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

William Parker: Mayan Space Station

  Could it be? Could this smoking-hot power trio be the preeminent bassist/composer William Parker with the equally masterful Gerald Cleaver on drums and guitarist Ava Mendoza? The happy answer is yes, indeed, this is Mayan Space Station, another of the boldly unpredictable twists and turns in Parker’s burgeoning discography. Guitarist Mendoza leads the charge with her boldly distorted sound and wailing solos, and that power fits right in with Parker’s uncanny time and Cleaver’s lively drumming, with special attention to his tom-toms and cymbals. It’s a thrill a minute as these three go head to head to head on Parker’s grooves with their, seemingly basic melodies that generate extended triologues. From the loping headlong swing of Domingo to the hard-riding sway of Mayan Space Station to the jagged and fearsomely complex Canyons of Light, the trio’s music is enthralling, dynamically intense, and overflowing with the shared joy of creating something new. Not to be missed! And make sure to investigate, via download or the CD version, the jumpy surge of the trio on Rocas Rojas and the cheerful jamming that pervades The Wall Tumbles Down. The two tracks amount to about 20 minutes of music that doesn’t fit on the vinyl version. 

AUM Fidelity AUM115; Ava Mendoza (el g) William Parker (b) Gerald Cleaver (d); Brooklyn, NY, February 2020; Tabasco/ Rocas Rojas*/ Domingo/ Mayan Space Station / Canyons of Light/ The Wall Tumbles Down *[ * CD / DL only ]; 58:08. aumfidelity.com

Jeff Cosgrove: History Gets Ahead Of The Story

  Jazz history is filled with musicians whose tunes are seldom played by anyone outside of their own ensembles, which leaves a vast literature of unfairly neglected compositions. Drummer Jeff Cosgrove played in a trio with bassist William Parker and pianist Matthew Shipp for a few years, which started him thinking about recording some of Parker’s original tunes. Cosgrove describes Parker as “an inspiring composer” who writes “beautiful and very tuneful pieces that leave a lot of room for improvisational excitement.” The result is History Gets Ahead Of The Story, with Cosgrove leading a trio with saxophonist Jeff Lederer and organist John Medeski in renditions of seven of Parker’s compositions. There’s also one piece by Cosgrove and two by Lederer. Parker’s tunes are rooted in blues and traditional forms, but are liable to take flight in any direction. That makes Lederer, who stays “inside” with the same intensity that he displays when he goes “outside,” perfect for his role here. The saxophonist traveled down to Cosgrove’s home base in Maryland for some gigs. After Cosgrove suggested this project, an enthusiastic Lederer was the key to making it come together, enlisting Medeski for the band and contributing arrangements. O’Neal’s Porch, the title track for a Parker quartet release in 2000, kicks things off in style, with Lederer, on tenor, soaring into the stratosphere on his solo while Medeski’s organ lines remain calm and Cosgrove pushes the music forward. After a pithy organ solo, there’s a potent sax and organ duel with drums in the middle. Another Parker original, Corn Meal Dance, is next, performed in a slow, ruminative style that emphasizes the trio’s interactivity. Gospel Flowers is by Lederer, a mid-tempo swinger that provokes a especially fine organ solo from Medeski and a passionate tenor solo by the composer. The energy flags a bit for Little Bird, with Lederer moving to flute. Cosgrove’s Ghost is suitably mysterious and other-worldly, but otherwise there isn’t much to it. The trio shakes off the doldrums with the light swing of Moon. Lederer switches to soprano sax and contributes a snaky and poised solo. After a grooving organ solo, Medeski and Lederer play a sort of stop-time duet with commentary by Cosgrove. Lederer gets the last word, returning the melody to take the song out. As you might expect from the title, Things Fall Apart is the most fragmented and disjointed piece of the date, which unfolds as three simultaneous solos that continually meet and diverge. I’m quite taken with their version of Wood Flute Song, a Parker song that the bassist has recorded several times with varying instrumentations. Here it becomes a hard-driving concoction with Cosgrove’s splashy drums underneath a tasty solo by Lederer (on clarinet?) and a hip and convoluted organ solo by Medeski. Purcell’s Lament, written by Lederer, is gentle and appropriately sad, with a powerful solo by the composer amid Medeski’s atmospheric organ washes and Cosgrove’s spare use of mallets. Ending the set is the finger-snapping groove of Harlem, a blues that elicits R’n’B-flavored solos from Lederer, on tenor, and Medeski. Anyone that’s been paying attention knows that William Parker is one of the pre-eminent bassists in creative music. Here’s hoping that this largely successful encounter gets more people to think about Parker as a strong composer as well. Recommended. 

