Ivo Perelman: The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 5: Rhea

One year after the trio on Volume 4, Ivo Perelman convened a quartet with Shipp and Bisio joined by drummer Whit Dickey for The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 5: Rhea. It’s not a format that Perelman usually uses. In fact, as Neil Tesser notes, this is only the eighth entry in the saxophonist’s ever-expanding discography to present a quartet, and four of those have featured the very same players. Tesser write that this lineup, “for all intents and purposes, constitutes the Ivo Perelman Quartet ...” The disc starts with the fierce energy of Part 1, over 16 minutes long and starting with splashy drumming, Perelman revved-up even more than usual, brightly percussive playing by Shipp, and thoughtful, well-paced bass lines from Bisio. It’s a triumph of improvisatory music-making, and as it moves through different zones of expression, a great example of how musicians that are thoroughly familiar with one another’s work can invent a cooperative structure in the moment. The other six sections are almost like a gloss on Part 1, isolating different elements from the long piece for separate investigation. The upbeat Part 3 largely arises on the connection between Perelman’s fire and Dickey’s complex beats, for instance. By contrast, Part 4 is mostly calm and conversational, with a nod to the blues. Bisio manhandles his bass to open the propulsive Part 5, which takes off like a rocket ship and the high-energy intensity never flags. The thrilling Part 6 and the bittersweet Part 7 complete this picture of an Ivo Perelman quartet at the top of its game. Recommended? Of course.
Leo CD LR 798; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) Michael Bisio (b) Whit Dickey (d); Brooklyn, NY, August 2016; Parts 1-7; 53:58. www.leorecords.com

Ivo Perelman: The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 4: Hyperion

On The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 4: Hyperion, Ivo Perelman and Matthew Shipp are joined by bassist Michael Bisio. Bisio, who’s been on several previous Perelman sessions, has also played with Shipp since 2010, mostly in a trio format. Where Parker remains calm and collected, even in the most volcanic of musical environments, Bisio brings a more excitable presence to the music. Beginning with the meditative Part 1, the trio digs in for some seriously potent music-making. On this date, Perelman concentrates on his well-articulated altissimo register, frequently leaping from the gruff bottom of his tenor to the “false” notes way at the top. Shipp spends a fair amount of time playing busy filigrees with occasional stabs of dark chords. The ten unnamed sections offer plenty of high drama and ruminative investigations of sound. The pastoral Part 5 is particularly effective. It’s a kind of free ballad, with an unusually introspective Perelman, a rhapsodic Shipp, and tender bass work by Bisio. I’m also quite attracted to the quickly paced Part 9, where Shipp and Bisio mesh tightly and lead Perelman into some remarkable flights of improvisation. Shipp gets two brief tracks all to himself. Part 6 is a thoughtfully slow improvisation that acts like a island of calm within the generally turbulent atmosphere. The similarly soothing Part 10 closes the disc like a lullaby, soothing and sedate. It’s the perfect way to end another absorbing Perelman excursion.
Leo CD LR 797; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) Michael Bisio (b); Brooklyn, NY, August 2015; Parts 1-10; 48:14. www.leorecords.com

Ivo Perelman: The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 3: Pandora

For The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 3: Pandora, the Volume 1 trio of Ivo Perelman, Shipp, and Parker is joined by drummer Whit Dickey. Perelman doesn’t often favor the quartet setting, but in this case he’s got what was at one time three-quarters of the David S. Ware quartet as his accomplices. Their pre-existing rapport, when added to the intimate bond that Shipp and Perelman share, results in a tremendously absorbing and exciting session. Especially worthy of note are Shipp’s introspective solo in Part 1 and his tender opening to Part 3, Perelman’s beautifully structured solo in the second half of Part 2, Dickey’s slashing cymbal work in Part 3, the playful duo of Perelman and Dickey as they open Part 5, Parker’s firmly grounded bass on Part 5, the quiet intensity of the entire band throughout Part 4 and their song-like instant composing for the last couple of minutes of Part 5. Another impressive outing for Perelman and associates.
Leo CD LR 796; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) William Parker (b) Whit Dickey (d); Brooklyn, NY, October 2016; Parts 1-6; 58:31. www.leorecords.com

