By Sammy Stein
The blues – turned inside out, expunged, explored, and exploded – is this what this album is? The title would hint at this, so, given the reputations of Ivo Perelman and his collaborators - Nate Wooley on trumpet, Mark Helias on bass, and Tom Rainey on drums, might we expect some blues riffs?
One thing is sure. The group sounds as if they are having the time of their lives. Deep conversations, some arch playing over each other, and uplifting, playful interludes make this a Perelman-led album that has managed to find another niche within free jazz music.
Normally, Perelman’s tenor sax playing in the lower registers is beautifully ferocious, and so energetic, you could dry paint with the remaining force, but here there is a tempering of the music, a honing down and diving deep into rhythms, patterns, and gestures enveloped by the quartet of musicians with a good dose of free form. Musical conversations are shared as instruments pick up, deliver, challenge, and at times, decisively take back musical ideas.
Let’s not get carried away by the title and lean towards the blues in our expectations. Modicum is the word to keep in mind, and while there are subtle and clever nods to blues patterns and tempos, especially in the gesturing towards holler and response, this remains an album of spontaneous, free music.
Track 02’s introduction briefly has overtures of a big band sound, but this lasts four bars before the free-range exploration begins with Wooley’s trumpet leading the others in a wonderful, looping track, with melodies that arise like wisps before they vanish. But some are captured by Perelman, who translates them from misty essence into gorgeous, sensual tenor sax moodiness, the others dropping back for a while to leave percussion bells and Perelman in conversation. Until, that is, they tire of observing and rush in as one to take an active, and riotous part. Track 03 has an inherent sadness about it, the buzzy sax line sounding like a soft wail at times, and the play on the minor key changes adds to the deep, emotive atmosphere. On this track, imagery is ramped up to the full. You can imagine fields, workers, chants, and hollers – and not just because the title inspires it. Helias’s bass work is impressive, subtle, delivering a chuntering, powerful conduit, powering the others, and presenting a solid line for them to hang their contributions on.
Not the feisty, fearless Perelman of many recordings, but here now and then, there is a reflective, more sensitive design to his playing. There is so much room on this album – room for solos, room for conversations between instruments, and room for free-for-all sections where each instrument struggles to be heard, held together by the sax delivered by Perelman in tempered, controlled ways.
Track 04 has outstanding bass as an introduction, Wooley’s imperious trumpet adds layers across the top, and Perelman delivers sweet, mellifluous lines, interspersed with equally emotive free explorations.
On track 05, the instrumance between Helias’s bass and Perelman’s tenor is beautiful to hear in the opening, and Perelman then sprints off into a playful mode with the bass. The track then develops into a wonderful, layered debate with each instrument adding its voice, considering, listening, and coming back for more interaction. Just beautiful.
As ever with Perelman at the helm, each track is a story, the stories told in different ways, about different subjects, times, and images are conjured from pictorial meadows to the darkest recesses of the human soul by this magician of music but on this album, there is little of the dark side and a lot of the fun, explorative, playing with sound. Perelman, on other recordings, has stayed in the altissimo register, but here he travels the full range of his sax, switching into altissimo only for brief passages and largely remaining at the ground level. A lot less squeaking and a lot more speaking, you might say. But speak he does, and there is emotion in his playing too, as he explores yet another niche of music, clearing out the corners and revealing what is hidden. Perelman is prolific and produces albums on a regular basis. It might be expected that by this point in his illustrious career, he is nearing the point of exhausting free playing, there can’t be more to find, but Perelman finds those hidden treasure, winkles them out and, with the help of superb musicians who understand his intentions, throws these musical gems at the feet of the listener to gather in if they wish.
Releases in August 2025
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