Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ivo Perelman: Reed Rapture in Brooklyn

Ivo Perelman: Reed Rapture in Brooklyn

By Jeff Schwartz
June 13, 2023
View read count

Is this album fundamentally unreviewable? Are there jazz fans who do not immediately know if they need an 11-hour collection of 103 improvised duets between

Ivo Perelman

saxophone, tenor
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Ivo Perelman and a dozen saxophonists and clarinetists?

It is at least describable. Perelman is faithful to his tenor, while his partners bring examples of nearly every type of saxophone, from soprillo to contrabass, as well as most of the clarinet family. Although all tracks are free improvisations, the default mode is melodic conversation, and all the performers display great ears and imagination. On the first set,

Joe Lovano

drums
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Lovano matches Perelman's warm sound and trades lines. On the second,

Tim Berne

saxophone, alto
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Tim Berne opens the first two tracks circular breathing spilt tones, and Perelman joins him with his own high harmonics and

Albert Ayler

saxophone, tenor
1936 - 1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Albert Ayler-like bent howls, then uses Berne's drone as a background for melodic play, which becomes conversational.

The session with

Roscoe Mitchell

saxophone
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Roscoe Mitchell particularly centers the rate of change—the speed with which an improviser develops ideas and introduces new material—as a creative element. Mitchell moves very deliberately on contrabass sax, obstinately developing simple material, lingering on a handful of notes for minutes at a time at an even dynamic and relaxed pace, while Perelman rises and falls in varied shorter arcs. While improvisers often escalate together, Mitchell does not budge and only briefly becomes more active, near the end of their almost 40-minute second duet. However, he communicates that he is listening to Perelman through subtle changes in his playing.

Since Perelman appears on every track of the set, his style both sets off the unique voice of each guest and is set off by them. While he has the skills to visit each guest's territory, his own preferences are revealed through both juxtaposition and abundance. Eleven hours of playing will make an artist's style very clear to listeners and themselves. Unlike some of his guests, such as Mitchell,

James Carter

multi-instrumentalist
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">James Carter and

Vinny Golia

woodwinds
b.1946

" data-original-title="" title="">Vinny Golia, who play numerous winds in a range of styles in other contexts, Perelman plays one instrument and adapts his core language to suit each collaborator, bending towards them while remaining rooted. This consistency helps highlight the variety of his partners, who each limit themselves to one or a few instruments and focus on a subset of their vocabulary during their sessions. Also, with the notable exception of

Joe McPhee

woodwinds
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe McPhee, Perelman's partners avoided the tenor saxophone.

David Murray

saxophone, tenor
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">David Murray and

Ken Vandermark

saxophone
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Ken Vandermark, both primarily tenor players, brought the bass clarinet and Bb clarinet respectively, while Lovano used the rare C melody and F soprano saxophones.

The performances are also consistent in quality. Although there is tension and drama in these interactions, the playing is confident and assured; while nothing is planned and limits are being challenged, everything feels intentional and it is clear the players have the technique and imagination to resolve any situation they create. Many improvisers would reveal their habits and cliches over a dozen hours of very exposed playing, but Perelman stays in the moment, continually generating new material in response to his partners.

There are albums which feature a core band with rotating guests, such as

Ray Brown

bass, acoustic
1926 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Ray Brown's Some of My Best Friends are... series on Telarc: The Piano Players (1995), The Sax Players (1996), Singers (1998), The Trumpet Players (2000), and Guitarists (2002), while The
Lee Konitz
saxophone, alto
1927 - 2020
" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Konitz Duets (Milestone 1968),

Charlie Haden

bass, acoustic
1937 - 2014

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Haden's Closeness (Horizon, 1976) and The Golden Number (Horizon, 1977), and Peter Kowald's Duos: Europa, America, Japan (Free Music Productions, 1991) matched the leaders with different partners on each track, but it is difficult to think of a set of serial collaborations on Perelman's scale. It showcases the breadth of the single reed instrument families, the range of current approaches to them, and the organizational options available to free improvisers, as well as resolving any doubt that Perelman is a major musical force. At the same time, the specificity of Brooklyn raises the possibility of subsequent Reed Raptures in London, Berlin, Tokyo, Oakland, Chicago, etc.

