Ivo Perelman/Matthew Shipp/William Parker/Bobby Kapp: Synesthesia

    The free improvisers Ivo Perelman, Matthew Shipp, William Parker, & Bobby Kapp present just over an hour of thoroughly engaged and telepathically connected instant compositions on Synesthesia. The title refers to a perceptual phenomenon where, in its simplest form, one sensory experience (color, for example) stimulates an involuntary experience of another type (like a musical note). Although the incidence of synesthesia in the general population is small, as Wikipedia tells us, “synesthetes are very likely to participate in creative activities.” These five lengthy improvisations, undoubtedly titled after the fact, refer to synesthetic experiences, like First Color Heard, Blue Taste, and the closing One Sense. The myriad connections among these veteran performers would take up way too much space. Just from listening, it should be clear to anyone that these four imaginative players and profound listeners have achieved a lofty level of spontaneous creation. There is so much at work in this music that it merits frequent listening and relistening to fully grasp the exquisite intensity of Synesthesia. The prolific Perelman frequently uses a duo format, which creates one sort of conversational dynamic. The quartet setting, in this traditional tenor sax plus rhythm section format, suggests a more careful and mildly restrained approach to the music. Here that’s all to the good. In parts of First Color Heard, for instance, Perelman seems to channel jazz phraseology from the past, at times sounding like Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, of all people. Kapp’s delicate brushwork on Afterglow is the perfect complement to Shipp’s tender piano stylings and Parker’s calm bass lines, giving Perelman all the space he needs to rev things up. The jumpy One Sense, the longest track of the session, is an uptempo scorcher at first before it turns to a more contemplative mood to end the disc. The only thing to do is take a breather, and start listening again from the beginning. Totally recommended! 

defkaz records; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) William Parker (b) Bobby Kapp (d); Brooklyn NY, December 2024; First Color Heard/ Phosphene/ Blue Taste/ Afterglow/ One Sense; 61:55. defkaz.bandcamp.com

Piano Solos by Roberto Magris, Pat Thomas, Matthew Shipp

   

    Pianist Roberto Magris combines deep feeling, a command of the keyboard, and exquisite taste in picking material for Lovely Day(s), an enchanting solo recital. There’s just one of his original tunes, the blues that starts things off. The rest of this charming date feature songs from an interesting array of composers, nearly all jazz pianists. There are two by Andrew Hill, a gorgeous Reverend Du Bop and an appropriately tender Laverne, Hill’s dedication to his wife. Thelonious Monk, one of Magris’ key influences, is represented by a playful Bemsha Swing and a musical dissection of Let’s Cool One. The most obscure piece, by far, is pianist Billy Gault’s The Time of This World is at Hand, which first appeared on Gault’s only album, When Destiny Calls, a 1974 release on SteepleChase. No one has picked up on the straight forward groove of this one save for Magris, who previously recorded it in duet with bassist Eric Hochberg in 2019. Magris’ version of Billy Strayhorn’s timeless A Flower is a Lovesome Thing gets a few mildly surprising flourishes along the way, without veering far from the melody. Leonard Bernstein’s Lonely Town, from the 1944 musical On The Town, is the oldest piece of the session. It’s played with a solemn feeling, and leads right into Steve Kuhn’s Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers, which gets a rousingly emphatic treatment to conclude the program. The year 2025 has been full of unlovely days, but nearly an hour spent with Roberto Magris at the keyboard is bound to improve your mood. This is Magris’ first outing as a piano soloist in his four-decade career. I’m already looking forward to the next one. Warmly recommended. JMood JM 025; Roberto Magris (p); Trieste, Italy, January 10* or 11, 2024; Blues Clues/ Reverend Du Bop/ Bemsha Swing/ Laverne*/ The Time of This World is at Hand/ A Flower is a Lovesome Thing/ Let’s Cool One*/ Lonely Town/ Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers; 55:23. www.jmoodrecords.com 

