Tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman continues to enlist new faces and sounds into his world of totally free improvisation. On Truth Seeker, the line-up is Ivo Perelman, Mark Helias & Tom Rainey for over an hour of robust instantaneous music making. Bassist Helias made his first recordings in 1977 with an Anthony Braxton quintet. Since then, he’s been heard with Dewey Redman, Anthony Davis, Barry Altschul, Jane Ira Bloom, and many, many others. The equally experienced Tom Rainey has played drums for a vast array of leaders, including Jane Ira Bloom, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, Tim Berne, and dozens more. And naturally enough, Helias and Rainey have found themselves in the studio together regularly since Helias’ Attack The Future CD for Enja (1990). Not long before Truth Seeker was recorded, Helias and Rainey joined Perelman and pianist Matthew Shipp for a Rogue Art release, which set the stage for this trio date. From the very first notes of the title track which opens the disc, their capacious rapport is apparent. Perelman starts the piece exploring the bottom ranges of his tenor sax, but within 4 minutes, he’s screamed his way to the outer limits. A charmingly peaceful bass and drums duet ensues as Perelman takes a short break, and the range of possibilities comes into view. Whether the music is peaceful, frenzied, or somewhere in-between, the collective inspiration never flags. Perelman’s gorgeous inventions on Devotion are breathtaking (no pun intended), as the rich throb of Helias’ bass and Rainey’s propulsive drums provide a suitably energetic backing. Bass and drums slowly grow quiet and then drop out, allowing for a calm and careful saxophone coda. Helias and Rainey kick off Mystical Vibration, then proceed to play with assertiveness when Perelman sneaks in with melodies in the upper reaches of his sax. Soon, Helias is wielding his bow and Rainey is paying a lot of attention to his cymbals. Things get awfully squeaky and dramatic for a few minutes before settling down again to explore new directions. And that’s the way the program proceeds, as they investigate some of the myriad sonic textures of a sax, bass, and drums unit. One of the more impressive aspects of this date is their uncanny synchronization in producing shifts in the velocity of the music. While it’s pointless to pick favorites on a session like this, as each piece proceeds to offer its own distinct rewards, I will note the fury of Spiritual Growth, the chattering introspection of Ubiquitous Light, and the tangled shards of melody on Life’s Meaning as particularly gripping excursions. Unreservedly recommended.
Fundacja Słuchaj; Ivo Perelman (ts) Mark Helias (b) Tom Rainey (d); Brooklyn, NY, December 2022; Truth Seeker/ Devotion/ Mystical Vibration/ Spiritual Growth/ Ubiquitous Light/ Life's Meaning/ Intuition; 66:43. sluchaj.bandcamp.com
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