Kaze: Atody Man

Satoko Fujii’s 60th birthday marathon continues with Atody Man, six tunes performed by Kaze, a coöp quartet with trumpeters Christian Pruvost and Natsuki Tamura and drummer Peter Orins joining Fujii on piano. Fujii seems to delight in unconventional instrumental groupings, and this lineup practically insures that no one is in their comfort zone, even after several previous releases and tours. Brassmen Pruvost and Tamura begin Orins’ composition Hypnotique Sympathie with long tones, in unison at first but slowly diverging. Fujii’s piano enters the music carefully at the 5 minute mark, with minimal accompaniment from drummer Orins. The sparse soundscape soon grows fuller and more heated as the trumpeters compete for space over an increasingly engaged piano and drums. Something like a groove eventually emerges in this curiously episodic piece. Orins’ fractured drumming takes the lead on Fujii’s Moving, an over-long excursion that includes a gritty trumpet duet, boldly dynamic pianistics from Fujii, and calmly sympathetic percussion work. The curious Méta-blizzard is another Orins composition. The music is very quiet and edgy to start, slowly developing into a trumpet showcase with clattery piano and drums before arriving at an actual melody with a quickened tempo and a feeling of hurried exuberance. By now, it should be quite clear that the only constant in the music of Kaze is continual change. As a listener, just when you think you have a good handle on what’s going on, the music shifts and moves in a new and wholly unexpected direction. Tempos stagger, the lead voice changes almost imperceptibly, themes emerge briefly only to be discarded, and the players frequently coax unusual timbres from their instruments. The quartet’s interplay is impressive, but for me the music of Kaze, while effective and admirable, is not necessarily lovable. Still, it’s definitely worth a listen.
Circum-disc/Libra 204; Christian Pruvost, Natsuki Tamura (tp) Satoko Fujii (p) Peter Orins (d); New Haven, CT, June 24, 2017; Hypnotique Sympathie/ Moving/ Méta-blizzard/ Morning Glow/ Inspiration 2/ Atody Man; 69:17. www.librarecords.com; circum-disc.com

Ivo Perelman: The Art Of The Improv Trio, Volume 4

Strength meets strength meets strength as tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman, bassist William Parker, and drummer Gerald Cleaver take over the studio for The Art Of The Improv Trio, Volume 4. (Reviews of previous volumes are here.) Parker writes that “we are actually painting in sound and enabling the concept of vision to live.” (An apt metaphor, since Perelman is also a painter whose images grace the covers of this series.) In one sense, Perelman’s music is miraculous, given that what we hear is the result of an ongoing series of instantaneous decisions by three musicians, somehow coördinated in the moment through the sheer praxis of improvisation. In another sense, it’s simply what these talented individuals do. This entry in the series features two shorter pieces of under six minutes that bracket Part 2. The endlessly flowing and captivating main event is a 41-minute sprint beginning with a particularly lyrical Perelman concentrating in the middle registers, dense counter-melodies from the ever-astute Mr. Parker, and utterly focused and dynamic drumming by Cleaver. Twelve minutes of high-energy playing lead to a subdued and almost bluesy section. Imperceptibly the pace quickens, then relaxes again, setting the stage for a beatifically calm bass solo by Parker. Perelman returns with some wispy sax lines that feel like questions that call on Parker and Cleaver to respond. A heated musical conversation ensues, with Perelman’s forays into the upper registers of the tenor and Parker’s bowed bass catalyzing the music into further explorations of time and timbre. The finale is slightly upbeat, an activated and nuanced continuation of this three-way colloquy. An assertive Parker is particularly impressive here before the music slowly returns to silence. Once again, Perelman and his carefully chosen associates have created freely improvised music that will last and reward repeated listening. Definitely recommended.
Leo CD LR 774; Ivo Perelman (ts) William Parker (b) Gerald Cleaver (d); Brooklyn, NY, March 2016; Parts 1-3; 52:20. www.leorecords.com

Ivo Perelman: The Art Of The Improv Trio, Volume 3

Ivo Perelman is in familiar musical surroundings when pianist Matthew Shipp and drummer Gerald Cleaver join him for The Art Of The Improv Trio, Volume 3. (Earlier volumes are here.) But of course, each day is new and each encounter is fresh. The music on Part 1, the first of nine comparatively short impros, quickly turns turbulent and raucous. Cleaver in particular is playing hard and revving up the atmosphere. Shipp takes the bait at first before settling into a head-nodding calm. Perelman outdoes himself with his strangled cry in the upper regions of his tenor. The stately vigor of Part 2, of course, is completely different, except for the intensity, which seldom flags. Pianist Shipp has been playing with Perelman in one situation or another for decades now, and the pair never fails to find something new to explore. In his appreciative liner essay, Shipp makes special note of the “defiant persistence of it all. It just keeps coming at you, keeps growing in a completely independent and organic way.” The lyrical “trio-logue” of the delicately balanced Part 3 is a fine example of Shipp’s characterization of this unit’s approach to improvisation. Other highlights include the exploratory Part 4 with its down-tempo pacing, the chipper chase of Part 5 complete with a Cleaver drum solo, and the almost jaunty Part 7. It’s yet another powerful statement from Perelman and two of his closest collaborators.
Leo CD LR 773; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) Gerald Cleaver (d); Brooklyn, NY, July 2015; Parts 1-9; 49:17. www.leorecords.com

