ducret). Between 2012 and 2020, the newly formed Snakeoil released seven LPs, including 2017's Incidentals. Berne, David Torn, and Ches Smith issued the trio set Sun of Goldfinger in 2019, with Bloodcount delivering two albums, Attention Spam and 5, in 2021.