    The pianist Pat Thomas, thoroughly in command of his instrument, delivers a staggeringly intense recital on Hikmah (“wisdom” in Arabic). Matthew Shipp has written about what he defines as the Black Mystery School of Pianists, and Thomas surely fits into the lineage of Thelonious Monk, Randy Weston, Mal Waldron, Cecil Taylor, Andrew Hill, and (although he modestly leaves himself out), Matthew Shipp. One of the major attributes of the Mystery School is what Shipp calls “the iconoclastic nature of it.” He goes on to note that “As in the ultimate example of Monk, the artist carves out a niche for themselves within the world of the jazz universe.” And that’s exactly what Thomas has done, with this batch of truly original compositions, most of which are inspired by and dedicated to specific individuals. From the dense and playful For Toumani Diabaté and hypnotically pulsing melodies of For Caroline L. Karcher to Thomas’ inside the piano forays on Luqman the Wise and the kalimba-like For McCoy Tyner, Thomas covers plenty of musical ground in less than an hour. I admit that I’m very late to the world of Pat Thomas, who first made himself felt on the London new music scene in the late Eighties. I’ve got quite a lot of catching up to do, and the immersive Hikmat is a glorious way to start. Absolutely recommended! TAO Forms TAO 19; Pat Thomas (p); London, England, September 22, 2024; Hikmah/ For Joe Gallivan/ The Shehu/ For Toumani Diabaté/ Luqman the Wise/ For Caroline L. Karcher/ For McCoy Tyner/ Sheikh Amadou Bamba; 51:09. aumfidelity.com/collections/tao-forms

    What more can you say about the magnificent playing of pianist Matthew Shipp that hasn’t already been written about his work? The Cosmic Piano is a solo work released by Cantaloupe Music, a label founded by New York’s Bang on a Can organization. This recording came to Cantaloupe at Shipp’s request, as a way of encouraging listeners to approach the work in a different context. As David Lang, one of the artistic directors of Bang on a Can, writes in a brief liner essay entitled Just Listen, “People like categories,” and he also states that “Everything about Matthew Shipp is about welcoming the unexpected.” It’s both impossible and pointless to try and figure out from just listening if any of this music is composed or if the one-day session was totally improvised. Titles like Cosmic Junk Jazz DNA, Radio Signals from Jazz Keys, and Suburban Outerspace hint at Shipp’s wry attitude to genres. In his playing, there are intimations of Monk, Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, Mal Waldron, and even a touch of Art Tatum now and again. But it’s all Shipp, and he is in top form for this wondrous hour spent in his world. Just listen. Cantaloupe Music CA21208; Matthew Shipp (p); NYC, September 8, 2024; The Cosmic Piano/ Cosmic Junk Jazz DNA/ Orbit Light/ Piano’s DNA Upgrade/ The Other Dimensional Tone/ Blues Orgasm/ Radio Signals from Jazz Keys/ Suburban Outerspace/ Face to Face/ Subconscious Piano/ The Future is in the Past/ A Cosmic Thank You; 55:30. cantaloupemusic.com
 

Matthew Shipp Trio: New Concepts In Piano Trio Jazz

  The Matthew Shipp Trio, with Shipp on piano, Michael Bisio on bass and Newman Taylor Baker on drums, has been together for nine years, recording both as a self-contained unit and in quartets with flutist Nicole Mitchell (once) and with tenor saxophonist Rich Halley (three times). New Concepts In Piano Trio Jazz is their latest effort, and although the title is reminiscent of classics like Bill Evans’ New Jazz Conceptions (1957) or Stan Kenton’s New Concepts Of Artistry In Rhythm (1952), this freely improvised set is most assuredly music of today. To be more precise, a specific day: August 2, 2023. That’s the day Shipp and company arrived at Park West Studios in Brooklyn to record New Concepts In Piano Trio Jazz. It surely would have been at least a little different the day before - or the day after. As producer Steve Holtje writes, “Shipp comes in with a plan sketched out - not compositions, but a roadmap for all the tracks ...” There’s a stark simplicity to the openings of many of the pieces, often with short repeated phrases that develop and evolve through the complex interactions among the players. The overall feeling is ruminative and meditative, with occasional bursts of more feverish playing. As in most long-term relationships, whether personal or musical, Shipp, Bisio and Newman frequently appear to be mind-readers, but they have their little spats as well. The closing piece, Coherent System, is both the longest track (11:39) and also the most uninhibited. Shipp’s busy pianism is matched by Baker’s exuberant attack, as Bisio holds down the center with his usual calm approach. I really loved their previous ESP release, World Construct, and the more time I spend with New Concepts In Piano Trio Jazz, the more I delight in its nuances. It’s worth concentrating on each individual player while listening. Shipp’s time sense and use of unexpected silences form the foundation for these explorations. Bisio’s fat sound and unerring sense of the absolutely correct note is always a pleasure. And Baker’s work throughout the set is exceptionally fine, from his exquisite brush work on Sea Song to his assertive duet with Bisio that opens the jittery Non Circle. But it’s the occult alignment of the trio’s sensibilities that truly elevates this set into a gem of the improviser’s art. Absolutely recommended. 

