Pedro Melo Alves: Conundrum Vol.1 - itself through disappearance

  Portuguese percussionist Pedro Melo Alves had an idea in 2019 that was at once simple and radical. The simple part was to arrange an performance series that convened on a regular basis. But each show in this adventure would feature Alves playing duos, as he writes, “with musicians I admire (and with whom I’ve never played before).” That’s a genuinely radical idea, and Alves cemented his enthusiasm for the unknown by recording all the shows and videotaping the events since 2022. His new CD is called Conundrum Vol.1 - itself through disappearance, with a baker’s dozen of duets with all kinds of folks. Four tracks team Alves with vocalists utilizing a broad range of vocal styles: Audrey Chen (screamy), Sara Serpa (playful, in what sounds like an invented language), Gil Dionísio (shouts. murmurs, and processed vocal), and Ece Canli (ethereal). The instrumentalists are similarly varied, with such sound sources as turntables and sampler (Ignaz Shick), MIDI accordion (João Barradas), electric guitar (Nuno Rebelo), harp (Jacqueline Kerrod), cello (Violeta Garcia), electronic and acoustic feedback, modified amplifier, and electrode oscillator (Rafael Toral), and healthy doses of electronics. Over the course of 13 untitled tracks, I find myself partial to the high-energy instrumental tracks, like the tough grooves of Alves and Shick, the savage electronics of Toral, and the introspective duet with pianist Marta Warelis, but the truth is that there’s something here for anyone even faintly interested in the excitement and unpredictability of free improvisation. The album’s title arises from the post hoc decision to made a CD compilation, “because the whole series wasn’t thought of with an album flow in mind.” Alves has done a yeoman’s job in listening back to all the shows, picking tracks, and coming up with an extraordinarily cohesive set of performances. The result is like the soundtrack to the wildest dream you’ve ever had, full of unusual sounds, strange characters, and an array of quick changes in attitudes and feelings. And it’s perfect on headphones! 

Clean Feed; Pedro Melo Alves (d, perc, elec) with 1. João Barradas (accor, MIDI accor)[5/14/22]/ 2. Audrey Chen (vcl, elec) [11/11/22]/ 3. Ignaz Schick (turntables, sampler, elec) [9/29/22]/ 4. Nuno Rebelo (elec g) [2/22/19]/ 5. Marta Warelis (p) [12/20/23]/ 6. Violeta Garcia (clo, elec) [4/12/23]/ 7. Jacqueline Kerrod (harp) [2/11/09] 8. Carlos Barreto (b) [5/13/22]/ 9. Sara Serpa (vcl) [7/9/22]/ 10. Rafael Toral (electronic and acoustic feedback, modified amplifier, electrode oscillator) [3/4/22]/ 11. Grilo (prep p) [2/12/19]/12. Gil Dionísio (vcl, elec) [10/19/23]/ 13. Ece Canli (vcl, elec) [2/9/23]; 74:03. Recorded in Lisbon, Portugal, exc. 4,7,9,& 11, Coimbra, Portugal and 4, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. cleanfeed-records.com

Ivo Perelman & James Emery: The Whisperers

  Tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman & James Emery, the acoustic guitarist and co-founder of the String Trio of New York, engage in a series of spirited dialogues on The Whisperers, as Perelman’s leaps and skitters of sound find their match in Emery’s fractured guitar lines. Perelman’s sudden jumps in pitch and his exploitation of the altissimo range of his tenor are on the left side of the stereo image. Emery’s unusual voicings, and an immaculate technique which allows him to switch rapidly between single-note runs and flurries of strummed chords, plus his own grab bag of extended techniques, are all on the right. Their excursions into sound, transparently recorded by Perelman’s usual engineer Jim Clouse, make for exquisitely involving headphone listening. The delirious high-wire act of track two, a high-velocity improvisation that’s full of blustery and excitable tenor and jagged bursts of guitar, grabbed me right away. Track ten, with its twisted and abstracted take on the blues, is a marvelous concoction. Track four is another of my favorites of this set, as a braying Perelman and a hard strumming Emery come together and apart and then together again in a genuinely audacious display of the improvisers’ art. This set came out in August 2023, and got lost in the shuffle. I’m glad I found it again; highly recommended. 

Mahakala Music MAHA-065; Ivo Perelman (ts) James Emery (g); Brooklyn, NY, February 2022; Twelve untitled improvisations; 52:59. mahakalamusic.com

The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis

  The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis bring the noise, and I mean that as a compliment. Genre-smashing guitarist Anthony Pirog teams with electric bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty as the Messthetics, a collaboration that began in 2016. Lally and Canty got their start playing in Fugazi, the Washington, D.C.-based band that lasted from 1986 until the group took an “indefinite hiatus” in 2002. They play with the locked-in ferocity and drive of the best punk music, leaving Pirog to dip and dive and soar on guitar. Add in the big brawny sound of tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and you have the right ingredients for a funky and rocking good time. This unit’s blend of elements reminds me of music by the likes of Ron Shannon Jackson and his Decoding Society or the Sonny Sharrock Band. At their best, the Messthetics are playing hard, just on the edge of crashing and burning up. The few attempts at slower tempos, like the overly long and dirge-like Boatly or the mellow Railroad Tracks Home, don’t fit the rhythm section’s style nearly as well. Lewis’ invigorating solo on the latter almost pulls it of the doldrums, but not for long. Favorites include the rousing That Thang featuring a raging solo by Pirog, the relatively sedate groove of The Time is the Place, and the impressive Fourth Wall, which closes the album with its headlong pace and some inventive blowing by Lewis. Recommended. 

