Tim Berne (second from the right) and Snakeoil, photo by John Rogers.

Over a career that stretches back nearly 40 years, saxophonist Tim Berne is most often associated with New York’s experimental jazz scene, whose hub lies in particular venues, such as the now defunct Tonic and downtown Manhattan’s The Stone. While that music is often free form and can be quite jarring to the uninitiated, Berne took a different direction with his latest group, Snakeoil, which will be performing on Sunday at Bohemian Caverns.

“I’ve written a lot of music for this group,” Berne recently told DCist. “I was heading for a little more harmonic material, maybe a little more lush sounding.”

Snakeoil is a collaboration between Berne, clarinetist Oscar Noriega, drummer Ches Smith and pianist Matt Mitchell, with Smith and Mitchell providing the foundation to the sinuous and textural playing of the two woodwinds. The material Berne had written for the quartet was extensively rehearsed and refined over two years, giving the 57-year old bandleader over four hours of material to choose from when he felt ready to record the band.

“Whenever I do a studio record, I”m careful about which tunes I choose and how they work as a unit,” said Berne. “I want to cover a lot of ground without stifling the improvisation.”

Berne has been releasing albums under his own name since the late ’70s on a variety of independent labels, but since the mid-’90s, his own Screwgun Records was home to his music. However, Berne felt he needed something different for his latest project, and so he approached ECM Records, one of the premiere jazz labels in the world. ECM’s founder, Manfred Eicher, takes a very hands on approach to the recordings he puts out, and to that end has acted as producer on most of the company’s albums, including the eponymous Snakeoil, which was released earlier this month. Berne had appeared as a sideman on past ECM sessions, but this was his first as a leader.

“I think it happened for me at the right time, and its a big jump” said Berne. “My pianist got to go to the Steinway showroom and pick out his favorite piano, and we’re recording with a producer who has worked on over 1000 records.”

Characteristic of an ECM product, Snakeoil is beautifully recorded, featuring rich melodies and hypnotic rhythms. Four of the six tunes clock in at over twelve minutes, so the album does require patience from the listener, but there is a lot of depth in the songs for those seeking that kind of experience. Sunday’s program will include some material from the the album, as well as other songs that the band has been rehearsing, but that didn’t fit in with the story Berne was trying to tell through the release. For the show, Berne feels that if the audience comes with an open mind, it will find something to connect with in the music.

“For the sake of simplicity, someone will call it free jazz and that doesn’t really cut it,” he explained. “It’s highly structured music and it’s delivered honestly. It’s not a style, it’s just music.”

Transparent Productions presents Tim Berne’s Snakeoil on Sunday, February 19, 2011 at Bohemian Caverns. 7 and 9 p.m. sets. $15.