Friday, March 29, 2019

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

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