Ivo! Ivo! Ivo!

     The following batch of reviews of Ivo Perelman releases in 2024 was already late when I started to get it together in January. Due to a series of personal and technical setbacks, it’s now really late. But the music, obviously, is still out there, and in the spirit of “better late than never,” I figured it was time to get this published.

    It’s nearly impossible to keep up with the spectacularly prolific tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman. His ethos of totally free improvisation with no preconceptions is dependent on like-minded collaborators, and over the years, he has continually expanded the pool of allies. You might say that Perelman “orchestrates” his sessions by choosing the right partner or partners for a given session in a similar fashion to the way that Duke Ellington would create his music based on the particular talents and predilections of specific individuals. Of his baker’s dozen releases in 2024, no two feature the same lineup of musicians. Here is a look at most of them, with links to a couple of previously released sessions:

    First out of the gate last year was the aptly titled Ephemeral Shapes. The trio of Ivo Perelman, Aruán Ortiz & Ramón López created vigorous and absorbingly dynamic sounds at this session, recorded in Barcelona in the spring. The lengthy shape 1 delineates many of the possible approaches to the tenor sax, piano and drums trio, and the remainder of the date features generally shorter pieces that focus in on various strategies and concepts that the opening establishes. To note just a few of them: shape 2 is cautious and somewhat melancholy, starting out quietly before then growing slowly into a kind of ecstatic intensity, then relaxing again until it reaches silence. López’s delicate brushwork on the gracefully paced shape 4 is a special treat. Perelman introduces shape 5 as if he’s about to play the blues before quickly taking off in another direction, with the fleet-fingered Ortiz and the sensitive López racing alongside. The delicate interplay of shape 6 gives the music an unusually emotional aspect, which makes it one of my favorite tracks of the date. That nuanced approach continues at the start of shape 7, which goes on to include an energetic duet exchange by Ortiz and López before Perelman re-enters the fray with some fiery high-register excursions. Ephemeral is the closing track, just under four minutes of summing up with a blast of interactive fireworks. Ephemeral Shapes is a winning effort. While perhaps ephemeral in the moment of making music, there always lurks the inevitable contradiction of preserving sounds, and to listen again and again. Fundacja Słuchaj; Ivo Perelman (ts) Aruán Ortiz (p) Ramón López (d); shape 1/ shape 2/ shape 3/shape 4/ shape 5/ shape 6/ shape 7/ Ephemeral; Barcelona, Spain, May 7, 2024; 47:13. sluchaj.bandcamp.com

    Interaction presents a series of twenty improvisations by a trio of Ivo Perelman, Barry Guy & Ramón López that dates back to 2017 Paris sessions Paris. It takes a widely experienced bassist to match wits with the endlessly inventive Perelman, and Barry Guy is certainly that. From his earliest recordings with the Spontaneous Music Ensemble in 1966 and 1967, Guy has consistently associated with the boldest and most progressive musicians on the scene. Derek Bailey, Howard Riley, Paul Rutherford, Evan Parker and so many others have all collaborated with Guy in a wide range of improvisatory settings. Both Guy and Perelman were members of the Ramón López Freedom Now Sextet that released one album in 2009, so there’s a bit of history leading up to this trio. Their previous association serves them well here, as they explore the rarefied realm of instant composition in pieces that range from just over ten minutes to under two minutes. López’s playing is largely on the subdued side, leaving it to Perelman’s tenor excursions and Guy’s boldly inventive bass to lead the way. The velocity of the trio’s interactions seems to be the main focus of the group mind throughout the date, as the music plunges forward or stops on a dime. Interaction is a thoroughly enjoyable and distinguished collection, and a gem of freely improvised music. Ibeji Music; Ivo Perelman (ts) Barry Guy (b) Ramón López (d, tabla); Paris, France, 2017; Disc 1 (73:38): Tracks 1-11; Disc 2 (55:08): Tracks 1-9.

    Perelman’s most frequent musical partner is pianist Matthew Shipp. Magical Incantation is the latest excursion by the Ivo Perelman/Matthew Shipp Duo. More often than not, there are no titles on Perelman’s releases, just “track 1,”“ track 2,” and so on. For this date, the pieces are given names, with titles like sacred values and vibrational essence that are revealing of the spiritual intentions behind the concept of totally free improvisation. The opening piece, prayer, belies the general belief that free improvisation implies noisy and aggressive combinations of sounds. The utter gentleness of this piece sets the tone of the album, though the forty-five minutes of Magical Incantation is certainly not without its moments of heightened and intense passages. Take incarnation as one example, opening with Shipp’s forceful chording and Perelman’s treble screech before shifting into the kind of unified chase sequence that you’d swear had to be written, but of course was invented on the spur of the moment. It’s a whirlwind of sound, and a revelatory microcosm of the Perelman/Shipp duo in just under six minutes. Periodically, Perelman and Shipp have declared that there isn’t much more for them to explore as a duo, only to start up again and dazzle us with their endlessly creative wizardry. Magical Incantation is the latest radiant expression of their mutual admiration society. Soul City Sounds (CD & digital album); Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p); Brooklyn, NY, April 23, 2024; prayer/ rituals/ lustihood/ enlightenment/ sacred values/ incarnation/ vibrational essence/ magical incantation; 45:55. soulcitysounds.bandcamp.com

