TENORS, ANYONE? Ivo Perelman with Karl Berger, Gerald Cleaver, Mat Maneri, Whit Dickey, Matthew Shipp, William Parker, Joe Morris: The Art of the Improv Trio, Vols 1,2,3,4,5,6.

Back in 1999, Wynton Marsalis threw down the gauntlet by releasing something like 10 or 11 albums or boxed sets of studio and concert recordings. This year, Ivo Perelman is at least close to that, and has now surpassed that benchmark with these six albums of improvs in various combinations of groups and various  lengths of songs.

Volume One with Karl Berger/p and Gerald Cleaver/dr is a six part album with songs ranging from 6-13 minutes. Perelman’s tenor has long tones and sighs on the eerie “Part 1” and gets dark with some thunder on “Part 4.” Berger’s piano gets into lower depts. On “Part 3,” delivers a laconic romp on “Part 2” and holds down the busy drums while Perelman squeals on “Part 6.”

Volume Two has 13 pieces with Mat Maneri/viola and Whit Dickey/dr with lots of chirpy sounds between strings and horn on “Part 1” and “Part 5”. Dickey is crisp and busy throughout, rustling on ”Part 13” and playing with the cymbals on” Part 6” while scrambling on”Part 10”. Dark and hushed sounds weave in and out on “Part 2” and Perelman fluffs and shivers with Maneri on “Part 11.”

Volume 3 with Matthew Shipp/p and Gerald Cleaver/dr has 9 parts between 3-7 minutes. Ship gets bluesy on “3”, reflective on”7” and boppy with the leader on”9” while Perelman sighs on “2” and darkly floats over Cleaver’s ride cymbal on “6” whole the whole team hustles and bustles on “5.”

Volume 4 with William Parker/b and Gerald Cleaver/dr has only 3 songs. “Part 1” and “Part 3” are only 5 minutes long, with laconic howls and swirling reeds, while the 40 minute marathon of “Part 2” lets everyone get a muscular workout. Parker plucks, picks, strums and bows wile Cleaver rat a tats the snare, cymbal and  high hat around Perelman’s gruff huffs and puffs.

Volume 5 has Joe Morris/eg and Gerald Cleaver for 9 Parts. The electric guitar adds kinetic energy on the snappy ‘4” and shows a lazy blues feel on “8.” Guitar and tenor jab and poke on”6” while the two make dots and dashes around Cleavers’s drums on ”2” and get reflective on”5.” Squealing tenor sounds are deflected by Cleaver on ”7” and  “9” like a catcher handling a knuckleballer.

Volulme 6 has the same musicians as 5, but Morris switches to bass for two songs. The 4 minute “Part 2” has Cleaver sounding like he’s shaking a box of marbles, and the exhaustive 42 minute “Part 1” Features restless stick work as Perelman and Morris whirl around each other like cars in the Magic Roundabout. Perelman crosses octaves at a single bound, and everyone has a long conversation with their instruments. WHEW!

 

Leo Records

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