We thought that this was a concluded trilogy, but here comes Polarity 4, further Brooklyn encounters between tenorman Ivo Perelman and trumpeter Nate Wooley. They sustain this intimate concept quite well, discovering new tube-depths to plunge, fresh structural windings to entangle. Space is the place, as each player always leaves ample instants for their sonics to settle in the ears of the concentrating listener. As with previous sessions, the horn tones retain an allegiance to jazz tradition, but it’s the structures, interactions and breakneck intuitiveness that edge this music towards the free zone.
Now on number 4, this pair are fully embraced in creation. Softness can be partnered with a burr, and often each player will choose…
Tag Archive: Ivo Perelman
The latest in Ivo Perelman’s endless parade of stimulating duets pairs him with the drummer Tyshawn Sorey who is every bit as perceptive, inventive and wily as the tenor saxophonist himself. Parallel Aesthetics will doubtlessly conjure up comparisons to the original sax/drums free jazz exploit, Interstellar Space by John Coltrane and Rashied Ali. But the concept of dual improvisation with a saxophone and drums has as many differences as there are similarities.
Perelman is a tenor saxophone of boundless facility but was never accused of aping Trane, as he has long ago developed his own language, one deeply rooted in the tradition established before JC emerged, but always looking forward.
Likewise, Tyshawn Sorey is not Rashied Ali.
The association of saxophonist Ivo Perelman and pianist Matthew Shipp spans three decades and continues to yield fresh results. On their latest effort, Armageddon Flower, the two industrious artists match wits with expert string players: violist Mat Maneri and bassist William Parker. The quartet takes full advantage of their instruments’ range and timbres, embracing nonlinear structures that make the music feel both through-composed and spontaneously conceived.
Their free styling remains compelling, emotionally stirring, and artistically inspired — enough to keep listeners’ ears wide open throughout a session that opens with dark textures, despite the uplifting title “Pillar of Light”. It’s difficult to discern whether Perelman’s saxophone is…