ESP-Disk' ESP5085; Matthew Shipp (p) Michael Bisio (b) Newman Taylor Baker (d); Brooklyn, NY, August 2, 2023; Primal Poem/ Sea Song/ The Function/ Non Circle/ Tone IQ/ Brain System/ Brain Work/ Coherent System; 47:23. www.espdisk.com

Perelman/Shipp/Cosgrove: Live in Carrboro

  Faced with the time constraints of recorded music, we can see from the TRIPTYCH releases that Ivo Perelman and Matthew Shipp use those limits to subtly shape their free improvisations. When the pair is joined by drummer Jeff Cosgrove for a gig in Carrboro, North Carolina, the Perelman/Shipp/Cosgrove trio has to deal with the rather different circumstances of a live performance. Still inventing their music on the spot, Live in Carrboro offers one long improvisation, lasting just a few minutes shy of an hour. The delicacy of the opening minutes, as the trio adjusts itself to the room, soon evolves into a spirited conversation. When the clearly energized Perelman launches his tenor high into the stratosphere at around the 5 minute mark, it’s just the first of several climactic moments in the piece. Clearly they set out on this journey with the long haul in mind. At around the 13 minute point, Perelman lays out for a little while, giving room for Shipp and Cosgrove to engage in some improvisation on their own. When the saxophone comes back to goose things along, the music attains a vaguely funky rhythmic feel, leading up to some hard-blowing at around 20 minutes in. And so it goes, in fits and starts that are both utterly unpredictable and seemingly inevitable. By now, the intense cohesion displayed by Shipp and Perelman is no surprise to anyone who’s been paying attention. The addition of another deeply compatible player like Cosgrove, serves to amplify and intensify their connection. There’s a genially relaxed drum solo, with Cosgrove using mallets, around the half-way point of the set, giving Shipp and Perelman a break and a chance to regroup. Cosgrove is a resourceful percussionist, whose slim discography includes releases devoted to the music of Paul Motian (2011's For The Love Of Sarah by Mostly Motian) and William Parker (2018's History Gets Ahead Of The Story), as well as a previous CD with Perelman and Shipp (Live In Baltimore, recorded in 2017). Judging by his elegant fit with the Shipp-Perelman juggernaut, he’s a very close listener to the dynamics and interactions of his bandmates. This blend of three engaged and passionate improvisers offers and immensely satisfying musical excursion. Happily recommended. 

Soul City Sounds; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) Jeff Cosgrove (d); Carrboro, NC, November 4, 2022; Live In Carrboro; 54:54. soulcitysounds.bandcamp.com

Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp: Triptych

  The latest duet releases by Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp have a peculiar origin story. SMP Records in Germany, which previously issued the pair’s Special Edition Box (combining a CD, a Blu-Ray disc with concert footage, and a lengthy booklet), proposed another three-part project, TRIPTYCH, with a single CD, a vinyl album, and a cassette. For some reason, the idea was abandoned, although not before the music was recorded. Now it’s all digital only, and available from SMP’s Bandcamp store. TRIPTYCH 1 is now a Digital CD-Release, with an even dozen duets ranging from just over 3 minutes to just short of 6 minutes. The going is slow at first, with a distinctly tired feel to the first few selections. But a spectacular Four changes the atmosphere, and from there on, I’m once again impressed by the casual intensity of the Perelman-Shipp dual-mind. Highlights include the suddenly energetic flow of Four with some especially bracing playing by Shipp, the bluesy Nine with its start/stop rhythmic feel, the high-end clarity of Perelman’s saxophone excursions on Nine and Eleven, and Twelve, the free lullaby that concludes this particular encounter.