Ivo Perelman: The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 2: Tarvos

Next up is The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 2: Tarvos. This series is named for some of the many moons of Saturn, an appropriately celestial reference for the multi-dimensional and otherworldly sounds of Ivo Perelman and his associates. Tarvos is another trio session, with drummer Bobby Kapp as the third man joining Shipp and Perelman. Kapp, who played with musicians like Dave Burrell, Marion Brown, and Gato Barbieri back in the Sixties, made his home in Mexico City for decades. He reemerged on the New York scene in the late Nineties and recorded Cactus, a duo set with Shipp in 2016. The pianist introduced Kapp to Perelman, which led to Tarvos. Perelman says to Neil Tesser, indefatigable liner note scribe for all of Perelman’s Leo albums, that until he met Kapp he’d never found a drummer that, like Perelman himself, “was equally free and equally Brazilian.” Kapp brings a poly-rhythmic ferocity to the music that provokes outbursts like the dense final section of Part 1 or the call and response opening of Part 4. At the same time, when he’s in the mood, Kapp prods the music with a light touch that moves things towards the world of jazz standards. There are moments on Volume 1 where Perelman nods to that tradition with fragments of quotes, and Kapp encourages that tendency. There are a few passages that allude to the 1942 song I’ll Remember April, notably at the tail end of the exuberant Part 5. The track is a delight, with Perelman way up in the altissimo range, Shipp ranging densely all over the keyboard, and a suitably chattering drum part by Kapp. Shipp’s somber piano opens Part 6, Perelman enters in a similarly melancholy mood, and the trio maintains that feeling until the stunning rave-up finish. The nearly 10 minutes of Part 7 open quietly and develop into some of the most fiery playing of the date. Tarvos is another winner in the ever-burgeoning Perelman canon.
Leo CD LR 795; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) Bobby Kapp (d); Brooklyn, NY, October 2016; Parts 1-7; 48:28. www.leorecords.com

Binge Listening with Ivo Perelman: The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 1:Titan

  The unstoppable, ever-evolving tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman’s concept is both simple and profound in equal measure. The simple part is inviting musicians to play with him without any preconceived notions of what the music will sound like. The profundity lies in the music-making itself. With the resources to record and release all these encounters with the deep bench of compatible musicians in the New York area, Perelman over the last few years has been astonishingly prolific. It’s hard for this reviewer to keep up, but his work demands attention, and a prolonged exposure to his music is an experience to be savored. So spend a weekend with Ivo and friends: you won’t regret it.

Perelman followed his Art Of The Improv Trio bonanza with another lengthy series of compact discs. The seven discs in The Art Of Perelman-Shipp series feature Perelman in various combinations with pianist Matthew Shipp, with whom he appears to have an telepathic connection. Each set in the series features the pair in different combinations. The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 1: Titan begins this bonanza with a trio of Perelman, Shipp and master bassist William Parker. Parker has worked extensively with both of them on numerous recording projects dating back to 1996's Cama De Terra, a Homestead Records release by the same trio. Together, this trio makes intensely playful and bold music. The first five sections of this session are relatively short, between 4 and 7 minutes, revealing a range of expression that includes hints of swing in Part 2, the three-way chase of Part 3, and the lyrical and dreamy Part 5. The finale is nearly 20 minutes long, beginning with a graceful and subdued passage with Parker wielding his bow. The music remains alluringly peaceful for a spell, gradually increasing in intensity with the deft interactions. A perfect example of Perelman’s art, and a great way to start a Perelman marathon.
Leo CD LR 794; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) William Parker (b); Brooklyn, NY, October 2016; Parts 1-6; 49:46. www.leorecords.com

