Michaël Attias & Simon Nabatov: Brooklyn Mischiefs

 

Michaël Attias & Simon Nabatov met to play together for the first time in July 2014 when the alto saxophonist and pianist were booked together at a Brooklyn club. Brooklyn Mischiefs was unearthed from Nabatov’s archives during a pandemic that precludes events like this one. The program offers five spontaneous inventions plus a brief look at Herbie Nichols’ The Spinning Song. Their intense concentration and cohesion are evident from the very start of Glimpses & Tangles, the aptly named first track. Attias likens the “miracle of a happy first encounter” to the “sudden ease of dreams ...” The key difference, of course, between dreaming and actually living the dream is the intention and action required to bring their music into being. In this respect, the adaptable Nabatov and the volatile Attias make an exemplary pair with instant compositions seemingly plucked from the air. The moods range from careful tone poems to full-on rampages and almost everything between those poles, sometimes in the space of one improvisation, like Languid. That’s the first half of a medley with the Nichols tune, alluded to then elaborated by Nabatov. Attias re-enters the scene and they proceed to spar and commune for a spell. While I’m partial to the jauntier sections of their journey, like the second half of Gowanus at Night or the happy-go-lucky feeling that emerges in the midst of Glances, improvised music fans will find much here to hold their interest. Recommended. 

Leo CD LR 901; Michaël Attias (as) Simon Nabatov (p); Brooklyn, NY, July 6, 2014; Glimpses & Tangles/ Gowanus By Night/ Medley: Languid, The Spinning Song/ Glances/ Poetic Bug Bite; 53:38. www.leorecords.com

Brandon Seabrook & Simon Nabatov: Voluptuaries

  The on-line Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Voluptuaries as people “whose chief interests are luxury and the gratification of sensual appetites.” Those “sensual appetites” surely include the deep pleasures of making purely improvised music, and Brandon Seabrook & Simon Nabatov take a day of recording at Köln’s well-regarded LOFT to prove the point. Since his 2003 debut on John Zorn’s Tzadik label, guitarist Seabrook has recorded with a broad range of sonic explorers, including trumpeter Peter Evans, alto saxophonist Jeremy Udden, bassist Ben Allison, and drummer Tomas Fujiwara. Pianist Nabatov, who made his first record in a trio with bassist Ed Schuller and drummer Paul Motian back in 1986, when Seabrook was just a couple of years old, has an impressive résumé that includes work with the likes of clarinetist Perry Robinson, trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti, trombonist Nils Wogram, and many others. There’s a relatively calm core to the pair’s improvisations for the first few pieces, as they grow accustomed to one another. The combination of Seabrook’s biting and unabashedly electrified guitar sound with his penchant for angular leaps between notes and plenty of silence gives an improvising partner plenty to work with - or against. By the time the raucous Squalid Simplicities rolls around, the sparring is aggressive and noisy. The ebb and flow of Foam is a highlight, as a detuned Seabrook and a pumped-up Nabatov chase one another in sound. The pianist takes the lead on Grosbeak with expansive chords and lush harmonies. Seabrook joins the fray with clipped tones and bursts of pure noise with plenty of pedal effects. As the disc proceeds, it’s obvious that Seabrook and Nabatov are thoroughly attuned to one another. Their quick reaction times and a shared sense of forward motion mean that the music always sounds like a genuine duet and not merely two players side by side with very little interaction. While it’s not the kind of music where the details will stay with you afterwards, it’s a thorough delight to listen to, from the fragmented call and response of Daggers to the startlingly beautiful title track that concludes the disc. Happily recommended. 

Leo CD LR 894; Brandon Seabrook (g) Simon Nabatov (p); Köln, Germany, November 4, 2019; Daggers/ Who Never Dies/ Dust Storms/ Fresnel Lenses/ Squalid Simplicities/ Foam/ Grosbeak/ Spirit of the Staircase/ Diamonds and Dust/ Vex Me/ La Femme Makita/ Voluptuaries; 48:37. www.leorecords.com

Frank Paul Schubert, Dieter Manderscheid & Martin Blume: Spindrift

  It takes just half a minute of listening to Spindrift to know if you’re going to follow the trio of Frank Paul Schubert, Dieter Manderscheid & Martin Blume on their musical journey into the unknown. Saxophonist Schubert, bassist Manderscheid, and percussionist Blume let you know right away that there are no rules as they embark on Gale, the first of two long collective improvisations recorded live at the famed LOFT club in Cologne, Germany. From the start, the buzzy muscularity of Schubert’s alto, the slow throb of Manderscheid’s bass, and the drum and cymbal commentary from Blume blend together beautifully, and, as Sherlock Holmes once said, the game is afoot. The swirling, complex lines of Schubert’s alto are complemented by Manderscheid’s deeply rooted bass lines and Blume’s carefully modulated drums, revealing the keen sensitivity of their instincts in the service of instant composition. Building slowly and then falling back, the music evinces a natural flow. From intensity to calm and back again, the feeling keeps changing but the profound connection manifested by the players means that the listener’s interest never wavers. While free improvs frequently have passages where the musicians seem to be treading water while waiting for the next inspiration to strike, that’s largely avoided with this unit. While I’m sorry that I wasn’t in the room when this music was created, I’m glad to have this opportunity to hear the results. Recommended. 