    The hard-blowing tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman is most often heard in a duet context, with a wide range of instrumentalists. Water Music, a RogueArt release by the Ivo Perelman Quartet, represents a new departure for the restlessly creative Perelman. With long-term duo partner Matthew Shipp at the piano, bassist Mark Helias on bass, and Tom Rainey on drums, this set is far from a typical sax-and-rhythm section affair. Pianist Shipp and bassist Helias have logged three previous recorded encounters since 2018, while Helias and drummer Rainey have recorded together frequently since a 1990 Helias session, often in Helias’ Open Loose ensemble. Perelman’s concept, of course, involves totally free improvisation, with nothing preconceived. It seems to this non-musician that utilizing musicians who have some prior playing experiences with one another and thereby developed a degree of mutual rapport would help in the creation of genuinely creative and cohesive music. And sure enough, the proof is in the listening. This quartet makes quite a racket when they have a mind to. The title track is a great example of the quartet’s proclivities, starting hard and fast, then slowing down to a crawl as they leave space for Helias’ invigorating bowing. Perelman’s high end yelps match wits with the bowed bass, as Shipp supplies his idiosyncratic voicings and Rainey keeps the whole thing from falling to pieces. The pace increases once again, a decision of the group mind that this ensemble exhibits throughout the date. Perelman’s releases tend not to have titles for the tracks, so their presence on Water Music gives the listener some clues about the feeling behind the music. In the absence of chord structures or strict tempos, naming pieces Life force or Fluidity can give the listener at least a small clue to the feeling that the quartet wishes to generate. Of course, the titles can mislead as well. The finale, Flow, doesn’t really flow much of the way through its nine minutes, concluding with a staccato section that everyone finds congenial, then ending abruptly. All in all, Water Music is yet another stirring date from Perelman and friends. Seriously recommended. RogueArt ROG-135; Ivo Perelman (ts) Matthew Shipp (p) Mark Helias (b) Tom Rainey (d); Brooklyn, NY, November 22, 2022; Entrainment/ Life Force/ Sound essence/ Human intuition/ Boundless/ Water music/ Fluidity/ Flow; 52:56. roguart.com

    Ivo Perelman clearly enjoyed the experience of his Water Music session. Truth Seeker, a trio date with Mark Helias and Tom Rainey followed just a month later. (I wrote about it here, and it was included in my “best of 2024" list, found here.) Eighteen months later, Perelman began his Duologues series with Duologues 1 : Turning Point with the sax and drums duo of Ivo Perelman & Tom Rainey. The resulting session is a joyous set of typically unbridled free improvisation. Perelman sounds especially inspired. His daring leaps from the bottom of the tenor’s range to the seemingly impossible upper reaches of the sax are full of surprises, with an immense vocabulary of squeals, honks, cries, moans, and much more. In the stratospheric range he has no peers in the lucid manipulation and clarity of his tone. Rainey is an all-around drummer, whose immense discography (232 sessions in the Lord Discography since 1980) attests to both his talent and his openness to a broad range of improvisational approaches. You might call the pairing of Perelman and Rainey to be a match made in music heaven, as they balance and stimulate one another in the process of creating these instant compositions. Recommended. Ibeji Music; Ivo Perelman (ts) Tom Rainey (d); Brooklyn, NY, April 17, 2024; 7 untitled improvisations; 56:13.
    I wrote about another quartet date, Embracing The Unknown, here; it’s also one of my selections for the best of 2024.