Various Artists: The Savory Collection 1935-1940

Gather round, friends, and let me tell you a little about the not-so-distant past when live jazz was regularly heard on the radio. You had shows like the Saturday Night Swing Club, the Make Believe Ballroom, and the Camel Caravan, plus remote broadcasts from nightclubs and ballrooms across the country. Broadcast material, usually captured directly off the air on unsophisticated recording equipment, has been issued over the decades by a variety of fly-by-night bootleggers. Jazz fans have, by and large, tolerated the so-so sound in order to hear music that otherwise was lost.
Bill Savory was a pioneer in recording technology, beginning with an early transcription service in the Thirties. Eventually he worked his way up to Columbia Records, where he was part of the team that successfully developed the 33 1/3 rpm long playing record. Later he was the chief engineer at Angel Records/EMI, worked for a space technology lab, and founded Lyricon Records, among many other accomplishments. After he retired from the business world in 1989, he devoted a large part of his time to the digital conversion of the many airchecks he’d recorded in the 1930's. Very few of his recordings have been heard by the general public, aside from a batch of Benny Goodman airchecks that Goodman himself heard and approved. Saxophonist and educator Loren Schoenberg had heard about Savory’s archive, was in touch with him until Savory’s death in 2004, and has been trying ever since to acquire and preserve it. Finally, in the first half of 2010, Schoenberg reached a deal with Savory’s son to acquire the collection for the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, where Schoenberg serves as the executive director. Scott Wenzel of Mosaic Records helped to catalog and pack the archive for shipment. That’s the back story for the glorious collection The Savory Collection 1935-1940, a six disc compilation of previously unissued material. The first few pages of the included 36-page booklet detail the history of the collection, the trip to the Midwest to get it ready for the Jazz Museum, and the difficulties in handling fragile discs that had not been stored in the best conditions. Considering all the problems involved, including mold and water stains, the audio restoration by Doug Pomeroy qualifies as miraculous.
The music begins with an utter masterpiece as Coleman Hawkins plays Body and Soul in a 1940 recording from the Fiesta Danceteria in New York. Freed from the time limitations of a 78-rpm disc, Hawkins stretches out for nearly 6 minutes of sublime jazz. That one track alone almost makes this anthology essential for jazz fans, but as the old song goes, you ain’t heard nothing yet. Among the other stars of the era to make appearances here are Fats Waller, Mildred Bailey, Glenn Miller, Bobby Hackett, and Teddy Wilson. There’s a generous sampling of John Kirby’s ensemble, with ten excellent-sounding tracks, most of them broadcast in 1940 on the Sunday night CBS program Flow Gently, Sweet Rhythm. Also to be treasured are recordings of one time only groupings like the 25-minute Fats Waller jam session from the Make Believe Ballroom in November 1938 with a band including the Teagarden brothers (Charlie on trumpet and Jack on trombone), clarinetist Pee Wee Russell, tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman and drummer Zutty Singleton; a Jack Teagarden jam from 1939 with Charlie Shavers and a vocal by Johnny Mercer; and Roy Eldridge, Chick Webb and Ella Fitzgerald appearing with the Saturday Night Swing Club Studio Orchestra in August 1938. Those are just some of the treats on the first four CDs. The final pair of discs is devoted to the Count Basie Orchestra in remotes from 1938 to 1940, including a batch from the band’s extended engagement at the Famous Door in New York. As Loren Schoenberg notes, “It’s fair to say that absent radio broadcasts, Count Basie and his band might never have made it out of Kansas City.” John Hammond heard the band on the radio when he was driving to Chicago in late 1935, and a year later, the Basie group opened at the Roseland Ballroom in New York. A couple of years after that, the Famous Door broadcasts spread the band’s sound far and wide, and the rest, as they say, is history. This edition of the band featured Lester Young, Buck Clayton, Jimmy Rushing, and the All-American Rhythm Section of Basie, guitarist Freddie Green, bassist Walter Page, and drummer Jo Jones. To have over two hours of music from this ensemble rescued from the airwaves is like a gift from the gods.
The Savory Collection 1935-1940 is an indispensable repository of classic jazz, with hours of great music that could have been lost forever, but instead was preserved by a visionary engineer, and is now available to all. Absolutely recommended.
Mosaic MD6-266; Disc 1 (76:38): Coleman Hawkins (3/17/40); Ella Fitzgerald (8/13/38); Fats Waller (10/22/38); Lionel Hampton (12/28/38); Carl Kress & Dick McDonough (3/29/36); Emilio Caceres Trio (10/19/37). Disc 2 (71:05): Albert Ammons (12/14/39); Roy Eldridge (8/13/38); Roy Eldridge/Chick Webb (8/13/38); Fats Waller (11/23/38); John Kirby (7/28/40, 8/4/40, 6/23/40, 6/2/40, 7/14/40, & 3/24/38); Benny Carter (4/17/39); Joe Sullivan (12/40/39). Disc 3 (62:43): Joe Marsala (12/7/38); Bobby Hackett 6/23/40, 8/17/38); Jack Teagarden (1/11/39); Mildred Bailey (9/19/35, 3/29/36); Stuff Smith (3/29/36, 5/29/38). Disc 4 (55:16): Teddy Wilson (12/29/39); Glenn Miller (7/7/38, 2/3/40); Joe Sullivan (5/26/40, 1/1/38, 1/28/40). Disc 5 (59:58): Count Basie (5/29/38, 8/18/38, 8/28/38, 8/30/38, 8/31/38, 10/11/38, 10/12/38). Disc 6 (64:30): Count Basie (10/19/38, 10/30/38, 11/2/38, 11/6/38, 4/2/39, 5/19/39, 12/9/39, 2/28/40). Limited edition of 5,000 albums, available exclusively at www.mosaicrecords.com. Complete discographical details are available at http://www.mosaicrecords.com/discography.asp?number=266-MD-CD&price=$99.00&copies=6%20CDs.