Dave Liebman, Tatsuya Nakatani, & Adam Rudolph: The Unknowable

The distinct aura of ritual permeates The Unknowable, a tantalizingly edgy session by the trio of Dave Liebman, Tatsuya Nakatani, & Adam Rudolph. Liebman, heard mostly on tenor or soprano saxophones, also plays a couple of flutes, recorder, piri (a double-reed instrument from Korea), and on one piece, a Fender Rhodes electric piano, while Nakatani and Rudolph perform on a roomful of percussion, with drums and other noisemakers from around the globe. Arising from a central core of innate trust among the three musicians, these spontaneous compositions are short and focused. The pieces are also generally quieter than you might expect from a saxophone and percussion lineup. Among my favorite tracks are the energizing workout of The Simple Truth, Present Time, which features Liebman’s blazing tenor sax and Rudolph’s forceful congas with an overlay of electronic flavor, and the jagged Premonition with Liebman’s boldly expressive tenor over percussive clatter. Liebman’s many fans will find much here to enjoy.
RareNoise RNR089; Dave Liebman (ts, ss, C fl, Native American fl, recorder, piri, Fender Rhodes el p on *) Tatsuya Nakatani (d, gongs, metal perc, perc) Adam Rudolph (handrumset [cga, djembe, tarija, zabumba], thumb p, sintir, mbuti harp, slit drum, perc, overtone flutes, Fender Rhodes el p on #, live elec processing); West Orange, NJ, July 2016; Benediction (Opening)/ The Simple Truth/ Late Moon/ The Unknowable/ Skyway Dream/ Transmutations/ The Turning/ Present Time/ Distant Twilight/ Iconographic*/ Cosmogram#/ Premonition/ Benediction (Closing); 48:57. www.rarenoiserecords.com

J. Peter Schwalm: How We Fall

Multi-instrumentalist and electronic composer J. Peter Schwalm worked on How We Fall between treatments for a brain tumor, a situation that couldn’t help but be represented in his music. With intermittent assistance from guitarist Eivind Aarset and bassist Tim Harries, Schwalm carefully layered sounds from various guitars, piano, drums, and a slew of electronic devices to create this series of relatively dark and melancholy pieces. From the sludgy psychedelia of Strofort which opens the disc to the spare and ambient finale Singlis, Schwalm’s distinctive juxtapositions prove to be surprisingly emotional soundscapes. While I’m sure that Schwalm would have been more than glad not to deal with such a life-threatening condition, he did manage to piece together the endlessly intriguing music of How We Fall. Here’s to his good health and continued creativity!
RareNoise RNR096; J. Peter Schwalm (g, p, electronic devices, acoustic & digital sound modules, d, synths) Eivind Aarset (g on 1,3,4,5,8,9) Tim Harries (b on 1,4-7,9); prob. Frankfurt, Germany, 2017; 1.Strofort/ 2.Battenfeld/ 3.Auua/ 4.Ibra/ 5.Gangesthal/ 6.Stormbruch/ 7.Clingon/ 8.Musles/ 9.Singlis; 55:29. www.rarenoiseecords.com

Noah Preminger & Frank Carlberg: Whispers and Cries

The tenor saxophone and piano duo of Noah Preminger & Frank Carlberg performs ten well-traveled standards and jazz compositions (plus one Civil War-era traditional song) on the luminous Whispers and Cries. From the beginning, with their version of the ever-beautiful Gershwin melody of Someone to Watch Over Me, the pair digs deeply into their material and emerges with over a hour of gorgeous music that will touch even the hardest of hearts. Recorded in Boston’s Jordan Hall, an acoustically resonant concert space at the New England Conservatory, Carlberg and Preminger seem to revel in their astute interactions and far-ranging improvisations. While I hate to pick favorites when every piece is imbued with such delicate charm, I’ll mention the duo’s tender dissection of Monk’s Reflections and their playful stroll through These Foolish Things as just two of the album’s many successes. In a brief liner note, Preminger asks “What is better than creating music with a like-minded friend in such a context?” with the implication that nothing could be better. After thoroughly enjoying every minute of Whispers and Cries, I’m inclined to agree with him. Strongly recommended.
Red Piano RPR 14599-4431; Noah Preminger (ts) Frank Carlberg (p); Boston, MA, July 5-6, 2017; Someone to Watch Over Me/ Take the A Train/ Embraceable You/ Reflections/ The Meaning of the Blues/ These Foolish Things/ Try a Little Tenderness/ Aura Lee/ Tea For Two/ I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face; 67:35. redpianorecords.com