    The duo of Ivo Perelman & Nate Wooley brings together two fearless improvisers, each committed to exploring and extending the limits of their instruments. Tenor saxophonist Perelman and trumpeter Wooley have recorded together in a number of settings since 2017. Polarity 3 marks the third occasion that they’ve played in duo format. Over the course of just over an hour, the pair continues to display the mesmerizing playfulness that characterizes their encounters. The instant music that they create ranges from genuinely calm unisons (the opening track) to brief outbreaks of brutal noise and so much more. I get the distinct feeling that the musicians were just as surprised at the sounds they were making as the home listener is likely to be. Wooley’s extended vocabulary of bleats, blasts, and blurred runs is balanced by smooth and rounded passages of pure trumpet. Perelman likewise runs the gamut of soaring melodies, gritty rumblings in the bottom end, squeaks, burbles, and skittish squiggles in the extreme upper ranges of the sax. There are so many beautiful moments to savor: the moody calmness of Two, the duel of matching wits in the upper registers on Five, the growly noodling on Eight, and so much more. Bold and absorbing music that deserves to be heard again and again. Burning Ambulance #3; Nate Wooley (tpt) Ivo Perelman (ts); Brooklyn, NY, June 2024; One/ Two/ Three/ Four/ Five/ Six/ Seven/ Eight/ Nine/ Ten; 62:47. burningambulancemusic.bandcamp.com

    Two tenor saxophonists, Ivo Perelman & Ingrid Laubrock, match wits and meld their sounds on Duologues 3 : Crystal Clear. I can’t really tell the difference between them most of the time. Just when I think it’s Perelman on the left, I hear something on the right side that makes me think twice. What I do hear, all the way through, are two masters of improvisation and tonal control having a great time in the studio. By and large, the pair eschews the virtues of contrast, and seem more engaged in closely matched phrases and sonorities. But when they have a mind to engage in some fireworks, as they do when they figuratively battle in the second half of Two or most of Five, the energy level rises along with the complexity of their torrents of sound. The results are simply thrilling. The slowly evolving and calm Three is a gem of free improvisation, proving once again that the genre doesn’t have to rely on fast tempos and plenty of screaming. I’ve been listening closely and writing about Perelman’s music since around 2000, and the beguilingly vivacious Crystal Clear is a new favorite among his dozens and dozens of recordings. Definitely recommended. Ibeji Music; Ivo Perelman, Ingrid Laubrock (ts); Brooklyn, NY, 2024; One/ Two/ Three/ Four/ Five/ Six/ Seven/ Eight/ Nine; 48:53.

Ivo Perelman: Duos with Ray Anderson, John Butcher & Wadada Leo Smith

     Tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman & Ray Anderson on trombone were half of the quartet that recorded Molten Gold in October 2022. Just a couple of months later, Perelman and Anderson were back in Jim Clouse’s Park West Studio in Brooklyn for a series of improvised duets they’ve titled 12 Stages of Spiritual Alchemy. One source I ran across described “spiritual alchemy” as the “art of inner transformation,” which seems as good a way as any to conceptualize the totally free approach to a musical encounter. In the act of freely creating and responding to a partner, the inner transformation manifests as sound. While that might be a needlessly metaphysical approach to the experiential act of just making it up as you go along, the idea of transformation does provide a loose philosophical framework to the proceedings. Anderson is a playful and often humorous musician. To respond to Perelman’s wildest flights of fancy, he draws on the entire history of trombone, from the early tailgate stylists through the modernists and his own brash tone. Coagulation is a good example, with both players rocking back and forth between two notes, sometimes in sync and sometimes not. But in truth, anywhere that you dig into 12 Stages will reveal fresh facets of this collaboration. Larded with surprising quotes from all over, this is an enjoyably approachable and good-hearted collaboration. With Perelman as prolific as he is, it might be tough to know where to start with his music. The highly enjoyable 12 Stages of Spiritual Alchemy would be an excellent place to begin. Fundacja Słuchaj; Ray Anderson (tbn) Ivo Perelman (ts); Brooklyn NY, December 2022; Separation/ Calcination/ Putrefaction/ Dissolution/ Coagulation/ Conjunction/ Sublimation/ Exaltation/ Projection/ Multiplication/ Fermentation/ Cibation; 55:19. sluchaj.bandcamp.com
 

    What happens when a pair of consummate improvisers and connoisseurs of extended saxophone techniques meet up for a session? It’s likely that Ivo Perelman & John Butcher merely said hello to one another as they arrived at a London studio to record Duologues 4. A series of buzzes, bird sounds, squeaks and squawks, and even odd fragments of melody ensue in improvisations that last from just under four minutes to a bit over nine minutes. The mildly competitive dueling that almost inevitably arises in the free improvisational duo situation leads to one player following or subverting the other’s contribution, jumping high up on the horn or deep below into the muddy bottom, sudden shifts in the speed of the music, and much more. While there are plenty of quiet moments throughout the session, things can get gnarly and gritty awfully quickly. The best 30 second example of that is the sweetly dovetailed conclusion of #7 and the reed noises and swirling tones that lead off #8. Decidedly not for the faint of heart, Duologues 4 is an invigorating encounter that’s equally eccentric and absorbing. IBEJI; Ivo Perelman (ts) John Butcher (ss, ts); London, England, November 2024; eight untitled improvisations; 48:22. ivoperelman.bandcamp.com
 