Rob Schwimmer: Heart Of Hearing

Rob Schwimmer’s main instrument is the piano, but on his richly varied and compelling solo album, Heart Of Hearing, he’s also heard on theremin and the Haken Continuum, a music performance controller and synthesizer. From his self-taught beginnings (starting at the age of 3!), Schwimmer has amassed a broad résumé that includes touring with Simon and Garfunkel between 2003 and 2010, recording with Annette Peacock in the Seventies and James Emery (of the String Trio of New York) in the Nineties, and accompanying silent films at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. His repertoire here is as varied as his background, encompassing popular songs (a radiant In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning), Kurt Weill’s Lost in the Stars (where the theremin takes a cameo with the melody), Simon’s The Sound of Silence (disguised a bit and quite lovely), a couple of Bernard Herrmann’s themes from Vertigo, and a batch of original tunes. There’s also a soothing prelude by Nikolai Obukhov written in the early twentieth century and played on piano with an overdub from the Haken Continuum, sounding like a cross between pedal steel guitar and a theremin, a version of Stephen Foster’s Hard Times, and what Schwimmer describes as a Concert Paraphrase on Adam Guettel’s Octet from Guettal's 2003 musical The Light in the Piazza. After so many surprises, Schwimmer has one more ace in the hole, playing the finale, his own Accepting It, in a trio format with bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Jeff Hirschfield. I’m happily reminded of Thelonious Monk’s Thelonious Himself, another solo piano album with added musicians (John Coltrane and Wilbur Ware) on the last track. While it’s evident from pieces like the impressionistic Waking Up in a Strange Place and the wildly ornate cChHoOpPilnN, which messes with Chopin’s Opus 35 #4, that Schwimmer has a prodigious keyboard technique, I’m happy to note that in this recital, technique is merely the means by which he creates music that touches the emotions. Note that album title again: Heart Of Hearing. It’s a fine bit of wordplay, and very telling. The appreciative liner notes by fellow pianist and astute listener Ethan Iverson act as a helpful guide to Schwimmer and his music, but all you really need is an open mind, open ears, and a receptive heart. Heart Of Hearing is strongly recommended.
Sunken Heights SHM 2018; Rob Schwimmer (p; plus theremin on *; plus Haken Continuum on #) Jay Anderson (b on @) Jeff Hirschfield (d on @); Brooklyn, NY, & Mt. Vernon, NY, no dates indicated except @, 1989; Here We Are...; Sparks; In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning; Waking Up in a Strange Place; Mist/The Seduction; cChHoOpPilnN; Lost in the Stars*; The Sounds of Silence; Obukhov Prelude #1#; A Feather Blown By the Wind; The Question; In a Japanese Garden; Prelude & Scene d’Amour from Vertigo; Concert Paraphrase on Adam Guetttal’s Octet; Hard Times; Introduction & A Home Away from Home; Accepting It@; 51:08. robschwimmer.com

