Tim Berne

Tim Berne (born 1954) is an American jazz saxophone player and composer.

Related Topics:
1954 - American - Jazz - Saxophone - Composer

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Though Berne was a music fan, he had no interest in playing a musical instrument until he was in college, when he purchased an alto saxophone. He was more interested in rhythm and blues music--Stax records releases and Aretha Franklin, especially--until he heard a recording by Julius Hemphill.

Related Topics:
Musical instrument - Rhythm and blues - Stax - Aretha Franklin - Julius Hemphill

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Hemphill was known for his integration of soul music and funk with free jazz. Berne moved to New York City in 1974. There Berne took lessons from Hemphill, and later recorded with him.

Related Topics:
Soul music - Funk - Free jazz - New York City - 1974

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In 1979, Berne founded Empire Records to release his own recordings. He recorded two albums for Columbia Records, which generated some discussion and controversy, due in part to the fact that Berne's music had little in common with the neo-tradionalist hard bop performers prominent in the mid-1980s. Some regarded Berne's music as uncommercial. In the late 1990s Berne founded Screwgun Records, which has released his own recordings, as well as others' music.

Related Topics:
1979 - Columbia Records - Hard bop - Screwgun Records

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Beyond his recordings as a bandleader, Berne has recorded with Bill Frisell, John Zorn, and as a member of the cooperative trio Miniature (group).

Related Topics:
Bill Frisell - John Zorn - Miniature (group)

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Berne's complex, multi-section compositions are often quite lengthy; twenty to thirty minute pieces are not unusual. One critic has written that Berne's long songs "don't grow tiresome. The musicians are brilliantly creative and experienced enough not to get lost in all the room provided by these large time frames." http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDMISS70405311655291602&sql=Ack9ks32la3pg

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