    It’s a delightful matching of wits when Ivo Perelman & Wadada Leo Smith team up for a seven part sequence of unbridled free improvisations, released as Duologues 5. Tenor saxophonist Perelman’s deep and broad sound introduces the proceedings, and the much-accomplished trumpeter Smith responds with long tones, simple lines interspersed with blasts of sound, and some mute work. Smith has collaborated with dozens of prominent creative musicians since his debut on record in 1968 on Three Compositions Of New Jazz (Delmark, 1968) by Anthony Braxton, which was Braxton’s debut as well. He’s also particularly drawn to the duo format, appearing on record with percussionists Ed Blackwell, Adam Rudolph, Gunter “Baby” Sommer, Jack DeJohnette, Louis Moholo-Moholo, Milford Graves, electric bassist Bill Laswell, bassist John Lindberg, and multi-instrumentalist Braxton, among others. Smith has retained his piquant and penetrating sound into his eighties, and he sounds as fresh and spirited as ever on this set. The overall mood is reflective and cooperative, with Perelman keeping mostly in the usual tenor range. The mutual respect and their joint fascination with the nuances of sound make this a special encounter indeed. Warmly recommended. IBEJI; Wadada Leo Smith (tpt) Ivo Perelman (ts); Brooklyn, NY, May 2024; seven untitled improvisations; 42:49. ivoperelman.bandcamp.com
 

Ivo Perelman: Brass And Ivory Tales

    The prolific tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman is not the kind of person that does things halfway. As a practitioner of totally free improvisation, he’s recorded dozens of projects with pianist Matthew Shipp, indulged his interest in playing with string players in a series of 4 discs on Leo plus a session with the Arcado String Trio on the FSR label, and teamed up with bass clarinetists Rudi Mahall and Jason Stein to record several hours of duets (also on Leo). His latest opus, celebrating his 60th birthday, is Brass And Ivory Tales, a collection of 9 CDs pairing Perelman’s formidable concept and mastery of the tenor saxophone with an equally formidable array of deeply creative pianists. Each CD is a “tale,” separated into “chapters,” with as few as two long pieces (Dave Burrell) or as many as eleven (Sylvie Courvoisier). While there is no indication that the chapters are sequenced in the order in which they were played, it often feels that way. The strategy is always the same: say hello and start to play with no preconceptions whatsoever. These tales took seven years to record, starting out with a duet with Marilyn Crispell in March 2014. The most recent encounters are with Aaron Parks in March 2020, and a final flurry of activity in 2021 of sessions with Vijay Iyer, Craig Taborn, and Angelica Sanchez. Save for a 1996 quartet session featuring Crispell, these are all first encounters. That serves to demonstrate the immense power of the free improvisation scenario when it’s approached by the right performers, where Perelman’s dedication and practice can lead to so many different musical zones. The presence of musicians from around the world is notable. It’s also worthy of note (although perhaps it shouldn’t be) that three of Perelman’s encounters are with women. 

Sometimes the mood is expansive and the players dialog at length. The set with revered elder Dave Burrell on the first disc is like that, with two long improvisations that fill an hour. The musicians are eminently compatible and thoroughly engaging in Chapter One, a 37-minute exploration that touches on the blues and hints at a number of standards. Chapter Two is a bit edgier with Perelman in a generally calm mood and Burrell maintaining his usual rigorous focus.

Tale Two, with Marilyn Crispell is beyond gorgeous, with each player deeply rooted and equally passionate about the direction of the music. The pianist’s introduction to Chapter One is utterly arresting, before Perelman enters the picture with peaceful gravity and power. There’s no letup in the course of nine chapters that range from the soulful (Chapter One and its mirror image, Chapter Nine) to the absolutely wild (the herky-jerky swing of Chapter Two and the powerful Chapter Eight).

Emotion runs high in the duets with Aruán Ortiz. The pianist likes to begin with simple structures that let his notes ring out while Perelman counters with bent notes and taut lines that twist and turn. Ortiz’s command of the keyboard, like the combination of right hand melody with left hand bass clusters that powers Chapter Three, provokes Perelman into some of his most exuberant playing. There is always such impressive playing on Perelman’s releases that it’s hard to pick favorite moments, but I will note my pleasure at the extreme density of Ortiz’s playing and Perelman’s impassioned responses on the lengthy Chapter Four and at the dynamic sweep and spontaneously generated architecture of Chapter Five. This eminently satisfying encounter concludes with the gentle and peaceful Chapter Seven. 