The two pieces that make up TRIPTYCH II, described as a Digital LP-Release, were recorded a month prior to Triptych 1. Although Ivo Perelman’s improvisational forays generally eschew any constraints on form or content, it seems that the time requirements of the original proposal had a mild but noticeable effect on the music. For Triptych I, the CD session with the broadest time parameters, the duo opted for a series of miniatures. For the LP session, the tracks are much longer, and there’s a kind of settling into the music after a few minutes of Side A before the tempo surges and the duo’s powerful attack comes into play. From there, the pair paces themselves as they embark on their trademark moment by moment inventions. The music provides endless thrills, filled with startling passages that reveal an instant logic. Side B often has a stately feeling, decorous and mostly subdued, but occasionally veering into denser waters. Finally, on TRIPTYCH III, the Digital Tape-Release, Perelman and Shipp conjure up another pair of extended improvisations. Side A starts on the quiet side, then quickly builds to a furious pace and an extended call-and-response dialogue. For the final piece, the mind meld continues with a fairly mellow and peaceful quarter-hour. It’s a lovely way to conclude this foray into the Perelman-Shipp universe. 

CD: SMP Records SMP-013; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p); Brooklyn, NY, January 2022; Parts One-Twelve; 55:49. LP: SMP Records SMP-014; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p); Brooklyn, NY, December 2021; Side A/ Side B; 36:28. Cassette: SMP Records SMP-015; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p); Brooklyn, NY, December 2021; Side A/ Side B; 30:59. smprecords.bandcamp.com

Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp: Fruition

Tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman is not the kind of person who does anything halfway. His commitment to free improvisation, with no discussion or pre-conceived ideas, is total. He’s a hard worker, judging from the endless flow of new projects he’s involved with. One ongoing situation clearly energizes him: duets with pianist Matthew Shipp. Fruition is the eighteenth release by the Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp duo, and they’ve also played together in a variety of trio and quartet settings. Perelman says that the pair “believes it’s our best effort so far.” (Perelman is so prolific that I know that I won’t have the time to listen to all of them and judge for myself.) Fruition starts out in rapturous territory, with the stunning explorations of Perelman’s tenor and the utterly commanding piano of Shipp. It should go without saying that there’s not much point in even attempting to describe anything about the music. All I can say is that the power and conversational nature of these duets affect me in a profoundly soul-stirring way. By pure coincidence, I’ve just been reading China Miéville’s 2011 novel Embassytown. His speculative fiction concerns itself with an alien race who speak with two voices at once. Since they have no understanding of a single voice speaking to them, the humans who interact with them have evolved a system of ambassadors, paired humans who are so intimately connected that when they speak as one, the aliens understand them. The amazingly deep affinity that Shipp and Perelman continually exhibit in real time strikes me as a true-life manifestation of Miéville’s fascination with the very structures of language and thought. One factor, exposed here for perhaps the first time in Perelman’s massive oeuvre, is the resequencing of their improvisations, starting with Nine and concluding with Eleven. Whatever the criteria for this reordered batch of improvisations, Fruition is a thoroughly absorbing and fascinating display of two extraordinary talents at work and play. 

ESP-Disk’ ESP5070; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p); Brooklyn, NY, June 25, 2021; Nine/ Thirteen/ One/ Seven/ Fourteen/ Two/ Six/ Three/ Four/ Ten/ Eleven; 59:20. www.espdisk.com