Jamie Saft Quartet: Blue Dream

You can never be sure what multi-instrumentalist Jamie Saft will be up to next. Recent endeavors include very noisy electric music (Slobber Pup), a collaboration with Iggy Pop, Steve Swallow and Bobby Previte (2017's Loneliness Road), a solo piano session (2018's Solo a Genova), or, most intriguingly, Blue Dream by the Jamie Saft Quartet. This relatively straight-ahead session features tenor saxophonist Bill McHenry, bassist Bradley Christopher Jones, and drummer Nasheet Waits in a program of Saft’s well-crafted original compositions plus three standards. Saft's Vessels is up first. Opening quietly and then growing more intense with every passing moment, the tune finds Saft in a McCoy Tyner bag as McHenry blows softly through the changes before building up a head of steam. Jones and Waits keep careful control of the tune’s dynamics. Equanimity rolls right along, stoked by Waits’ introductory solo and McHenry’s passionate cry. Saft really digs into the tune for an impressively wide-ranging piano solo, complete with a few prods from McHenry. Like Saft, McHenry is comfortable in a broad range of musical expression. The saxophonist wails on the boisterous Sword’s Water, plays sweetly on Violets For Your Furs, and is suitably passionate on the Coltrane-ish Infinite Compassion. Clearly he’s a player who enjoys challenges, rising to the occasion every time. The way that Saft is playing on this date makes me think he’s having a ball with this group. It’s a little hard to pick a tune that really showcases his playing, but if I had to highlight one song, it would be Words and Deeds, where his bluesy sensibility and astute sense of solo structure come together perfectly. The closing track is There’s a Lull in My Life, a 1937 song by the team of Mack Gordon and Harry Revel, in a thoroughly gorgeous and immaculately poised performance. Without a single dull moment, Blue Dream is a happy surprise and an exquisite exercise in modern small group jazz. Highly recommended. Wonder what Saft will be up to next time ...
RareNoise RNR095; Bill McHenry (ts) Jamie Saft (p) Bradley Christopher Jones (b) Nasheet Waits (d); Kingston NY, fall 2017; Vessels/ Equanimity/ Sword’s Water/ Violets For Your Furs/ Blue Dream/ Infinite Compassion/ Sweet Lorraine/ Walls/ Decamping/ Words and Deeds/ Mysterious Arrangements/ There’s a Lull in My Life; 55:18. www.rarenoiserecords.com