Tale Four presents Perelman in musical conversation with pianist Aaron Parks. Parks is generally considered a mainstream player, working with, among many others, Joshua Redman, Terence Blanchard, and Ambrose Akinmusire. That makes his presence here perhaps the most surprising meeting of the nine discs. As told by Neil Tesser, Perelman’s indefatigable chronicler, the two met over dinner and hit it off, especially when Parks expressed his admiration for Matthew Shipp. Perelman notes Parks’ “beautiful round harmonies, and his melodic playing” leading to the saxophonist’s maximizing his “expressionism without resorting to harshness.” The pair’s three long and deeply absorbing improvisations testify to the protean nature of Perelman’s disciplined musical approach and his ability to dramatically adjust his contribution to the music while always retaining the core of his sound. 

Sylvie Courvoisier, Perelman’s partner on Tale Five, starts off Chapter One with a calm and stately melody, the first of eleven instant compositions. Perelman is almost jaunty on Chapter One with an unusually low-key attitude . By contrast, Chapter Two jumps right out at the start, with a feral saxophone attack and dissonant power chords at the piano. These two performances, taking up the first six minutes of this fifty-five minute ride, prime the listener to expect an immense range of expression, an expectation that is more than fulfilled in the balance of the CD. The blend of high-register saxophone and the inside-the-piano creaks and bangs makes Chapter Three one of the real gems here. The seemingly random bursts of Chapter Seven lead to some of the most energetic playing of the date. The frantic clatter of Chapter Eight arises from Perelman’s excitable extreme high register playing coupled with Courvoisier’s dense pianistics, including more inside the piano techniques to give extra spice for their soundworld. The final three chapters tend to be more relaxed and almost wistful, an astute and welcome conclusion to a thoroughly rewarding and absorbing encounter. Courvoisier has frequently recorded in duo settings, and it shows in the boldness and emphatic nature of her playing. Their collaboration makes me look forward to more work by this duo.

The Spanish pianist Agustí Fernández is Perelman’s partner for Tale Six, bringing his refined sensibility and bold imagination to bear on the proceedings. Beginning with the relatively serene Chapter One, the pair ranges far and wide in their search for fresh sonorities and felicitous textures. Chapter Two is explosive and bold, a high-energy call and response romp. Chapter Three extends the density of Chapter Two into a roller-coaster ride of unleashed power. Chapter Five features Fernandez rattling around the inside of the piano and making some rowdy sounds that provoke Perelman into some squeaky realms of his own. Another ferocious duet erupts in Chapter Six with the pianist’s thick onslaught starting things off at a high level of intensity. They dial back the power, though not the fervency, for a sort of free ballad on Chapter Seven. That’s followed by the rather jolly combination of Fernandez back inside the piano strumming the strings as Perelman builds a melody from a few repeated notes. The disc concludes with Chapter Nine with Fernandez making a relatively rare move to the very high end of the piano and Perelman responding by going down low on his horn. For much of this disc, Perelman concentrates on the lower registers of his tenor, with only the occasional leap into the stratospheric heights that he often inhabits. Tale Six offers a winning encounter where both musicians sound thoroughly at home and engaged. 

Perelman’s collaborator for Tale Seven is the frequently dazzling pianist Craig Taborn. Chapter One of their encounter clocks in at over 26 minutes, and the pair is by turns contemplative, brusque, combative and tender. Taborn’s forceful and highly energized playing leads Perelman into sustained frenzies of sound, complete with the occasional vocal exclamation. Their brisk liveliness never falters through five chapters, loaded with passages of astounding beauty. As the saxophonist told Tesser, Taborn’s “colossal drive tapped into gigantic streams of energy” and the power of their collaboration is impressive indeed.

The duets with Angelica Sanchez on Tale Seven often deliver the uncanny sense that the music derives from an underlying composition. Clearly it’s an illusion, as the forms are generated spontaneously, but Sanchez’s brittle and imperturbable lyricism seems to move Perelman ever so slightly in the direction of more traditional styles of improvisation. That’s not always the case, as the blustery Chapter Four or the saxophone bleats and muted piano clusters of the first half of Chapter Six prove. Still, the nine chapters of Tale Seven comprise a case study in the immense possibilities of free improvisation and the virtues of close listening. The sustained bittersweet free ballad that concludes the disc is yet another of the collection’s highlights.