Piano Trios!! (Part 3): Matthew Shipp, Steve Boudreau, Manel Fortià

  The Matthew Shipp Trio, with pianist Shipp, bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Newman Taylor Baker, first recorded in 2015, with The Conduct of Jazz on the Thirsty Ear label. Since then, three more CDs as a trio have appeared, and they’ve also recorded with saxophonist Rich Halley (on Terra Incognita and The Shape Of Things, both on Halley’s Pine Eagle imprint) and with flutist Nicole Mitchell (All Things Are on Rogue Art). The latest trio release is the magnificent World Construct, where this unit’s power, delicacy, and sublimely interactive approach to Shipp’s compositions are deftly and constructively balanced. The eleven tunes range in length from under two minutes to over ten minutes. Some pieces, like the brief opening track, Tangible, hint at the blues. The meditative Sustained Construct, a solo piano piece, continues with a late-night bluesy feeling, but considerably more abstract. With Spine, we move into even freer territory, with assertive bass by Bisio and careful commentary by Baker. Shipp and Bisio spend most of the four minutes provoking one another in an extended dialogue. The tempo of Jazz Posture is pretty fast, with Shipp working across the full range of the piano as he unleashes long convoluted lines. Fast fingers from Bisio and a liberated Baker drive him along and keep the momentum going when the piano drops out for a spell. Beyond Understanding is both simple and mysterious, with Baker’s cymbals and Bisio’s deep tones hovering around Shipp’s skeletal melodies. The slightly meandering free movement of Talk Power is rather lovely, a carefully caressed melody with rhapsodic bass and minimalist drumming. At three and a half minutes, the music is a prime example of the taut constraint of the trio’s interactivity and their essentially ego-less unity of intent. It doesn’t surprise me that this revelation comes at the midpoint of this carefully sequenced disc, which juxtaposes changes in tempo to achieve an emotional arc to the full hour. Talk Power is followed by the explosive Abandoned, with an attack that’s strong enough to blow you out of your seat even if you’re expecting it. The band’s triologue continues with the less-fearsome A Mysterious State, with both Shipp on piano and Baker mostly on snare drum getting downright obsessive as Bisio’s bass dances all around them. Stop the World, not at all an unusual sentiment in this turbulent era, is a somber dialogue for piano and bass, with Bisio playing a powerfully heartfelt solo against Shipp’s sparse chording. Sly Glance is funky and in the pocket, which comes as a bit of surprise this late in the program, but definitely a welcome interlude. It tells me that they’re still having some fun with the music, even in the middle of a pandemic. The finale is the title track, and the longest piece. It opens with Shipp alone at the piano in a classical vein, and soon joined by Bisio and then Baker to embark on a deeply engrossing extended musical conversation. This driving upbeat number features Baker’s spectacular brushwork, Bisio’s patient throb, and Shipp’s endlessly flowing lines. World Construct is an instant classic, and very highly recommended. 

ESP-Disk ESP 5059; Matthew Shipp (p) Michael Bisio (b) Newman Taylor Baker (d); Brooklyn, NY, April 15, 2021; Tangible/ Sustained Construct/ Spine/ Jazz Posture/ Beyond Understanding/ Talk Power/ Abandoned/ A Mysterious State/ Stop the World/ Sly Glance/ World Construct; 58:12. www.espdisk.com

Canadian pianist and composer Steve Boudreau leads his trio with bassist Adrian Vedady and drummer Jim Doxas through nine original tunes and a Wayne Shorter piece on the distinctly pleasurable Cherished Possessions. There’s an easy-going charm to Boudreau’s songs and playing, and with Vedady and Doxas in elegant and engaged support, you can’t go wrong. Boudreau’s limber pianism and bright melodies give the trio plenty to work with. Especially fine are the title track, which opens the date with a prime example of the sonic pleasures that await you over the rest of the disc, the touching ballad Words of Hope, the buoyant and upbeat Rolling Oil, and the dancing rhythms of Charlie’s Family Reunion, which sounds like it was quite a party. Shorter’s immensely attractive Go, from Schizophrenia (a 1967 album on Blue Note) receives an effective mid-tempo treatment. Also worthy of note is the introspective Hear Wisdom. This piece is played very slowly, at a tempo that in lesser hands might drag and almost fall apart. Here the players treat the piece with just the right amount of movement and delicacy, with Vedady’s lyrical bass at the core. All in all, Cherished Possessions is a joy to listen to, and it’s warmly recommended. 

self-produced; Steve Boudreau (p) Adrian Vedady (b) Jim Doxas (d); Québec, PQ, October 2021; Cherished Possessions/ Words of Hope/ For Staff Only/ Descending Blues/ Encumbered/ Hear Wisdom/ Go/ Rolling Oil/ Isobel/ Charlie's Family Reunion; 47:35. www.steveboudreaumusic.com

