Ivo Perelman/Tyshawn Sorey

Extending his series of collaborations with other far-sighted musicians in a variety of group formats Brazilian tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman joins American Tyshawn Sorey for six extended improvisations spread over two CDs. Another frequent international musical collaborator, Sorey divides his contributions between drums and piano. Considering the saxophonist has played with drummers like Rashied Ali and Gerry Hemingway and has had a multi-year partnership with pianist Matthew Shipp, antipodal situations are no stretch for him.

What is stretched is the saxophone timbres and textures as Perelman ranges from whiny sniffles, moderated tongue slaps and almost toneless breaths to widening doits and rappels, holding brief phrases for extended periods and sudden ferocious screeches. While his piano playing is percussive overall, part of the time Sorey depends on single note clips and emphasized motifs to assert himself. More challenge than comping, his affiliations range from rumbling pedal point to high-pitched tinkles and slithering phrases up the scale.

At points his drumming is equally subtle. Staring with ruffs, ratamacues and drags, he uses cymbal splashes and nerve beats to move up and down the scale as the saxophonist projects entire sequences in throat clenching altissimo or protracted sopranissimo pitches. Should the reed output moderate to tongue stops or note bending, Sorey consequently alters his rhythms so that copper alloy reverb and Mylar crunches predominate.

Endlessly inventive and seemingly almost never stopping for breath, Perelman is adept at playing entire sequences in dog whistle like pitches and at staccato tempos. Besides comping Sorey is as aggressive as well, with parts of most improvisations featuring interludes where the two create tandem dynamics, as piano key bangs intensify at the same time as adagio reed slurs and/or renal cries ascend with wide vibratos.

What isn’t obvious at first is that besides being the most merciless note and phrase mutator and reed technique extender since Peter Brötzmann  and Albert Ayler, a kernel of lyricism remains within Perelman’s solo. On each of Parallel Aesthetics’ six tracks, there’s a terse interlude where in the course of ferocious playing the saxophonist will deflect to a sequence which sound like the first notes  of a songbook or jazz standard, a mewling ballad or an anthem-like quote.

Perelman appears interested in working as many other creative musicians as possible. If the results are as stimulating as this one, it’s a desire that should be met.

— Ken Waxman

Track Listing: CD1: 1. One 3. Two 3. Three 4. Four CD2: 1. Five 2. Six

Personnel: Ivo Perelman (tenor saxophone) and Tyshawn Sorey (piano and drums)