Grizzley Music; Jeff Lederer (saxes, fl) John Medeski (org) Jeff Cosgrove (d); Saugerties, NY, late 2018; O’Neal’s Porch/ Corn Meal Dance/ Gospel Flowers/ Little Bird/ Ghost Moon/ Things Fall Apart/ Wood Flute Song/ Purcell’s Lament/ Harlem; 59:13. www.jeffcosgrovemusic.com

Jordan/Futterman/Swell/Fielder + Jordan/Futterman/Parker/Drake

Percussionist Alvin Fiedler first appeared on record with a 1958 edition of the Sun Ra Arkestra. A charter member of Chicago’s AACM, he played with Roscoe Mitchell in the mid-Sixties, appearing on the seminal Sound album for Nessa. According to his Wikipedia entry, he returned home to Mississippi in 1969, and began working with saxophonist Kidd Jordan in 1975 in what became the Improvisational Arts band. A mainstay of the New Orleans avant-garde scene, Fielder had lengthy musical relationships with Jordan and pianist Joel Futterman, and getting as far as Dallas, Texas, with brassman Dennis Gonzalez. His final recording, issued by the Big Easy’s invaluable independent label Valid Records, is Masters Of Improvisation, featuring a quartet of Kidd Jordan, Alvin Fielder, Joel Futterman & Steve Swell from a live concert at the Old U.S. Mint in New Orleans in late January 2017. After a few tentative minutes to settle into the space, the second half of Expansion is a wild, no holds barred freely improvised onslaught, complete with a hip drum solo to end the piece. The exploratory 25 minutes of Residue start out with trombonist Swell and drummer Fielder in a low-key duet. Futterman joins the fray with darting piano chords as the intensity builds slowly and surely. Futterman and Fielder go at it for a spell in a busier frame of mind. Jordan then enters the scene, in a relaxed mood, and the music slows down again to give listeners a chance for some close listening. Overall, it’s quite an enjoyable exposition, with Fielder setting the pace and controlling the dynamics. The track flows directly into the finale, a cheerfully energetic conversation with plenty of interplay and direct communication, and ending the set with an unexpected sidelong glance at Doc Pomus’ Lonely Avenue! A fine night of music indeed.

   Fielder passed away at the age of 83 in January 2019, and in June of that year, the quartet of Edward "Kidd" Jordan, Joel Futterman, William Parker, & Hamid Drake offered A Tribute to Alvin Fielder, Live at Vision Festival XXIV. It’s clear from the first seconds of the single 45-minute improvisation that spirits were high and the musicians totally engaged. Bassist William Parker and drummer Hamid Drake form one of the most potent rhythm teams around. One of the great musical experiences of my life was witnessing a quartet of Parker and Drake with the twin-tenor threat of Edward “Kidd” Jordan and the late Fred Anderson, and so I had great expectations for this Vision Festival performance. I wish I could have been there, but I’m very happy to report that this Mahakala Music release is deeply satisfying from start to finish. As is usually the case with free improvisation, a blow-by-blow account is relatively pointless and unhelpful. But I will note Jordan’s playful evocation of eden ahbez’s Nature Boy, Futterman’s lush and deep concentration at the low end of the piano, and the uncanny empathy displayed at every moment by Parker and Drake as the music ebbs and flows. As Kidd Jordan (85 in May, 2020) tells the audience at the end, he’s “blessed to play with younger fellows” and, quoting the blues song Going Down Slow, he’s had his fun, “if I don’t get well no more.” He had a ball, he told them, and now it’s your turn to have a ball at home. Happily recommended.
Masters of Improvisation: Valid VR-1016; Steve Swell (tbn) Kidd Jordan (ts) Joel Futterman (p) Alvin Fielder (d); New Orleans, LA, January 24, 2017; Expansion/ Residue/ Sawdust on the Floor; 47:50. validrecords.com
Tribute To Alvin Fielder: Mahakala Music; Edward "Kidd" Jordan (ts) Joel Futterman (p) William Parker (b) Hamid Drake (d); Brooklyn, NY, June 12, 2019; A Tribute to Alvin Fiedler; 45:03. 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