When I started listening to Despertar, I was immediately grabbed by the soulful bass of Manel Fortià, evoking Charlie Haden as he played the introduction to Dormir, the brief opening track. With pianist Marco Mezquida and drummer Raphaël Pannier alongside, Fortià enjoys thoroughly dynamic and sympathetic support for this suite of original compositions. The CD is structured as a musical dream diary of New York City. The set opens with the brief Dormir (“to sleep” in English). Most of the next eight pieces reflect various aspects of the city, starting with the energetic bustle of Circular, dedicated to the JFK airport AirTrain. Other pieces are dedicated to some of New York’s vibrant neighborhoods, including Harlem (Espiritual), Astoria (Saudades), and Jackson Heights (the bouncy Simple). For just one track, El Día Después, the dream returns to Spain and La Rambla de Barcelona. Otherwise, we treated to the lasting impressions of Fortià from his stay in the city between 2016 and 2020. And then Despertar, and he awakens with a wistful and vaguely optimistic theme that morphs into a more anthemic style. Fortià has worked with both Mezquida and Pannier before, but on separate projects. United here, they form an ideal vehicle for Fortià’s vigorous and varied compositions. Track after track reveals the workings of a restless musical mind brought to an exciting realization by this finely honed trio. A triumph, and heartily recommended. 

Segell Microscopi; Manel Fortià (p) Marco Mezquida (b) Raphaël Pannier (d); Girona, Spain, no dates indicated; Dormir/ Circular/ Saudades/ Espiritual/ El Día Después/ Crescente/ Aires de Libertad/ Simple/ Despertar; 54:13. www.microscopi.cat

Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp: Amalgam

You might think that after dozens of recordings of freely improvised music, the saxophone and piano team of Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp would have run out of things to say. They’ve thought it themselves, proclaiming on a few occasions that their duo projects were over. But time has a way of upending expectations, and after extended recording sessions in 2018 (Efflorescence, Vol. 1, with a second volume on the way) and a live recording in Nuremberg in June, 2019, the pair was back in Brooklyn’s Park West Studio in January 2020 to create their latest opus, Amalgam. There’s a peaceful feeling to the first of twelve sections as the duo seems to have reached a serene plateau of other-worldly melody. Shipp’s gently rolling phrases are met by a relatively subdued Perelman in an impressive piece that amounts to a sort of overture for the session. There’s some outright contentiousness in the second part, as if the duo was having a dispute about the direction of the music. Perelman’s endless assortment of shrieks, moans, wails and frenzied screeches is matched by Shipp’s insistent chording and rhythmic complexity. The third section is calm again, though with an undercurrent of dissonance that threatens to erupt but never does. The twelve sections of Amalgam are more introspective than usual for this pair. Close listening is absolutely critical when you’re collaborating with a partner to create music out of the thin air with no preconceptions, and here Perelman and Shipp seem to have reached a new level of instant communication. As Perelman told their tireless chronicler Neil Tesser, “We play less now and say more. We are having a new appreciation for the space between notes and between chords. So now each note carries more weight in the overall structure; each note breathes because of the space around it.” Strictly speaking, an amalgam is an alloy of mercury with another metal which may be a liquid, a soft paste, or a solid, depending upon the proportion of mercury. It’s a word nearly always associated with dentistry, but metaphorically speaking, a mixture of elements, with the result dependent on the particular proportions, is a perfect way to describe this music. Or as close to perfect as words might reach to describe the mystical communion that Shipp and Perelman attain with their instruments. A beautiful session, strongly recommended. Mahakala Music; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p); Brooklyn, NY, January 2020; Amalgam, parts 1-12; 47:29. mahakalamusic.com