Impulse! (CD and vinyl); James Brandon Lewis (ts) Anthony Pirog (g) Joe Lally (b) Brendan Canty (d); Takoma Park, MD, no dates specified; L'Orso/ Emergence/ That Thang/ Three Sisters/ Boatly/ The Time is the Place/ Railroad Tracks Home/ Asthenia/ Fourth Wall; 46:19. www.impulserecords.com

Nicole Connelly: Stamp In Time

  Trombonist Nicole Connelly makes her recording debut with Stamp In Time. Most of the pieces are in a revealing trio format, with a steady Zachary Swanson on bass and the dynamic Kate Gentile on drums. Trumpeter (and twin sister) Erin Connelly guests on a few pieces, and Andrew Hadro brings his baritone saxophone roar to Sky Piece. Connelly has a warm and enveloping sound on trombone, with occasional forays into grittier tones. The growling drone that opens the lead-off title track gives way to a sweet sound when Swanson and Gentile drift into the picture. Roswell Rudd’s Bamako follows with a bright groove stoked by Gentile’s peppy drumming and Swanson’s solid walking bass. Connelly is smooth as silk on this one, with an unhurried presence and an imaginative solo. Erin Connelly makes her first appearance on Shadow Self, as the sisters loosely duet over busy rhythms for just a couple of minutes. The assertive groove of Malaton is a real standout. It’s a fairly simple tune, energized by the robust interplay of the trio. Brown Recluse is a charming ballad, featuring lovely counterpoint by Erin Connelly. The brief Rising Wide-Eyed combines bowed bass and cymbals with a gentle melody for trombone. Thomas Chapin’s Sky Piece is the most boisterous song of the date, thanks to Hadro’s gruff baritone. Connelly takes a fine unaccompanied solo right in the middle. The appropriately somber Lullaby of the Doomed, an obscure Babs Gonzalez tune recorded by Bennie Green in 1958, is a showcase for Connelly’s multiphonics, with Swanson and Gentile providing delicate support. The jumping Day by Day is another highlight, as Gentile’s drums push Connelly into a broadly swinging mode that suits her to a T. And Counting ... ends the set with a free-sounding duet between trumpet and trombone. At not much more than two minutes, it’s the kind of piece that leaves you wanting more, and in fact I feel that way about many of the tracks. At 32 and a half minutes, Stamp In Time offers a relatively brief but thoroughly enjoyable look into Nicole Connelly’s musical world. An auspicious debut, well worth hearing. 

Self-produced; Nicole Connelly (tbn) Zachary Swanson (b) Kate Gentile (d) Erin Connelly (tpt on *) Andrew Hadro (bari s on #); Brooklyn, NY, August 2023; Stamp in Time/ Bamako/ Shadow Self*/ Malaton/ Brown Recluse*/ Rising Wide-Eyed/ Sky Piece#/ Lullaby of the Doomed/ Crow Song*/ Tiff*/ Day by Day/ And Counting...*; 32:31. nicoleconnelly.bandcamp.com

Wendy Eisenberg • Damon Smith • Stefan González: Balloon Of Ruin

  A gleeful collision of noises emanated from the first-time trio of Wendy Eisenberg • Damon Smith • Stefan González when they played at Infinite Ohm, a record label in Denton, Texas. On Balloon of Ruin, guitarist Eisenberg’s thoughtful and spiky skronk, Smith’s springy and adventuresome bass, and drummer González’s tasty and often explosive drumming make for a curiously absorbing experience. Song titles like Crushed Bits of Rubbish and Swamp Asylum are a real indication of the trio’s sensibilities. A wide dynamic range, from surpassingly quiet to rip-roaring passages, result in surprising juxtapositions of sound in this wild and woolly batch of improvisations. Definitely worth a listen. 

Joan Of Bark JOB 001; limited edition cassette (sold out) + digital album; Wendy Eisenberg (g) Damon Smith (b) Stefan González (d); Denton, TX, May 1, 2022; Crushed Bits of Rubbish/ Nutmeg Resin/ Swamp Asylum/ Filth Clogging Audibly/ A Single Bite of Sweet Potato/ Half a Liver/ Balloon of Ruin; 46:46. joanofbark.bandcamp.com/album/balloon-of-ruin