Leo CD LR 883; Frank Paul Schubert (as, ss) Dieter Manderscheid (b) Martin Blume (d, perc); Cologne, Germany, April 12, 2019; Gale/ Leucothea; 64:54. www.leorecords.com

Pago Libre: Mountain Songlines & John Wolf Brennan: Nevergreens

As we’ve seen, the musical madcaps of Pago Libre take their influences from anything and everything, from the great world of the movies to the Dada movement. So why not mountains and hiking for their latest effort, Mountain Songlines? It seems that pianist and composer John Wolf Brennan really likes to get out and walk. And when you do that in Switzerland, well, you’ve seen pictures of the Alps even if you haven’t been there, so you can just imagine the combination of will, stamina, and conditioning one needs to get out on the ridges for a hike. As Brennan says to Peter Monaghan in the liner notes, when “you hike in the mountains, especially in bad weather ... every step has to be taken cautiously. And standing still is not an option.” In a sense, that’s also true of music that combines improvisation with composition. Pago Libre is celebrating 30 years of doing just that with their music. In the current edition of the band, hornman Arkady Shilkloper and Brennan, who’ve been there all along, are now joined by violinist Florian Meyer and bassist Tom Götze. Brennan’s beautiful Hornborn Hymn, emphasizing the chamber music aspect of his influences, starts the proceedings, with Shilkloper leading the way. The more experimental side of the band comes into play with another Brennan composition, GTE (Grande Traversata Elbana), his impression of walking a 60-kilometer trail that traverses the island of Elba. Brennan uses his piano variations of arco- and pizzicatopiano on this one, giving the piece an other-worldly feeling, probably not dissimilar from the disorienting sense of standing atop Monte Capanne surrounded by the land which is itself surrounded by the ocean. On one hand, there is so much theory and background for this music that Monaghan takes six pages of small type in the booklet to describe some of the many aspects of life and music that become transformed into sound. We read about Brennan’s fascination with the work of ethnomusicologist Alfred Leonz Gassmann (manifested on Hol-di-o-U-ri!), Shilkloper’s tongue-in-cheek explanation of how he composed his ravishing The Melody of the Earth, dedicated to the dolphins of the world, and Mayer’s experience of mysterious voices in the middle of the night which led to Urwuchs, his first composition for the group. On the other hand, there is so much beauty amid the often unexpected combinations of sound from these four inventive musicians and guest yodeler and vocalist Sonja Morgenegg that, although helpful in detail, you don’t really need too much of the background to enjoy their blend of jazz sensibilities, folk song orientation, Swiss motifs, and sheer creativity in the context of a drum-less chamber group. Mountain Songlines is an absolute winner, heartily recommended.

