Intrepid saxophonist Ivo Perelman excels in collaborative settings, especially in the company of like-minded artists. Perelman is as prolific as he is inventive, and each of his releases is simultaneously unique and bears the indelible mark of his style. On Oxygen, Perelman is joined by saxophonist and clarinetist Ken Vandermark and trumpeter/saxophonist Joe McPhee. Both men are eminent practitioners of avant-garde music, and the three-way conversations on the six, spontaneously created pieces are innovative and moving.
Perelman opens the album with an accompanied contemplative performance on “One”, setting the mood for the set. McPhee on trumpet and Vandermark on saxophone respond with wistful and reserved urgency. As the momentum grows, the evolving refrains, both disparate and complementary, coalesce into a riotous repartee that maintains a poetic sense. It becomes a form of musical free-style verse. Over Vandermak’s growling instrument, Perelman weaves a sinuous melody that engages McPhee’s muted horn in an ethereal and provocative dialogue, concluding on a melancholic note.
There are moments of absorbing soulfulness on the album, especially on “Two,” which features Vandermark on bass clarinet soloing with bluesy melodicism. His colleagues keep the beat with rhythmic vamps, building an ambience of mainstream sensibilities. Perelman takes over, initially echoing some of the same ideas before launching into an unfettered extemporization. After a climax of fiery and delightfully dissonant passages, the trio resumes a sublime solemnity with Perelman and Vandermark contributing forlorn lines and McPhee blowing warm, mournful tones on his trumpet.
In addition to the seamless camaraderie that makes the recording so stimulating, there is also an undercurrent of shimmering lyricism. “Six” starts as a relaxed and crisp series of musings that has a dramatic sense. Midway, the overlapping and interlinked improvisations go from crystalline and angular to languid and mellifluous. The track, more than any other, showcases how these three master improvisers anticipate one another with sensitivity, intelligence, and deft skill.
Oxygen is not merely another brilliant addition to Perelman’s discography. It is also a showcase of how ingenuity thrives in good company. Each musician has an idiosyncratic voice, yet here they elegantly unite their disparate sounds for a work that surpasses the sum of its parts. Thus making Oxygen a rewarding listening experience.
0 comments:
Post a Comment