Tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman & Ray Anderson on trombone were half of the quartet that recorded Molten Gold in October 2022. Just a couple of months later, Perelman and Anderson were back in Jim Clouse’s Park West Studio in Brooklyn for a series of improvised duets they’ve titled 12 Stages of Spiritual Alchemy. One source I ran across described “spiritual alchemy” as the “art of inner transformation,” which seems as good a way as any to conceptualize the totally free approach to a musical encounter. In the act of freely creating and responding to a partner, the inner transformation manifests as sound. While that might be a needlessly metaphysical approach to the experiential act of just making it up as you go along, the idea of transformation does provide a loose philosophical framework to the proceedings. Anderson is a playful and often humorous musician. To respond to Perelman’s wildest flights of fancy, he draws on the entire history of trombone, from the early tailgate stylists through the modernists and his own brash tone. Coagulation is a good example, with both players rocking back and forth between two notes, sometimes in sync and sometimes not. But in truth, anywhere that you dig into 12 Stages will reveal fresh facets of this collaboration. Larded with surprising quotes from all over, this is an enjoyably approachable and good-hearted collaboration. With Perelman as prolific as he is, it might be tough to know where to start with his music. The highly enjoyable 12 Stages of Spiritual Alchemy would be an excellent place to begin. Fundacja Słuchaj; Ray Anderson (tbn) Ivo Perelman (ts); Brooklyn NY, December 2022; Separation/ Calcination/ Putrefaction/ Dissolution/ Coagulation/ Conjunction/ Sublimation/ Exaltation/ Projection/ Multiplication/ Fermentation/ Cibation; 55:19. sluchaj.bandcamp.com
What happens when a pair of consummate improvisers and connoisseurs of extended saxophone techniques meet up for a session? It’s likely that Ivo Perelman & John Butcher merely said hello to one another as they arrived at a London studio to record Duologues 4. A series of buzzes, bird sounds, squeaks and squawks, and even odd fragments of melody ensue in improvisations that last from just under four minutes to a bit over nine minutes. The mildly competitive dueling that almost inevitably arises in the free improvisational duo situation leads to one player following or subverting the other’s contribution, jumping high up on the horn or deep below into the muddy bottom, sudden shifts in the speed of the music, and much more. While there are plenty of quiet moments throughout the session, things can get gnarly and gritty awfully quickly. The best 30 second example of that is the sweetly dovetailed conclusion of #7 and the reed noises and swirling tones that lead off #8. Decidedly not for the faint of heart, Duologues 4 is an invigorating encounter that’s equally eccentric and absorbing. IBEJI; Ivo Perelman (ts) John Butcher (ss, ts); London, England, November 2024; eight untitled improvisations; 48:22. ivoperelman.bandcamp.com
It’s a delightful matching of wits when Ivo Perelman & Wadada Leo Smith team up for a seven part sequence of unbridled free improvisations, released as Duologues 5. Tenor saxophonist Perelman’s deep and broad sound introduces the proceedings, and the much-accomplished trumpeter Smith responds with long tones, simple lines interspersed with blasts of sound, and some mute work. Smith has collaborated with dozens of prominent creative musicians since his debut on record in 1968 on Three Compositions Of New Jazz (Delmark, 1968) by Anthony Braxton, which was Braxton’s debut as well. He’s also particularly drawn to the duo format, appearing on record with percussionists Ed Blackwell, Adam Rudolph, Gunter “Baby” Sommer, Jack DeJohnette, Louis Moholo-Moholo, Milford Graves, electric bassist Bill Laswell, bassist John Lindberg, and multi-instrumentalist Braxton, among others. Smith has retained his piquant and penetrating sound into his eighties, and he sounds as fresh and spirited as ever on this set. The overall mood is reflective and cooperative, with Perelman keeping mostly in the usual tenor range. The mutual respect and their joint fascination with the nuances of sound make this a special encounter indeed. Warmly recommended. IBEJI; Wadada Leo Smith (tpt) Ivo Perelman (ts); Brooklyn, NY, May 2024; seven untitled improvisations; 42:49. ivoperelman.bandcamp.com
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