Ivo Perelman on Leo Records part 3 - "Serendipity" and "The Passion Accoding to G.H"

The follow-up to the few posts on the blog including the "Ivo Perelman on Leo Records part 1" and this week "part 2". No other parts are scheduled to be posted at the moment, but given how prolific an artist Ivo Perelman is, it's safe to assume more will appear.

Serendipity
Ivo Perelman - tenor sax
Matthew Shipp - piano
William Parker - bass
Gerald Cleaver - drums

Leo Records 2013


The recording session was scheduled as a trio date with Ivo, Matt and Gerald (eventually recorded a week later and released as "The Foreign Legion"), William Parker was called at the last moment to fill a spot in the recording studio. It turned out the missing musician made is as well, hence a quartet recording and hence the title "Serendipity".

Ivo Perelman on Leo Records part 2 -"The Art of the Duet - Volume One" with Matthew Shipp

It was quite a while ago that "Ivo Perelman on Leo Records part 1" was posted and it's only appropriate that part 2 would follow, if only now. Ivo Perelman released fifteen albums (as far as I know) since 2010, ten of which within the last year and a half on Leo Records. All of which are easily recommended I might add, some of which have already been presented on the blog ("Stream of Life" duo with Brian Wilson, "Hour of the Star" by the quartet with M. Shipp, J. Morris and G. Cleaver as well as the two albums in trio with J. Morris and G. Cleaver).

The albums tribute works of a brasilian writer Clarice Lispector which creates a common narrative thread between each release. The second crucial element of the series is the musicians pool, that consists in only few of artists' long-time collaborators with whom Perelman, as it seems, decided to play in every possible line-up. The recordings feature Matthew Shipp, Joe Morris, Michael Bisio, William Parker, Gerald Cleaver and Whit Dickey in a various duo, trio or quartet configurations

As it would probably be excessive to try to present the entire voluminous output, the consistent excellency of the performances released makes it incredibly hard to make a definite selection. On a different day I might choose otherwise but at the moment I believe the albums that I'll present this week deserve a special recognition within the series. 

The Art of The Duet - Volume One

Ivo Perelman - tenor sax
Matthew Shipp - piano

Leo Records 2013

Ivo Perelman and Matthew Shipp have already recorded a duo cd, back in 1996. "Bendito of Santa Cruz" (Cadence Records) is a strong example of Perelman's early attampts at reinterpreting brasilian folk music within the fiery avant-free jazz context.

Jazz Alchemist Radio 25.02.13 with VEIN, Ivo Perelman, Peter Brotzmann and Fred Katz

For this week radio playlist I propose to you something old and something new, on both side of the jazz stream. The tracklist represent:

 - VEIN "Porgy & Bess" as well as "Live - Lemuria" with Dave Liebman (I invite you also to check the interview with trio's piano player Michael Arbenz).

 - trio cds by Ivo Perelman, Joe Morris, Gerald Cleaver "Family Ties" and "Living Jelly"

- shorter, yet intense excerpts from the monster performance by Peter Brotzmann with Masahiko Sato and Takeo Moriyama released on the cd "Yatagarasu"

I also reinstated the "calendar" section and today's hero is Fred Katz, a premier jazz cello player. Fred Katz was born on 25.02.1919, you can enjoy an original piece of him with Chico Hamilton Quintet as well as fragments of a tribute cd recorded by Fred Lonberg-Holm.

Enjoy and stay tuned.

Ivo Perlman. 

VEIN - Summertime
VEIN - It Ain't Necessarily So
VEIN - There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' S
VEIN ft. David Liebman - Evolution
Ivo Perelman - Mystery in Sao Christovao
Ivo Perelman - The Sloth
Ivo Perelman - Living Jelly
Fred Katz with Chico Hamilton Quintet - Pluck It
Fred Lonberg-Holm Valeninte Trio - The Squimp
Fred Lonberg-Holm Valeninte Trio - The Vidiot
Fred Lonberg-Holm Valeninte Trio - I Know II (short version)
Peter Brotzmann, Masihoko Sato, Takeo Moriyama - Autumn Drizzle
Peter Brotzmann, Masihoko Sato, Takeo Moriyama - Frozen Whistle

Emist radio 25.02.13 with VEIN, Fred Katz, Ivo Perelman and Peter Brotzmann by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Ivo Perelman on Leo Records part 1 - "Family Ties" and Living Jelly" with Joe Morris and Gerald Cleaver

Ivo Perelman continues the supreme series of albums entitled after works by Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector (you can find on the blog more about "Stream of Life" duo with Brian Wilson as well as "Hour of the Star" by the quartet with M. Shipp, J. Morris and G. Cleaver). I can't speak for the quality of books but I the consistent  quality of the albums is something to behold. 

In 2012 Leo Records released 6 new albums by Ivo and a collective review seems only logical and long overdue.

Family Ties

Ivo Perelman - tenor sax, kazoo, mouthpiece

Joe Morris - bass

Gerald Cleaver - drums

Leo Records 2012

Two of the tracks presented on "Hour of the Star" were actually recorded as a pianoless trio and it comes as no surprise the three wanted to play more together. Without the anchor of the Matthew Shipp's piano the saxophone is freer yet the music gets much lighter, while the perfect timekeeping by the Joe Morris - Gerald Cleaver team is even more transparent and essential.

Ivo Perelman Quartet - The Hour of the Star [Leo]

Ivo Perelman - tenor sax

Matthew Shipp - piano

Joe Morris - double bass

Gerald Cleaver - drums

Leo Records 2011

While I've been recently introduced to some very intriguing new names and it proves how active and vivid is the modern improvised scene, it's the sustained level of excellency that we are able to witness release after a release (or, if we're partcularly lucky, concert after concert) that gives this kind of music its artistic validity. And that's the case of Ivo Perelman and his companions here.

All those musicians have enjoed playing with one another in different constellations (Shipp and Perelman duo, Morris plays bass with Shipp's trio, Cleaver recorded extensively with Shipp's Quartet) yet this cd records their first meeting as a quartet together.

Ivo Perelman & Brian Willson - The Stream of Life [Leo]

The Stream of Life

Ivo Perelman - tenor sax

Brian Wilson - drums

Leo Records 2010

Ivo Perelman released a couple of great records last year and with this one he made the last second jump to my El Intruso 2010 Poll votes on saxophone so I guess I should put some writing behind that vote. 

Sax - drums duos are easily among my favourites (beginning with Coltrane & Ali on "Interstellar Space", my first truly free listening experiene, the one that opened new both stellar and interstellar spaces in my mind). With just two instruments this is as simple as it gets, primal indeed - just kick and cry, rhytm and melody, and yet (or thus) it can go all ways and directions imaginable, with two instruments and two instrumentalists on full display, bare, without any possibility to hide from Your ears.