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.

Matthew Shipp & Mateusz Walerian duo at Alchemia (16.05)

Mateusz Walerian is a young polish jazz saxophone player that, although he has not yet recorded a cd, plays regularly with the likes of Hamid Drake and Matthew Shipp which should be prove enough that he's a musician to observe closely. The duo tour with Matthew Shipp arrived also to Krakow to share its music with audience at Alchemia.

Matthew Shipp remains one of the most characteristic piano players of the generarion, his musical language rooted in the classical avant-guarde music from one side and solemn church hymns on the other. Heavy chords, contrasted by gentle suspension of the notes and subtle modulations  and shifts within the repetitive lines or reinforced by thunderous storm of hands on the keyboard. 

Mateusz Walerian's playing is rooted in the early free-jazz, with heavy echoes of bluesy tone. His lines can be jazzy in the spirit of post-bop as well as angular and abstract, he goes for more direct approach on alto, while searching for more sonic shades on bass clarinet. He tends for modest and minimal, selecting carefully the means of his expression.

Together they created a program that shifts between tension between their styles of playing and comunication, between here and there, now and then, between solemn hymnos, romping jazz tune with boogie piano line, idyllic and peacefull meditations in the form of ancient mantra of serial music. Thunderous explosions of expression contradicted by chamber-like subtle moments of lirycism. With the variety and the span of the performance (80 minutes long continuous piece) the concert was a bit overwhelming, nonetheless rewarding well the attention. 

While it was Matthew Shipp who in my ears dominated the evening (not at all surprising given his style and power of expression) I treat Mateusz Walerian's playing as a promise and it remains to be seen how he manages to keep it. I'd like to see him step up more as a leading voice in the near future.

 ps. the duo is playing next days in

Wroclaw (17.05)

Warszawa (18.05)

Poznan (19.05)

Szymbark (20.05)

so hopefully you have a chance to catch them live.

Mateusz Walerian - alto sax, bass clarinet, clarinet, flute
Matthew Shipp - piano

Alchemia. Krakow. 16.05.2012

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.

Darius Jones & Matthew Shipp - Cosmic Lieder [AUM]

Cosmic Lieder

Darius Jones - alto saxophone

Matthew Shipp - piano

AUM Fidelity 2011

The recording of the first musical meeting of Darius Jones and Matthew Shipp presents an opportunity to create a handfull of catchy promotional phrases. Young player who is just coming into his own meets an accomplished and widely acknowledged master of the genre. A student and a teacher. Experiment and experience. One could easily go on with cliches like these concerning the topic of an inter-generational conflict.

The good news is that it's all on the outside, this is all appearance. On the inside there are none.