In addition to his endeavors with Pago Libre, pianist John Wolf Brennan has recorded many sessions of his own in an array of contexts. He likes to think big, and the notes for Nevergreens, his anthology of solo performances, reveal that the tracks first appeared on six different albums, released between 1989 and 2009. They’re conceived as the “blue trilogy,” on the Creative Works label, followed by the “yellow trilogy,” with two titles on Creative Works and The Speed Of Dark (Leo). A third trilogy is promised, but in the meantime, we have this mash-up of tracks from half-a-dozen projects, plus The Homing, a short work composed for a “radiophonic play” in 2009. Faithful chronicler Peter Monaghan contributes a thoughtful essay that touches on Brennan’s career and the life experiences that inform his wide-ranging music making. In brief, the Irish-born Brennan’s family moved to central Switzerland when he was young, and between the Irish lullabies that his mother would sing, music lessons that he started at age 11, Swiss folk songs, and much more, Brennan has developed an especially inspired life in music. Monaghan describes him as “a musical explorer and geographer, crafting jazz-related soundscapes,” an assessment that gets it exactly right. For anyone not familiar with his work, Nevergreens seems like an awfully good place to start, as Brennan has assembled and sequenced this CD with an ear towards representing the key aspects of his work. There’s the lovely dance of Belles ‘n’ Decibels, the nuanced exploration of minimalist music via Para.Ph(r)ase (a gloss on Steve Reich’s Violin Phase), the mellow strains of Strollin’ down Memory Lane, the stately and stunningly beautiful Circle of Coherence, and the ruminative Fake Five, to pick just a few pieces. A Brennan recital is likely to include explorations of the piano’s innards. One variation he calls arcopiano, created with fishing line and bow hairs, which achieves a surprisingly clamorous drone on Isle of View. Then there’s the pizzicatopiano, which duets with Brennan’s melodica via overdubbing on Lost im Violin. There’s also a piece with prepared piano, the ghostly dance he calls Rump-L-Rumba. There’s plenty to enjoy here, and clearly there’s a lot more music to explore alongside one of creative music’s most intrepid figures. Happily recommended.
Mountain Songlines: Leo CD LR 886; Arkady Shilkloper (horn, alphorn [9,13], alperidoo [3], vcl [8]) Florian Mayer (vln, vcl [8]) John Wolf Brennan (p, arco-/pizzicatopiano [2,3,5,11], vcl [8]) Tom Götze (b, vcl [8]] Sonja Morgenegg (yodel [9], vcl [12]); Winterthur, Switzerland, February 19-20, 2020; exc. 13, Dresden, Germany, February 8, 2018; 1.Hornborn Hymn/ 2. GTE (Grande Traversata Elbana)/ 3.Urwuchs/ 4. ...von der armenischen Prinzessin (Armenian Princess)/ 5.PreGap: At the Abyss of Nothing/ 6.Cümbüs/ 7.Ridge Walk/ 8.Hol-di-o-U-ri!/ 9.Tü-da-do/ 10.Selbsanft/ 11.Vertical Vectors/ 12.The Melody of the Earth/ 13. Bonus track: Medley “Mountain Songlines” (YouTube video soundtrack); 55:24.
Nevergreens: Leo CD LR 865; John Wolf Brennan (p, melodica [6,12], arcopiano [7], pizzicatopiano [6], prepared p [11]); Ludwigsburg, Germany, 1989 (1,2,5,10,13,14,19) or 1991 (4,9,18), Weggis, Switzerland, 1998 (7,11), Boswil, Switzerland, 2002 (20), Winterthur, Switzerland, 2009 (3,6,8,15-17), and Zurich, Switzerland, 2009 (12); 1.Did U see the Way?/ 2.Parto/ 3.Ever for Never/ 4.Belles ‘n’ Decibels/ 5.Kerava/ 6.Lost im Violin/ 7.Isle of View/ 8.Para.Ph(r)ase/ 9.Phi/ 10.Strollin’ down Memory Lane/ 11.Rump-L-Rumba/ 12.Homing/ 13.Circle of Coherence/ 14.Goofy’s Waltz/ 15. Auf Valser Pfaden -Läntahütte/ 16.Auf Valser Pfaden -Murmelitanz (Marmot’s Dance)/ 17.Auf Valser Pfaden -Zerfeila/ 18.Fake Five/ 19.Song of the Moon/ 20.Kyoto; 73:24. www.leorecordsmusic.com www.leorecords.com

Pago Libre: Cinémagique 2.0 & platzDADA!!

The intertwined history of music and the cinema is a vast, complex topic. Back in 2000, the international quartet known as Pago Libre recorded an album for the Swiss TCB label that they called Cinémagique. Now reissued as Cinémagique 2.0, two short tracks from the original disc have been removed and three compatible bonus tracks from a 2004 concert recording have been added in a resequenced and remastered edition that also includes a booklet with brief notes for the tracks, an appreciation of the album that appeared in the All Music Guide, a band discography, and photos from the quartet’s 30 years of activity. Subtitled Sixteen Soundtracks for an Imaginary Cinema, the set includes compositions from all members of the group, usually alone but sometimes in collaboration. The CD also features an arrangement by pianist John Wolf Brennan of music by Erik Satie (the evocative Entr’acte: Le Tango d’E.S.) and a lovingly straight-forward adaptation of a Brahms lullaby by Tscho Theissing, the group’s violinist. One high point among many is Arkady Shilkloper’s Folk Song, which features some vigorous solo work by violinist Theissing. It’s characterized by Brennan as “a marriage of Ireland and Moldavia.” The pianist’s Suonatina, which he describes as “a little flirt with the classical sonata form,” is another standout piece, with delicate and beautifully balance playing by the ensemble. Brennan’s descriptive liner notes lead off with this quote from the great director Alfred Hitchcock: “We try to tell a good story and develop a hefty plot. Themes emerge as we go along.” I can’t think of a better way to conceptualize what these improvisers are up to. The quartet makes delicious music for headphone listening. You can concentrate on the deft interplay of the quartet while you conjure up cinematic images to go along with the music. Pago Libre’s basic instrumentation of Shilkloper’s horn, Theissing’s violin, Brennan’s piano, and Daniele Patumi on bass (replaced by Georg Breinschmid on the live tracks) allows the music to go in any direction at all, and they frequently surprise the listener by taking the non-obvious path. Echoes of jazz, classical music, folk songs, bits of and much more coalesce in this long-running ensemble’s unique vision and deep-seated commitment to free expression, while having plenty of fun along the way. Musical magic indeed! 