For the final disc, Perelman is joined by Vijay Iyer for five improvisations. Iyer, who has distinguished himself as a key collaborator with artists as varied as alto saxophonists Steve Coleman and Rudresh Mahanthappa, rapper Mike Ladd, and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, proves to be an adventurous and provocative partner for Perelman. From the first few minutes of Chapter One, the duo’s connection is evident in the way that the music ebbs and flows. Displaying his usual intensity, Perelman ranges all over his horn amid Iyer’s resourceful and busy piano stylings. Chapter One is over 17 minutes of incendiary and enthralling music, a tour de force of improvisatory music-making. In truth, if Tale Nine had only this single chapter, it would stand as significant and beautifully realized. But of course, there’s much more to be heard here. There’s the slowly meandering conversation of the brief Chapter Two followed by the complex elegance of the 25 minute Chapter Three with its ultra-dynamic shifts of pacing and density that grab your attention and keep it, lest you miss another serendipitous passage of instant music making. Chapter Four continues to be chock full of radical changes in tempo and fury including a hair-raising section of spiraling intensity that stops abruptly at about the halfway point of the 14 minute piece. The final Chapter Five presents a short (2:28) but furious argument that seems to me almost funny as a fragment of stereotyped “free jazz” and a marvelous way to end the disc, and the whole box set. 

Ivo Perelman’s bold and expressive style of free improvisation is certainly an acquired taste, but, from my perspective, one very much worth acquiring. The heartily recommended Brass And Ivory Tales is another milestone in the burgeoning discography of Ivo Perelman. 

    Fundacja Słuchaj! (Poland); Ivo Perelman (ts) with Disc 1 (57:10, in two chapters) Dave Burrell (p), January 2020; Disc 2 (52:42, in nine chapters): Marilyn Crispell (p), March 2014; Disc 3 (55:40, in seven chapters) Aruán Ortiz (p), December 2017; Disc 4 (39:42, in three chapters) Aaron Parks (p), March 2020; Disc 5 (54:26, in eleven chapters) Sylvie Courvoisier (p), March 2018; Disc 6 (54:10, in nine chapters) Agustí Fernández (p), July 2017; Disc 7 (65:01, in five chapters) Craig Taborn (p), June 2021; Disc 8 (61:29, in nine chapters) Angelica Sanchez (p), June 2021; Disc 9 (63:16, in five chapters) Vijay Iyer (p), May 2021. All tracks recorded in Brooklyn, NY. sluchaj.bandcamp.com/album/brass-ivory-tales

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: 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 The Improv Trio, Volume 1

The astonishingly prolific Ivo Perelman, finding that the trio format was the best way to realize his style of free improvisation, convened a series of disparate bands over a year or so, utilizing a rotating cast of his recent collaborators. The six volumes of The Art Of The Improv Trio are a worthy achievement on its own terms, and even more impressive when you add in all the other sessions he’s led in the same time frame. I admit to being way behind on writing about these discs, but as John Keats reminded us, "a thing of beauty is a joy forever," so bear with me as I try and catch up.
The series kicks off with Volume 1, bringing together Ivo Perelman on tenor with Karl Berger on piano and Gerald Cleaver on drums. (The versatile Cleaver appears on all the titles in the series, except for Volume 2.) Their improvisations are split into 6 numbered sections. Part 1 is relatively subdued. Berger’s calm and spacious chording puts Perelman into a rhapsodic and soulful mood. Cleaver sneaks into the music with brushes that sound like sandpaper. Part 2 is more intricate and animated. Cleaver is still using brushes, but more forcefully, as Berger ups the energy level with his insistent voicings and Perelman soars into the upper registers. The third section is quietly meditative, as a slightly sour sounding Perelman engages in call and response with Berger’s relaxed and melancholy piano. Cleaver shadows the music with deft cymbal work. The calm aura continues in Part 4, a spare and lyrical encounter with bright piano chords, fairly serene saxophone and more of Cleaver’s imaginative work with brushes. Cleaver’s broadly spreading drums and cymbals lead the way on Part 5, which turns into a thrilling swirl of sounds. Perelman, for once, mostly stays down in the lower reaches of the tenor for the first few minutes, before launching into the stratosphere once again. Berger’s mischievous piano inventions, Cleaver’s chattering drums and Perelman’s deft instant melodies all come together on this intensely beautiful performance. Part 6 is the hardest piece to listen to, with Perelman going way up high into dog-whistle territory. While his control of this extreme range is astonishing, the piercingly sustained saxophone tones and the slow nature of the lengthy piece conspire to make the last section somewhat less successful than the trio’s other improvisations. Notable for Berger’s mature piano stylings and Cleaver’s exquisitely empathetic playing, Volume 1 also showcases the relatively relaxed side of Perelman’s art.
Leo CD LR 771; Ivo Perelman (ts) Karl Berger (p) Gerald Cleaver (d); Brooklyn, NY, May 2016; Parts 1-6; 58:05. 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