Reed Rapture in Brooklyn is currently available only online. CDs and a feature-length documentary of the sessions are forthcoming.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Ivo - Lovano - 01; Ivo - Lovano - 02; Ivo - Lovano - 03; Ivo - Lovano - 04; Ivo - Lovano - 05; Ivo - Lovano - 06; Ivo - Lovano - 07; Ivo - Lovano - 08; Ivo - Lovano - 09; Ivo - Lovano - 10; Ivo - Lovano - 11; Ivo - Lovano - 12; Ivo - Lovano - 13; Ivo - Lovano - 14; Ivo - Berne - 01; Ivo - Berne - 02; Ivo - Berne - 03; Ivo - Berne - 04; Ivo - Berne - 05; Ivo - Murray - 01; Ivo - Murray - 02; Ivo - Murray - 03; Ivo - Murray - 04; Ivo - Murray - 05; Ivo - Murray - 06; Ivo - Murray - 07; Ivo - Murray - 08; Ivo - Murray - 09; Ivo - Murray - 10; Ivo - Anker - 01; Ivo - Anker - 02; Ivo - Anker - 03; Ivo - Anker - 04; Ivo - Anker - 05; Ivo - Anker - 06; Ivo - Anker - 07; Ivo - Anker - 08; Ivo - Vandermark - 01; Ivo - Vandermark - 02; Ivo - Vandermark - 03; Ivo - Vandermark - 04; Ivo - Vandermark - 05; Ivo - Vandermark - 06; Ivo - Vandermark - 07; Ivo - Vandermark - 08; Ivo - Vandermark - 09; Ivo - Vandermark - 10; Ivo - Vandermark - 11; Ivo - Vandermark - 12; Ivo - Mitchell - 01; Ivo - Mitchell - 02; Ivo - Mitchell - 03; Ivo - Carter- 01; Ivo - Carter- 02; Ivo - Carter- 03; Ivo - Carter- 04; Ivo - Carter - 05; Ivo - Carter - 06; Ivo - Carter - 07; Ivo - Carter - 08; Ivo - Carter - 09; Ivo - Irabagon - 01; Ivo - Irabagon - 02; Ivo - Irabagon - 03; Ivo - Irabagon - 04; Ivo - Irabagon - 05; Ivo - Irabagon - 06; Ivo - Irabagon - 07; Ivo - McPhee - 01; Ivo - McPhee - 02; Ivo - McPhee - 03; Ivo - McPhee - 04; Ivo - McPhee - 05; Ivo - McPhee - 06; Ivo - McPhee - 07; Ivo - Stetson - 01; Ivo - Stetson - 02; Ivo - Stetson - 03; Ivo - Stetson - 04; Ivo - Stetson - 05; Ivo - Stetson - 06; Ivo - Golia - 01; Ivo - Golia - 02; Ivo - Golia - 03; Ivo - Golia - 04; Ivo - Golia - 05; Ivo - Golia - 06; Ivo - Golia - 07; Ivo - Golia - 09; Ivo - Golia - 09; Ivo - Golia - 10; Ivo - Golia - 11; Ivo - Liebman - 01; Ivo - Liebman - 02; Ivo - Liebman - 03; Ivo - Liebman - 04; Ivo - Liebman - 05; Ivo - Liebman - 06; Ivo - Liebman - 07; Ivo - Liebman - 08; Ivo - Liebman - 09; Ivo - Liebman - 10; Ivo - Liebman - 11.

Personnel

Ivo Perelman

saxophone, tenor

David Murray

saxophone, tenor

Joe Lovano

drums

James Carter

multi-instrumentalist

Tim Berne

saxophone, alto

Roscoe Mitchell

saxophone

Joe McPhee

woodwinds

Vinny Golia

woodwinds

Jon Irabagon

saxophone, tenor

Ken Vandermark

saxophone

Colin Stetson

woodwinds

Lotte Anker

saxophone

Album information

Title: Reed Rapture in Brooklyn | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Mahakala Music

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Love for Sale: Cole Porter from Ella...
< Previous

John McLaughlin And Zakir Hussain: S...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.