These days, Switzerland is widely known for its political neutrality, breathtaking scenery, chocolate, and clocks. But let’s not forget that the world-changing art movement known as Dada started at the Cabaret Voltaire in Zürich, Switzerland, in 1916. The members of the Pago Libre Sextet certainly haven’t forgotten, and they also recall that Vladimir Ilych Lenin lived across the street. If you Google the word ‘dada,’ you’ll get something like 248 million hits, but I think that all you’ll need to gain an understanding of dada is to press play on platzDADA!! This set was originally issued in 2008 by Christoph Merian Verlag in Basel, now remastered and reissued on Leo Records, home for many of Pago Libre’s projects. Dada, at the start, was as much an verbal art as a visual one, thanks to contributions by memorable individuals like Hans Arp, Kurt Schwitters, and Tristan Tzara. Arp and Schwitters are the main sources of the poems on platzDADA!!, along with original bits of nonsense by pianist John Wolf Brennan, bassist Georg Breinschmid, and Russian poet Danlil Charms. To set the scene, the lengthy CD opens with Breakfast at Vladimir Ilych, a sort of dramatization of Lenin taking a phone call at home. From there, the sextet plunges into Dadábylon, written by the band, followed closely by the title track, the first of the Hans Arp settings with music by Brennan. The enclosed booklet includes all the texts and their sources, plus notes on the poets and a few reviews from 2008. Because of all the nonsensical verbiage and widely varied musical settings, this is actually quite a funny disc, but in its relentless cacophony of voices and instruments, it also works as a way to clear the room. Anybody who stays for the whole thing will have one hell of a good time. Dada lives!!
Cinémagique 2.0: Leo CD LR 863; Arkady Shilkloper (horn, flgh, alphorn on 7,11; alperidoo on 6; voice on 5,12) Tscho Theissing (vln; voice on 1,4,5,12,16) John Wolf Brennan (p, arcopiano & melodica on 7; voice on 5,12) Daniele Patumi (b, voice on 5,12) George Breinschmid (b on 14-16); Winterthur, Switzerland, April 2000, exc. 14-16, Feldkirch, Austria, 2004; 1.Enticing/ 2. A bout de souffle/ 3.Synopsis/ 4.Kissing Joy (as it flies)/ 5.Tikkettitakkitakk/ 6.Alperiduo/ 7. Nostalghia/8.Entr-acte: Le Tango d’E.S./ 9.Folk Song/ 10.Suonatina/ 11.Little Big Horn/ 12.Dance of Kara Ben Nemsi/ 13.Aimez-vous Brahms?/ 14.Tupti-Kulai/ 15.RMX/ 16.Rasenade Gnome; 73:44.
platzDADA!!: Leo CD LR 887; Arkady Shilkloper (horn, flgh, alphorn, vcl, ratchet) Tscho Theissing (vln, vcl, ratchet) John Wolf Brennan (p, vcl, ratchet; pizzicatopiano on *) Georg Breinschmid (b, vcl, ratchet) Patrice Héral (d, vcl, ratchet) Agnes Heginger (vcl, ratchet); Winterthur, Switzerland, May 2006 & October 2007, except for #, Lucerne, Switzerland, May 15, 2005; Breakfast at Vladimir Ilych/ Dadábylon/ platzDADA!!/ SinnDong/ Sankt Ziegenzack St. Fassanbass/ Die gestiefelten Sterne/ te gri ro ro/ Uhrmusik: Sekundenzeiger/ Weltwunder/ Wolkenpumpentango/ Schnauze, Puppe!/ ETANOSRU EUTONARS (Largo/ Rakete/ Durchführung/ Tillll, Jüü-Kaa? What a beauty!/ Schwitters gruuft)/ Die Welt/ ¿Nana?*/ Ich bin ein Schwein/ trains.plains/ Das fröhliche Greislein/ Drone Dance/ A klanes Brabitschek/ Schnickschnack#; 73:44. www.leorecords.com

Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp: Efflorescence; Live In Nuremberg