Ivo Perelman/Matthew Shipp/William Parker/Bobby Kapp: Ineffable Joy

With an album called Ineffable Joy, and track titles like Jubilation, Ebullience, and Bliss, there’s no need to wonder about the way that the special quartet of Ivo Perelman, Matthew Shipp, William Parker & Bobby Kapp feels about their April 2018 ESP recording. There’s a ton of history connected with this release. Saxophonist Perelman and pianist Shipp have recorded dozens of duo sessions over the last quarter-century, and bassist Parker has joined them for several trio and quartet dates over the years. Shipp and Parker were long-time partners in the David S. Ware quartet, and have participated in numerous other projects together. Drummer Kapp made his first recordings as a member of Noah Howard’s group for ESP-Disk in 1968. After a big gap in his recording activities, he made a duet album with Shipp in 2016, joined Perelman and Shipp for the trio release Tarvos: The Art of Perelman-Shipp Vol. 2 (Leo Records), and with Parker on board, played on the 2017 Leo quartet release Heptagon. William Parker’s first recording session was also for ESP, on Frank Lowe’s Black Beings in 1973. And since 2012, Matt Shipp has done four projects for the revitalized ESP imprint. The juxtaposition of Perelman’s virtuosic saxophone, Shipp’s lush voicings and torrential playing, Parker’s deeply rooted bass, and Kapp’s carefully calibrated percussion results in a true bounty of sound. As fascinating as it is to follow along with the Perelman-Shipp duo music as saxophonist and pianist provoke one another, when there are four powerful personalities involved in a free improvisation, the listener’s task is complicated by the sheer force of the music. With so much happening at every moment, it’s tricky to know what to pay attention to. Music that exists in the moment can be, paradoxically, ripe for hearing again and again. First to glean the general picture, then a second pass to listen closely to the sax, another for piano, and so on. After a couple of plays, I find myself partial to both the frisky and urgent Bliss, which maintains its manic intensity for nearly nine minutes, and the swirling maelstrom that they call Exuberance. But next time, and every time thereafter, new facets and nuances will continue to be revealed. Strongly recommended.
ESP-Disk ESP5036; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) William Parker (b) Bobby Kapp (d); Brooklyn, NY, April 21, 2018; Ecstacy/ Ineffable Joy/ Jubilation/ Ebullience/ Bliss/ Elation/ Rejoicing/ Exuberance; 50:06. www.espdisk.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

Piano Trios, Part 3: Shipp, Thollem, Yonezawa

Moving to the outside, with three ESP-Disk releases ...

The boundless empathy of the Matthew Shipp Trio is what’s most striking about the title track that opens Signature. Pianist Shipp, bassist Michael Bisio, and drummer Newman Taylor Baker first recorded as a unit in 2015 and again a year later, both times for the Thirsty Ear label, and they’ve established a searching, exploratory group identity. Their lope into the tune eases the listener into the graceful intensity of the music. Next up is Deep to Deep, just Bisio with his bow, pulling a dark sound from his bass for 47 seconds. The crackling Flying Saucer, with its quick-change dynamics, drum interjections, and left hand rumbling from Shipp, is a romp. Baker’s cymbal work is exceptionally fine on this one. The drummer’s turn in the solo spotlight comes with Snap, a two minute drum solo with Baker concentrating on his snare drum. The Way starts out with Shipp moving intricately through time and space. He’s then joined by throbbing bass from Bisio plus taps on drums, rims and cymbals by Baker. The trio proceeds to ponder the situation at length, with each musical gesture leading naturally to the next and yet remaining unpredictable in the richness of its details. It’s a winning and engaging performance. Stage Ten has a percolating R’n’B feel, with a sinuously convoluted melody and slightly aggressive drumming by Baker. There’s an added bonus of some prepared piano interjecting fresh colors. The ruminative Speech of Form has previously been recorded twice by the trio of Shipp, violist Mat Maneri, and bassist William Parker. In this unit’s hands, it becomes a sort of ballad, with Bisio and Baker playing quietly in support of Shipp’s peaceful meanderings. The busy and interactive Zo #2 reprises a tune that first appeared on Zo, a 1994 duet with William Parker on bass. Here, it becomes the occasion for some frisky and good-natured interplay. New Z is nearly four minutes of thoroughly mysterious sounds, with tinkling bells, rattles, cymbal crashes, and all sorts of nameless percussion. The relatively quiet aura of New Z sets the listener up for the long finale, This Matrix, which finds the trio in perfectly balanced form. The piece features a long and busy bass solo before Shipp returns to finish the track in a reflective mood. Shipp, who has played on scores of albums since his first recording in 1987, is always on the verge of bowing out of recording new material. So far, he’s always changed his mind. As the pianist’s long time collaborator William Parker once told liner note writer Mark Jacobson, Shipp “has a lot of ideas and he’s not shy about expressing them. The lucky thing is you want to hear what he has to say.” The always articulate Parker is, of course, totally correct, as he usually is when it comes to musical matters. Shipp is one of the great disrupters when it comes to creative music. He is always worth hearing, and the riveting Signature is no exception.
ESP-Disk’ ESP-5029; Matthew Shipp (p) Michael Bisio (b) Newman Taylor Baker (d); Brooklyn NY, July 9, 2018; Signature/ Deep to Deep/ Flying Saucer/ Snap/ The Way/ Stage Ten/ Speech of Form/ Zo #2/ New Z/ The Matrix; 62:23.

