Jacob Anderskov with Agnostic Revelations - Granular Alchemy [ILK]

Agnostic Revelations:
Chris Speed - sax, clarinet
Jacob Anderskov - piano
Michael Formanek - double bass
Gerald Cleaver - drums



ILK Records 2012

Jacob Andrskov has already proven himself as a great composer, bandleader and a piano player on numerous occasions, including the big ensemble Anderskov Accident "Full Circle". Agnostic Relelations is an acoustic quartet to gather to gather truly stellar Chris Speed, Michael Formanek and Gerald Cleaver.

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 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.

Samuel Blaser Quartet - Boundless [Hatology]

Samuel Blaser - trombone
Marc Ducret - guitar
Banz Oester - double bass
Gerald Cleaver - drums

Hatology 2011

Samuel Blaser's name comes up on this blog every now (most recently with an unique take on baroque music "Consort in Motion") and there is no doubt he's one of the most versatile, talented and active trombone players of his generation. "Boundless" is another step forward in his career, an album recorded with a stellar group, for a prestigious label, presents "Boundless" suite may be his most ambitious and most uccesfull accomplishment so far.

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.