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or as saxophonist Dewey Redman once posited, The Ear Of The Behearer (Impulse!, 1973). Each time that Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp unleash another gorgeous tenor saxophone and piano duet, a burst of pure beauty is revealed. The wonder is that everything they play is pure improvisation. They don’t talk about the music, they just play, until they stop. After the triple-CD set Oneness was released on Leo Records in 2018, Perelman declared that there would be no new duo music because “for now, there’s nothing more to say.” That didn’t last long, and they were back at their home away from home, Jim Clouse’s Park West Studio in Brooklyn in May of that year, embarking on a multi-day session that yielded Efflorescence (Volume 1), with no fewer than forty-nine tracks spread over the four CDs. Their studio encounters usually result in shorter pieces, and the pieces on Efflorescence, each one named for a flower, seldom exceed five minutes. At other times, like their performance Live In Nuremberg, the presence of a live audience changes the pair’s dynamic orientation as they feed off the energy in the room to deliver extended improvisations. Perelman and Shipp made their first duet recording in 1996, Bendito Of Santa Cruz (Cadence Jazz Records). Over the course of scores of recorded encounters since then, the pair’s uncanny connection remains endlessly intriguing, certainly for the listeners and maybe for the performers as well. As their faithful and astute commentator Neil Tesser has written, “they not only complete each other’s sentences. They also start them.” And like any marriage, the range of emotional content is broad and filled with surprise and tenderness. Whether the mood is contentious and excitable (Rose, on disc 1 of Efflorescence) or calm and collected (Lotus, the next track) or anywhere in-between, Shipp and Perelman bring the full force of their sensibilities to bear on music that’s being invented that very moment. It’s a sort of magic trick, but instead of a rabbit, the pair pulls a coherent musical statement out of their collective hat.

On their Live In Nuremberg performance, the blend of Perelman’s idiosyncratic melodic sense and Shipp’s lushly propulsive piano results in a tour de force improvisation lasting just a few minutes shy of an hour. Astonishing passages like the speedily intense section around the 5-minute mark and the rapturously beautiful piano solo that follows immediately afterward highlight the dramatic tension at the heart of their collaboration. Shipp in particular is in a busy and expansive mood at the keyboard, provoking Perelman into more intense than usual saxophone flourishes and establishing a virtuous cycle of inspiration and engagement. The variety of moods and strategies that the pair expresses in the shorter tracks of their studio dates is similarly broad on stage but requires an altered mindset that’s attuned to the physical exigencies of the moment. Are these exceptionally profound musical moments mere serendipity, or a genuine manifestation of two minds acting as one? Or is that a false choice? Somehow, the unalloyed beauty at the heart of Perelman and Shipp’s music leads to such deeply philosophical and ultimately unanswerable questions. Both releases are unreservedly recommended.
Efflorescence: Leo CD LR 866/869; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p); Brooklyn, NY, May 2018; Disc 1 (59:08): Hibiscus/ Cosmos/ Rose/ Lotus/ Amaryllis/ Zinnia?/ Iris/ Bleeding Heart/ Moonflower/ Peony/ Clematis/ Tiger Lily/ Mandevilla/ Cape Primrose. Disc 2 (47:35): Quince/ Columbine/ Hydrangea/ Jacob's Ladder/ Yellow Bell/ Trillium/ Nigella/ Helenium/ Goldenrod/ Forsythia/ Sage. Disc 3 (61:07): Clover/ Heather/ Sweet Pea/ Veronica/ Strawflower/ Aster/ Catmint/ Honeysuckle/ Impatiens/ Globeflower/ Jasmine/ Sweet William/ Nightshade/ Lilac. Disc 4 (43:14): Snapdragon /Heath/ Narcissus/ Lupine/ Shasta Daisy/ Rosilla/ Snowdrop/ Carnation/ Orchid/ Tiger Flower. www.leorecords.com
Live In Nuremberg: SMP Music SMP-011; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p); Nuremberg, Germany, June 26, 2019; Live in Nuremberg, Part I/ Live in Nuremberg, encore; 59:42. smpmusic.bandcamp.com

Alvin Schwaar/Bänz Oester/Noé Franklé: Travellin’ Light

The world of improvised music is full of surprises. Travellin’ Light, a sumptuous release by the trio of Alvin Schwaar, Bänz Oester, & Noé Franklé, is a welcome and unusual excursion by European improvisers into the realm of jazz compositions and well-known standards. The senior member of the band is bassist Oester, active since the Eighties, who has worked extensively with pianist Michael Wintsch and drummer Gerry Hemingway in the WHO Trio. Pianist Schwaar and drummer Franklé are making their recording debuts. There is a charming aspect to the trio’s interactions, as their mutual delight in the music becomes the dominant feeling. The most obscure of these selections is Duke Ellington’s Heaven, from the first Sacred Concert. The band caresses the melody, and their restraint at a very slow pace is impressive. Then they turn right around for a raucous dissection of All the Things You Are, sneaking up on the famous melody just when I was thinking that they’d never get to it. The trio gets a little lost when playing My Ideal, a song from 1930 by Leo Robin, Richard Whiting and Newell Chase. Their sparse arrangement doesn’t give them much to work with, and it is a bit mystifying that the track clocks in at just over ten minutes. They’re back on track with a dynamically vigorous version of Bill Evans’ Very Early, a mainstay of the pianist’s repertoire from 1962 to his final appearance in New York in June 1980. John Coltrane’s Big Nick, a jazz tune also premiered in 1962, receives an appropriately gritty and interactive performance. Another Ellington composition ends the set, the timelessly beautiful Prelude to a Kiss. No experimentation here, and none needed: it’s a gently melodic and faithful rendition that’s utterly pleasing. Hemingway graciously pens a brief liner essay, where he discusses some of the strategies the trio offers. He concludes by noting that “musicality is a sense that grows and matures over time. It is present in these three musician’s intentions and continually evolving in our ears as we together enjoy the space that music can create for us simply to be.” Travellin’ Light is happily recommended.
Leo CD LR 875; Alvin Schwaar (p) Bänz Oester (b) Noé Franklé (d); Basel, Switzerland, August 19, 2019; Someone to Watch Over Me/ I Have a Dream/ Heaven/ All the Things You Are/ My Ideal/ Very Early/ Big Nick/ Prelude to a Kiss; 64:31. www.leorecordsmusic.com

