When I think of an orchestra, I’m imagining a band with at least nine or ten players on up to dozens of participants. The fine musicians assembled for Seven Skies Orchestra make up a sextet, but in this context, it’s really big compared to the duos and trios saxophonist Ivo Perelman typically leads. But Perelman’s constant is taking on new challenges and this oddball collection of instruments played by uncommonly advanced artists is another fierce first for him.
Improvisation between two can be tricky; between six it can be downright daunting. Luckily, these are six who are supremely well-attuned not just to the art of improvisation but also to each other; Perelman has previously recorded with most of them, extensively so with bassist Joe Morris, violist Mat Maneri and lately, trumpet player Nate Wooley. Cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and vibrist Matt Moran are veterans of New York’s and Chicago’s improvised scenes who easily belong in this lofty group of world-class spontaneous creators.
The 10 tracks are marked by tangled, shifting instrumental voices making impressions both individually and in concert with others. It’s an ‘orchestra’ that plays with a small ensemble mindset.
“Part One” isn’t even an ensemble in its opening moments, it’s Moran laying down the framework for a melodic idea by himself, and the remaining five entering at once to build a house around it. But since the vibes player is channeling 1963-64 Bobby Hutcherson, the music takes on a flavor not distant from the groundbreaking output from Grachan Moncur III or Eric Dolphy of that period. It also takes on a unique character of its own, as sax and trumpet are enjoined by not one of two but three stringed instruments, which could have been a mess had they not played with very close attention to each other. Instead, Morris, Lonberg-Helm and Maneri are very much together and actively responding to Moran and the horn players.
Morris’ restless bass articulations sets up the plot for “Part Two,” and as everyone else hops on for the ride, Perelman eventually emerges as the lead voice, bringing down the proceedings to a gentle landing. The diffused nature of “Part Three” enables one to hear the intricacies of the individual parts piecing together the whole. Perelman and Moran exchanging ideas highlights this piece. The strings take on a larger footprint during “Part Four,” starting with the caustic scraping of strings and continuing with frisky bowing and plucking that chases and confronts Perelman. Wooley’s manipulations of his trumpet are a match for Ivo Perelman’s on the saxophone, and he makes that case in leading off “Part Five.”
While a nice Perelman/Wooley interaction alone makes “Part Six” worth a listen, all the other interactions that follow are no less enticing. Maneri stands out on “Part Seven,” as Perelman’s long-time duet partner blurs the distinction between supporting and leading roles in making himself indispensable through every unexpected turn. “Part Nine” crests near the end with an astonishing six-way free-form episode, meshing together disparate tones on the go.
Can a saxophone, trumpet, three stringed instruments and a vibraphone coalesce around spontaneous musical ideas? Ivo Perelman and his cohorts answer emphatically in the affirmative, if you get the right guys together. Procure your copy of Seven Skies Orchestra from Bandcamp.
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