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

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

Ivo Perelman, Mark Helias & Tom Rainey: Truth Seeker

  Tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman continues to enlist new faces and sounds into his world of totally free improvisation. On Truth Seeker, the line-up is Ivo Perelman, Mark Helias & Tom Rainey for over an hour of robust instantaneous music making. Bassist Helias made his first recordings in 1977 with an Anthony Braxton quintet. Since then, he’s been heard with Dewey Redman, Anthony Davis, Barry Altschul, Jane Ira Bloom, and many, many others. The equally experienced Tom Rainey has played drums for a vast array of leaders, including Jane Ira Bloom, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, Tim Berne, and dozens more. And naturally enough, Helias and Rainey have found themselves in the studio together regularly since Helias’ Attack The Future CD for Enja (1990). Not long before Truth Seeker was recorded, Helias and Rainey joined Perelman and pianist Matthew Shipp for a Rogue Art release, which set the stage for this trio date. From the very first notes of the title track which opens the disc, their capacious rapport is apparent. Perelman starts the piece exploring the bottom ranges of his tenor sax, but within 4 minutes, he’s screamed his way to the outer limits. A charmingly peaceful bass and drums duet ensues as Perelman takes a short break, and the range of possibilities comes into view. Whether the music is peaceful, frenzied, or somewhere in-between, the collective inspiration never flags. Perelman’s gorgeous inventions on Devotion are breathtaking (no pun intended), as the rich throb of Helias’ bass and Rainey’s propulsive drums provide a suitably energetic backing. Bass and drums slowly grow quiet and then drop out, allowing for a calm and careful saxophone coda. Helias and Rainey kick off Mystical Vibration, then proceed to play with assertiveness when Perelman sneaks in with melodies in the upper reaches of his sax. Soon, Helias is wielding his bow and Rainey is paying a lot of attention to his cymbals. Things get awfully squeaky and dramatic for a few minutes before settling down again to explore new directions. And that’s the way the program proceeds, as they investigate some of the myriad sonic textures of a sax, bass, and drums unit. One of the more impressive aspects of this date is their uncanny synchronization in producing shifts in the velocity of the music. While it’s pointless to pick favorites on a session like this, as each piece proceeds to offer its own distinct rewards, I will note the fury of Spiritual Growth, the chattering introspection of Ubiquitous Light, and the tangled shards of melody on Life’s Meaning as particularly gripping excursions. Unreservedly recommended. 

Fundacja Słuchaj; Ivo Perelman (ts) Mark Helias (b) Tom Rainey (d); Brooklyn, NY, December 2022; Truth Seeker/ Devotion/ Mystical Vibration/ Spiritual Growth/ Ubiquitous Light/ Life's Meaning/ Intuition; 66:43. sluchaj.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

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 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 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/Nate Wooley/Matt Moran/Mark Helias/Tom Rainey: A Modicum of the Blues

     A Modicum of the Blues by a quintet of Ivo Perelman, Nate Wooley, Matt Moran, Mark Helias and Tom Rainey starts out with the familiar-sounding cautious bleeps and bleats of a free jazz ensemble, which slowly develops into a busy soundscape. It’s every man for himself, usually with just a hint of the blues to be heard. Sometimes it feels like a rehearsal for a song that no one seems to know, but the musicians are happy to wing it just the same. Things get pretty stormy around the eight minute mark in Part 1, driven by Rainey’s energetic drumming, with Moran’s vibes peeking in and out of the mix as a relatively calm presence in the general tumult. The music then settles right down, as if the wildness of the last few minutes has drained everyone’s energy. Perelman has recorded duet sessions with Moran, Wooley, and Rainey. Helias and Rainey have worked often together in the last 36 years, including a trio session with Perelman and a quartet date that added pianist Matt Shipp. Combining all those talents into creating a cohesive statement as this session does, is to underscore the way that Perelman casts his sessions. When Perelman and Wooley open Part 3 with a display of matching high notes, followed by Helias’ bowed bass and Moran’s bell-like vibes, it’s their previous associations that provide the foundation for their mutual interactions in this larger setting. In the true spirit of free playing, Rainey lays out for the first minutes before introducing a busy rhythm that gooses the improvisation along. The blues feeling is most pronounced in Part 4, introduced by Helias’ firm bass lines and soon picked up by an alternately growling and soaring Wooley with delicate touches from Moran and Rainey. Part 5 leads off with bass and saxophone duet that starts out with heads figuratively butting before slowly dovetailing into a more subdued encounter as the rest of the ensemble comes into the picture. Notable in this piece is a dialog between Rainey’s drums and Moran’s vibes, with Helias’ bass happily caught in the middle. At the same moment, Perelman and Wooley rejoin the fray for the final few minutes of Part 5, with Perelman getting the last word as everyone else drops out. A Modicum of the Blues is a stellar example of the ethos of totally free improvisation in a small group context. Recommended. 