Ensemble 5: The Collective Mind, Volumes 1 & 2

   A deep-seated commitment to close listening and instant reactions characterize the stalwarts of Ensemble 5. Trombonist Robert Morgenthaler, pianist Reto Staub, bassist Fridolin Blumer, and drummer/organizer Heinz Geisser have been working as a unit for years, and the band has a regular gig in Zürich. Each month, the quartet invites a different guest to join them for an evening of improvisation. The regularity of their performances combined with the fresh outlook of a new player each month puts the musicians in a very special place of getting comfortable with one another but with the wild card of unexpected ideas. There are no guests on the two volumes of The Collective Mind, recorded on a single day in March 2018, but there are plenty of surprising twists and turns in the richly nuanced and deceptively simple call and response structures that the ensemble favors. Morgenthaler’s smoothly conversational trombone, Staub’s fragmented attack on the piano, Blumer’s stately pizzicato or rich arco playing, and Geisser’s carefully modulated drumming coalesce in a sound world of continuing fascination. Free improvisers have been known to play at great length, but Ensemble 5 prefers to keep their instant compositions generally on the short side, with only one piece (No bones about it on Volume 2) breaking the nine-minute mark. That approach, at least to the recording process, leads to a degree of self-editing and concentration that definitely works to the benefit of the listening experience. In a sense, Volume 2 picks up right where Volume 1 leaves off, with another robust batch of absorbing free improvisations. Definitely recommended.
Volume 1: Leo CD LR 858; Robert Morgenthaler (tbn) Reto Staub (p) Fridolin Blumer (b) Heinz Geisser (perc; waterphone on *); Maur, Switzerland, March 18, 2018; Hidden corners/ Spreading the envelope/ Seeing with the inner eye/ Lotus garden*/ The collective mind/ The thread of continuity/ High-Wired/ As in a dream; 48:04.
Volume 2: Leo CD LR 864; Robert Morgenthaler (tbn) Reto Staub (p) Fridolin Blumer (b) Heinz Geisser (perc); Maur, Switzerland, March 18, 2018; Peacock dance/ Trompe-l’oeil/ What if?/ No bones about it/ 4+1/ Coco/ Blue-shifted; 39:32. www.leorecords.com

Gasser 3: Espresso Galattico

The Gasser 3 is Jürg Gasser on tenor saxophone, Peter K. Frey on bass, and Dieter Ulrich on drums. As near as I can tell, Espresso Galattico is Gasser’s first recording since working with the large Swiss band Skyline back in 1991. His gruff sound and investigatory approach to improvisation are beautifully complemented by bassist Frey, most often heard as half of the long-running Kontrabassduo Daniel Studer/Peter K. Frey, and drummer Ulrich, who has been active on the Swiss free jazz scene since his recording debut with the Urs Blochlinger Tettet in 1985. This trio makes quiet and tightly focused freely improvised music, with the occasional foray into more intense modes of expression. On temptations and off we go, we encounter some powerhouse saxophone playing by Gasser, who’s clearly been hard at work while staying away from recording microphones for more than a quarter century. There is a decided emphasis on rapid responses within the trio, and while the notion that improvisers are having a musical conversation might be a trifle clichéd, that idea is effectively exemplified by units like the Gasser Trio. It’s always a pleasure to hear committed musicians in an egalitarian foray into free improvisation, and that’s precisely what Espresso Galattico delivers. Recommended.
Leo CD LR 845; Jürg Gasser (ts) Peter K. Frey (b) Dieter Ulrich (d, buegel); poss. Friedrichshafen, Germany, August 22-23, 2015; espresso galattico/ temptations/ ewig währt am längsten/ slow fox/ softly, but .../ talking/ joke/ off we go/ ciao; 51:58. www.leorecords.com

