Perelman/Shipp/Cosgrove

Active most of time with myriad other projects, Brazilian tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman and US pianist Matthew Shipp always find time to play and record together. At this point they may have logged more joint playing time than McCoy Tyner with John Coltrane or Charlie Rouse with Thelonious Monk. Not that their hook ups are exclusive however. This disc for instance consists of a nearly hour-long live improvisation with Maryland-based drummer Jeff Cosgrove. Cosgrove, who has worked with William Parker and others is a sympathetic accompanist. However he steps forward only briefly with a bass drum thumping and snare/tom pitter patterning interlude near the concert’s end.

That means focus is on the Perelman and Shipp and the two intensify Free Jazz motifs with a mixture of aplomb and ardor. Most of the latter come from the saxophonist whose exuberant reed evolution runs through tongue stops, doits, irregular squeaks, intermittent honks and circular breathing, His frequent altissimo squalls are as emotional and varied as any gospel shouter and he seems to invariably shade most tones three ways: serene, strained and shrieked. Shipp’s measured, sometime processional, chording, flavored with soundboard echoes and occasional prestissimo glissandi encompasses syncopated harmony however. So no matter how many whining pitches Perelman eviscerates, musical logic prevails. Blending Cosgrove’s subtle rhythms and Shipp’s trebly comping means that heightened reed squeals and split tones complete rather than challenge the single-track improvisation.

An elongated reed scream and harsh keyboard pounding at the conclusion may confirm the dissonance implicit in the program. But close listening to this inspired sound investigation makes the program fascinating as well.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Live In Carrboro

Personnel: Ivo Perelman (tenor saxophone); Matthew Shipp (piano) and Jeff Cosgrove (drums)