Fundacja Słuchaj; Nate Wooley (tpt) Ivo Perelman (ts) Matt Moran (vib) Mark Helias (b) Tom Rainey (d); Brooklyn, NY, May 2024; A Modicum Of Blues part 1-5; 46:43. sluchaj.bandcamp.com

Ivo Perelman: The Art Of The Improv Trio, Volume 5

In a brief statement that appears in Ivo Perelman’s The Art Of The Improv Trio, Volume 5, Joe Morris writes “Improvising is action ... informed by a philosophical and aesthetic disposition.” Morris wields his main instrument, the electric guitar, on this release, with drummer Gerald Cleaver aboard as well. The utter freedom of a Perelman date (previous volumes in this series are here) encourages the musicians to explore a variety of improvisational strategies during the nine numbered sections. Starting with the robust Part 1, which effectively marks the territory, the trio moves into the slow moving Part 2. Cleaver largely goes his own way while tenor and guitar compete for attention. Part 3 features Perelman and Morris playing a rapid call and response game, while contrastingly, Part 4 is denser and spikier, with descents into gloomy commentary, plenty of scrabbly interplay and, in the last few minutes, an understated duet between Morris and Cleaver. Part 5 is a moody four minutes of call and response by Morris and Perelman with minimal commentary by Cleaver. The quickly mutating Part 6 starts out rather pointillistic and atomized before settling down a little into a recognizably conversational mode. Perelman’s playing on this one exploits his range, with a long stay in the lower registers of the tenor before leaping up to the high end. If Part 6 displays the wide timbral extent of Perelman’s tenor, in Part 7 he mostly stays up in the extreme highs of the altissimo range that he can commandingly elicit from the horn. Morris follows him up the fretboard at first before weaving his own counter-spell. The longest piece is Part 8 which finds the trio in their most congenial mood. Their simultaneous solos bounce off one another with a steady pulse to guide them on this beautifully realized excursion. As a coda, the brief finale carefully limns the high end in a quietly meandering fashion. Volume 5 is often quieter than you might expect with an electric guitar in the line-up, but as always with Perelman and friends, the intensity and honesty are impressive, and this installment is well worth your time.
Leo CD LR 775; Ivo Perelman (ts) Joe Morris (el g) Gerald Cleaver (d); Brooklyn, NY, July 2016; Parts 1-9; 51:27. www.leorecords.com

Ivo Perelman: The Art Of The Improv Trio, Volume 4

Strength meets strength meets strength as tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman, bassist William Parker, and drummer Gerald Cleaver take over the studio for The Art Of The Improv Trio, Volume 4. (Reviews of previous volumes are here.) Parker writes that “we are actually painting in sound and enabling the concept of vision to live.” (An apt metaphor, since Perelman is also a painter whose images grace the covers of this series.) In one sense, Perelman’s music is miraculous, given that what we hear is the result of an ongoing series of instantaneous decisions by three musicians, somehow coördinated in the moment through the sheer praxis of improvisation. In another sense, it’s simply what these talented individuals do. This entry in the series features two shorter pieces of under six minutes that bracket Part 2. The endlessly flowing and captivating main event is a 41-minute sprint beginning with a particularly lyrical Perelman concentrating in the middle registers, dense counter-melodies from the ever-astute Mr. Parker, and utterly focused and dynamic drumming by Cleaver. Twelve minutes of high-energy playing lead to a subdued and almost bluesy section. Imperceptibly the pace quickens, then relaxes again, setting the stage for a beatifically calm bass solo by Parker. Perelman returns with some wispy sax lines that feel like questions that call on Parker and Cleaver to respond. A heated musical conversation ensues, with Perelman’s forays into the upper registers of the tenor and Parker’s bowed bass catalyzing the music into further explorations of time and timbre. The finale is slightly upbeat, an activated and nuanced continuation of this three-way colloquy. An assertive Parker is particularly impressive here before the music slowly returns to silence. Once again, Perelman and his carefully chosen associates have created freely improvised music that will last and reward repeated listening. Definitely recommended.
Leo CD LR 774; Ivo Perelman (ts) William Parker (b) Gerald Cleaver (d); Brooklyn, NY, March 2016; Parts 1-3; 52:20. www.leorecords.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: 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: 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