Paul May & Carolyn Hume: Kill The Lights

When the drums and keyboard duo of Paul May & Carolyn Hume suggests that you Kill The Lights, they’re making a valuable suggestion for listening to their new Leo release. With the occasional quiet assistance of guitarist Bernd Rest, Hume and May devote the 44 minutes of Kill The Lights to a soundtrack for the flow of images that will seep into your mind if you rest easily in the dark as it plays. In essence, the musicians have subjected themselves to a disciplined sort of quiet improvisation so that listeners can be freed of any expectations in creating their own narratives. The overall sensation is peaceful and soothing. Hume is as dreamy on piano as she is on electronic keyboards, while May’s minimalist style is grounded in the deep thumps of a bass drum. Any kind of detailed discussion of the proceedings would be largely besides the point. But I do want to say that anyone who includes “intimate metals” as part of his percussion setup is okay in my book.
Leo CD LR 847; Carolyn Hume (p, kybds) Paul May (d, “intimate metals”) Bernd Rest (g); London, England, no dates specified; Horizontal Blue/ Sentry/ Surrender/ Shadow and Dust/ The Blacksmith and the Butcher’s Wife/ Kill the Lights; 44:24. www.leorecords.com

Exodos: Heuristics

Exodos is a multi-national quartet, with brassman Guy Bettini, Fabio Martini on alto sax and various clarinets, and the dynamic and boldly interactive bass and drums team of Luca Sisera and Gerry Hemingway. Their Leo release is called Heuristics, defined as an approach to problem solving or self-discovery that employs a practical method. There’s no guarantee that any given solution be optimal, merely sufficient for reaching an immediate goal. When the goal is a satisfying variety of improvised music, the field of possibilities is limited only by the imaginations of the players. This 59-minute disc of totally improvised sound is structured as if it were a Greek drama, with a Prologos followed by a Parados, the first song sung by the chorus after its entrance from the side wings. The main action alternates sections called epeisodias with songs called stasimons until we arrive at the conclusion, or exodos. The opening track beckons us slowly into the quartet’s edgy and restrained musical world. A conversation between Bettini and Martini is enlivened by Hemingway’s clattering drums and bright cymbals. Soon a turbo-charged four-way colloquy is under way. Parados begins with a carefully modulated opening section that features an inquisitive bass line from Sisera with Martini’s alto sax responding and fairly quiet comments from Hemingway wielding brushes. Eventually the drumming becomes more assertive, and Martini yields to the bright tone of Bettini, who takes an eminently thoughtful solo (on trumpet?). A brief collective improvisation ensues, only to slowly dissolve and return to silence. The first of 3 Epeisodias is the longest piece in the set, and unfortunately, it’s also the kind of piece that’s more interesting to play than to listen to. The band is mired in playing long tones without any tempo for the first half of the piece and the music never develops into much of interest. Stasimon A is better, though still working in a minimalist style. At least there’s more interaction among the players, and an attractively conversational aspect to the music. With Epeisodia 2, things are back on track as each musician is playing more forcefully. Their boldness and occasionally aggressive attitude results in some of the most absorbing music of the date. Stasimon B is a gas, with brassy buzzes, some sauntering alto saxophone, swooping bass, and vigorous drumming. Even with some tedious passages, Heuristics is full of particularly bright moments. These include Martini’s stuttering alto solo on Prologos, a provocative trumpet solo by Bettini in the final section of Stasimon A, Sisera’s tender bass solo at the start of Epeisodia 3, the light-hearted bass and clarinet duet later in the same piece, Bettini’s buzzing solo (cornet?) on the closer, and Hemingway just about everywhere. Definitely worth a listen.
Leo CD LR 832; Guy Bettini (cnt, tpt, flgh) Fabio Martini (clarinets, as) Luca Sisera (b) Gerry Hemingway (d, vcl); Basel, Switzerland, April 6-7, 2017; Prologos/ Parados/ Epeisodia 1/ Stasimon A/ Epeisodia 2/ Stasimon B/ Epeisodia 3/ Exodus; 59:01. www.leorecords.com

Oogui: Travoltazuki

Oogui is a new trio combining the talents of keyboardist Florence Melnotte, electric guitarist Vinz Vonlanthen and percussionist Sylvain Fournier. For their Leo album Travoltazuki, they’ve concocted a bonkers mash-up of disco, funk, free jazz, electronics, and rock with an overlay of Dadaist absurdity. Dada began as an art movement in Zürich in 1916, and just over a century later in Geneva, only 172 miles away from the Cabaret Voltaire, Oogui revisits Dadaist sound poetry and bends it for their own needs as the spice for these ever-surprising compositions. The band’s name means “glutton” in Japanese, where “big eaters” seem to have a devoted following. Metaphorically speaking, it seems that Melnotte, Vonlanthen, and Fournier are “big eaters” of musical genres, blending them into a continuously changing and brashly unpredictable stew. All the tunes are original compositions by the members of the trio, mostly separately but the four shortest tracks, which don’t sound like improvisations, are credited to all three. It’s all pretty crazy, and a whole lot of fun.
Leo CD LR 861; Florence Melnotte (p, kybd, kaossilator synth, vcl) Vinz Vonlanthen (el g, vcl) Sylvain Fournier (d, perc, vcl); Geneva, Switzerland, September 7-8, 2017; Mupulupu/ Fournibus/ Shitimogo/ Sprung/ Melnottika/ La Brignoire de Claude/ Vinz Day/ Toigrandebrute/ Grugenbulles/ Night Fever/ Réminiscence Acid Dance Floor/ Gatogato; 53:51. www.leorecords.com