The Thollem/DuRoche/Stjames Trio stretches out on three extended improvisations on Live In Our Time. According to his website, pianist Thollem McDonas “has been continuously on the road since 2006 throughout N. America and Europe,” playing with like-minded musicians at every stop. In Portland, Oregon, in 2015, he hooked up with the late bassist André St. James and drummer Tim DuRoche. The results are loose and flowing, as befits a pickup ensemble playing in what’s described as “a community gathering place.” Persisted Resistance opens the session as the three men try and figure out what they can achieve together. They hit a together groove around the half-way point, but of course, in time-honored free improvisation fashion, they move on from there into another zone. The last third of the track is quieter and sparser, with a focus on St. James’ conversational bass lines. The organic ebb and flow of Reparation Apparition builds and builds, erupting into a quick-step tangle of rapid musical gestures. A quiet middle section puts the spotlight on St. James once again. After a brief arco solo, the music falters a bit, effectively treading water until the next inspiration hits. It takes a few minutes, but Thollem starts to play more forcefully for a spell. St. James returns to the forefront with more of his melodic soloing. The finale, Sunshine Pipeline, is mellow and elegiac at first, giving us another chance to admire the playing of André St. James, a Portland mainstay and a respected figure on the local scene, who passed away in May 2018. Thollem McDonas, generally thought of as a strong and relatively vigorous performer, seems more laid-back than I was expecting here, although maybe that the fault of the recorded balance which places his piano down in the mix. Not essential, perhaps, but a fitting tribute to one of Portland’s favorites.
ESP-Disk’ ESP-5020; Thollem McDonas (p) André St. James (b) Tim DuRoche (d); Portland, OR, July 11, 2015; Persisted Resistance/ Reparation Apparition/ Sunshine Pipeline; 45:03.

Boundary is the initial release by the trio of Megumi Yonezawa, Masa Kamaguchi & Ken Kobayashi. Bassist Kamaguchi has the highest profile in the group. He first recorded in a group led by drummer Jimmy Weinstein in 1993. Since then, he’s worked with such notables as trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah, saxophonists John O’Gallagher and Sonny Simmons, and pianists Frank Kimbrough, Satoko Fujii, and Russ Lossing. Pianist Yonezawa has participated in five previous releases, notably with saxophonist Greg Osby on Public in 2004, while drummer Kobayashi has appeared on four sessions since his debut in 2006. The lead-off track, which gives the album its name, starts calmly with the resonance of a single piano note. A three-way musical conversation ensues that, ever so slowly, builds in intensity and density in an impressive display of improvisatory gusto. That’s the way that the trio rolls: starting simply and seeing where things lead. Typically, pianist Yonezawa sets the mood by herself, with bassist Kamaguchi usually joining in before drummer Kobayashi enters the fray. The fleet Meryon is a prime example of the power and grace exhibited by this impressively together trio. Another fast number, Wavelength, offers Kobayashi, an especially relaxed percussionist, a chance to cut loose. Only Onement fails to excite, getting on my nerves as it relies on a maniacally repeated piano note that made my head hurt. There is one standard peeking out from the set list, Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal’s 1938 song I’ll Be Seeing You. In their hands, this classic tune, familiar from famous versions by Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday, becomes a vehicle for spacious piano from Yonezawa with sympathetically melodic playing by Kamaguchi and deftly understated drumming by Kobayashi. As pianist Matthew Shipp observes in his characteristically astute liner notes, this trio “sounds like they were destined to play together since time began ...,” which says a lot from someone with his impeccable credentials. Characterized by deep listening and instant reactions to the musical environment, Boundary is a fine example of the way that like-minded musicians create highly effective and enjoyable music by merely (merely!) setting up and playing. I’m in agreement with Shipp on this one: “Sit back and enjoy the ride.”
ESP-Disk’ ESP-5023; Megumi Yonezawa (p) Masa Kamaguchi (b) Ken Kobayashi (d); Brooklyn, NY, June 4, 2017; Boundary/ Alchemy/ Tremor/ Meryon/ I’ll Be Seeing You/ Reef/ Veil/ Onement/ Wavelength/ Nostalgio; 66:20. www.espdisk.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