Street Date 02/20/12
Free jazz is a tag hung on an artist when a critic does not have a clue as to where the artist is coming from either on a technical or artistic level. Brazilian Ivo Perelan has been tagged as a free-jazz musician.
Ivo Perelman is a not a free jazz musician but he is a searching artist. Perelman is an incredibly lyrical player that can touch an individuals soul while setting their hair on fire at the same time. Ivo Pereman never assumes, he performs a sonic exploratory on not only his sound but that of the individuals that make up the ensemble cast of his extended musical family.
Similar to previous releases the title of this work is from a book by the 20th century Brazilian novelist Clarice Lispector. The book is a collection of 13 short stories that have influenced the title of each tune on Family Ties. Perelman is a celebrated graphic artist as well with his work featured on numerous albums covers as well as his website. One can analyze and perform a theoretical breakdown which would be meaningful to those holding advanced degrees in theory and composition. Ivo Perelman plays on and from a different artistic plane than most, a perfect marriage of the visceral and cerebral without acknowledging the constraints of any self imposed limitation that come with producing work for a specific sub genre of jazz.
"Family Ties" opens with Perelman performing on kazoo and slowly transforming to tenor saxophone. Perelman takes flight when moving from the horn's accepted registers to its falsetto notes. This "toggling" technique has been captured by numerous artists but the extension and ease of transition as performed by Perelman is unparalleled. Think Albert Ayler on steroids. "Love" is deep rooted in the lower half of the four octave command he maintains of the tenor saxophone.
The punctuated rhythms of bass and drum maintain a distinct cohesion within the improvisation work of Perelman. Neither drummer Gerald Cleaver or bassist Joe Morris ever overwhelm with solo work but instead maintain the organic quality required to support Perelman in a marvelous display of lyrical cohesion. A tremendous lyrical depth of field combined with a variety of textures emphasizes the variety without ever bordering on the self indulgent.
Free jazz seemingly does not fit other than to easily categorize Perelman's work for ease of cataloging such efforts. While free jazz may be an acceptable general criteria it is miles off course from where Perelman's individual voice has taken refuge. A conceptual instrumental visionary pushing the envelope of the creative idea.
Long story short...The epitome of the searching artist.
An epic work.
Tracks: Family Ties; The Imitation of the Rose; Love; Preciousness; Mystery in Sao Christovao; The Buffalo.
Personnel: Ivo Perelman: tenor saxophone, kazoo, mouthpiece; Joe Morris: bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.