Benjamin Deschamps: No Codes

Alto saxophonist Benjamin Deschamps leads a seriously smoking quartet on the rather wonderful No Codes. The bass and drum team of Sébastien Pellerin and Louis-V. Hamel provide Deschamps and front line partner Frank Lozano on tenor sax with a potent rhythmic attack that’s boldly supportive throughout this collection of original tunes. Bassist Pellerin contributes Double Meaning, and the band performs two of Lozano’s pieces (Quick Fix and My Steps). The rest are by Deschamps. The compositions function as hip frameworks for generating excitement from the spontaneous interactions within the band as well as the solos by Deschamps and Lozano. The two horns share a fierce attack and they’re equally fluent over the full ranges of their saxophones. One of the real treats here is listening to them as they gently spar in the sparse and crystalline setting of a band without a chordal instrument. The quartet’s performances tend not to waste any time in getting to the core of the tune, saying what there is say, and getting out again. Deschamps’ Cool Cats is one favorite, with Hamel laying down a irresistible beat to prod the entwined saxophonists. Pellerin’s loping Double Meaning is another, with Lozano and Deschamps playing an enchanting duet. And there’s Lozano’s calmly ruminative Quick Fix, with more saxophone dueling and a brightly toned bass solo in the middle. The vigorous closer, Lozano’s My Steps, is a delightful romp that leaves this listener with a good feeling, and ready to start over from the beginning of the disc. A winner through and through, No Codes is highly recommended.
Multiple Chord Music MCM037; Benjamin Deschamps (as) Frank Lozano (ts) Sébastien Pellerin (b) Louis-V. Hamel (d); Montréal, PQ, no dates specified; Rules of Compression/ Song For Daniel/ Cream Muffin Treat/ Interlude 1/ Cool Cats/ No I Didn’t/ Double Meaning/ Interlude 2/ Quick Fix/ Reconciliation/ My Steps; 47:43. multiplechordmusic.com

Cuong Vu 4-tet: Change in the Air

On Change in the Air, the Cuong Vu 4-tet features the trumpeter in the familiar company of guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Luke Bergman, and drummer Ted Poor. Each musician has at least one tune to contribute, and the resulting music is heavy on atmosphere and low-key sensuous grooves. The main attraction is the lovingly enlaced melodic lines of Vu and Frisell. Their nuanced interactions rely on their instantaneous reactions to one another that move the music forward. A steady Bergman on electric bass and a generally subdued Poor on drums provide plenty of comradely support. All That's Left Of Me Is You, a gentle ballad by Poor, opens the disc in a melancholy mood. Alive, another Poor composition, is slightly more upbeat, featuring some growling trumpet from Vu and country-styled licks from Frisell amid the active drumming of Poor. Towards the end of the 9-minute piece, Frisell’s guitar work becomes more heated in response to Bergman’s doom-laden bass playing. The first of Frisell’s compositions is Look, Listen, with a simple, almost sleepy melody. There’s not much to it, but Vu’s crystal-clear trumpet is always a pleasure. Bergman’s one song, Must Concentrate, opens with a lazy bossa nova feel, accentuated by Frisell’s crisp guitar chords. A surprisingly robust second half is more rock-oriented, with Vu’s trumpet out front. The last of Poor’s three tunes, Lately, lowers the heat again, with a theme that would fit a romantic comedy from the Sixties. I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not! The next three tunes are by Vu. Round and Round, one of the disc’s highlights, has an angular melody with a few surprising leaps. Vu and Bergman play the head together before an absorbing section of collective improvisation. Another high point is the intriguingly named March Of the Owl and the Bat. It more than lives up to the title with an animated Poor on drums, some stinging guitar from Frisell, and a seriously raging Vu. Round and Round (Back Around) is a sort of reprise, with ruminative trumpet and the friendly clatter of Poor’s on his drum rims. The final pair of tunes were composed by Frisell. There’s not much happening in the wistful Long Ago. The similarly downcast Far From Here offers more to engage the players and the listener, with an attractive trumpet solo and Frisell’s glistening guitar chords. Change In The Air is an intermittently interesting collection of moody performances that’s worth a listen.
RareNoise RNR091; Cuong Vu (tp) Bill Frisell (g) Luke Bergman (b; guitars on *) Ted Poor (d; Fender Rhodes el p on *); Seattle, WA, May 14-16, 2017; All That's Left Of Me Is You/ Alive/ Look, Listen/ Must Concentrate/ Lately*/ Round and Round/ March Of the Owl and the Bat/ Round and Round (Back Around)/ Long Ago/ Far From Here; 52:37. www.rarenoiserecords.com