Ivo Perelman: The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 7: Dione

The first six discs in Ivo Perelman’s The Art Of Perelman-Shipp series bring together in varying combinations musicians with whom Perelman has worked with in the past. Volume 7: Dione ropes a new player into Perelmans’ orbit, the esteemed drummer Andrew Cyrille. Knowing his work over more than half a century of recording activity, you would fully expect his presence to exert a strong influence on the music, and you’d be spot on with that observation. Perelman himself seems a trifle surprised, telling Neil Tesser that “Cyrille managed to influence our playing and take it to another level.” And as Tesser accurately notes, it’s immensely difficult to determine exactly how Cyrille acts as a “catalyst to quantitatively affect” the relationship between Shipp and Perelman. It’s just something that they felt strongly at the recording session, and that you can feel as you listen to the 8 sections of Dione. Cyrille’s complete mastery of rhythms and time, and his uncanny sense of what to play and when to play it, are in evidence throughout. His playing is often surprisingly delicate, and he repeatedly draws out the gentler side of the Shipp-Perelman axis. That’s not to say that Dione is lacking in intensity, just that there’s more subtlety and nuance in the improvisations than is usually demonstrated on a Perelman session. Favorite passages include Cyrille’s lovely cymbal solo in Part 3, the swirling opening to Part 6 as seemingly disparate parts come together, and the exquisite tension that the trio maintains for all 8 minutes of Part 7. Spend the better part of an hour with Perelman, Shipp, and Cyrille to find the moments that move you the most. You’ll be glad you did.
Leo CD LR 799; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) Andrew Cyrille (d); Brooklyn, NY, November 2016; Parts 1-8; 56:32. www.leorecords.com

Ivo Perelman: The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 6: Saturn

As Ivo Perelman describes it, his connection with pianist Matthew Shipp “is the core of everything.” The Art Of Perelman-Shipp, Volume 6: Saturn is the only duo recording in this group of seven albums. It represents, in Perelman’s rich metaphor, the planet around which the other six volumes revolve. Saturn, in this case, relates to the astrological concept of the Saturn Return, as explicated by Chris Flisher in a lengthy liner note that follows Neil Tesser’s typically eloquent notes in the booklet for this volume. However one explains the uncanny musical connection that Perelman and Shipp continue to draw upon and develop, there is no denying the seamless improvisatons that the two men are able to spin at every moment. The 50 minutes of this set, spread across 10 sections, find them bouncing ideas back and forth in musical episodes that range from the frantic Part 5 to the ornery call and response of Part 6 to the precarious serenity of Part 8. Shipp’s playing seems more assertive in the duo context than in the trios and quartets that surround Saturn, but that just may be because the piano is more upfront in the mix here. The pair’s music grabs you from the start and never lets go on this deeply exploratory and boldly inventive duet. Heartily recommended.
Leo CD LR 786; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p); Brooklyn, NY, November 2016; Parts 1-10; 50:25. www.leorecords.com

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

Walter Faehndrich, Christy Doran, Remo Schnyder, & Samuel Wettstein: Âme Sèche

On a baker’s dozen of unnamed tracks, the quartet of Walter Faehndrich, Christy Doran, Remo Schnyder, & Samuel Wettstein gets down to some serious business on Âme Sèche. The freely improvised music of Faehndrich on viola and occasional vocal, Schnyder on saxophone, Doran on electric guitar and Wettstein on synthesizer is a mesmerizing jumble of sounds, some identifiable and some not. Âme Sèche, “dry soul” in English, is the perfect title for the grave and unemotional attitude of the music. The quartet’s primary commitment, it seems, in tracks that mostly last between 2 and 5 minutes, is to the purity of free improvisation with no preconceptions. The results are generally on the quiet side, with an easy-going camaraderie that only sometimes grows ornery. An intriguing session indeed, and ripe for some late-night headphone listening.
Leo CD LR 827; Walter Faehndrich (vla, vcl) Remo Schnyder (sax) Christy Doran (el g) Samuel Wettstein (synth); no recording information; 13 untitled tracks; 53:03. www.leorecords.com