Ever restless in his pursuit of finding novel ways to collaborate on the creation of highly improvised music, saxophone extraordinaire Ivo Perelman has dreamed up a dandy: a quartet consisting of all-saxophonists. Supernova (Tratore) introduces his Sao Paulo Creative 4, which is effectively a highly improvisational, out-jazz take on the World Saxophone Quartet.
In realizing this ambition, Perelman went back home to Brazil and enlisted three of his fellow countrymen for this effort: Lívio Tragtenberg (bass clarinet, alto saxophone), Rogério Costa (soprano and alto saxophone) and Manu Falleiros (soprano and baritone saxophone). Perelman sticks with his primary reed, the tenor saxophone.
New York-based Ivo Perelman has been extremely prolific since his debut album thirty-five years ago. The other guys aren’t household names stateside but are accomplished performers, educators and composers in Sao Paulo and Brazil in general.
Ponder for a moment the very idea of four saxophonists each of whom have to not just have to anticipate sudden changes in keys, tempo and cadence, but also have to be in harmony with the other three. Yet, these guys pull it off routinely. Whenever a new riff is found, the four quickly coalesce around it, each locating their harmonic parts so that they leap into the abyss in unison.
“White Dwarf” starts off as a blues, framed by Tragtenberg’s bass clarinet, before exploding like a – yes — supernova into all directions (including, briefly, an Ayler-like marching band melody). “Black Hole” has an orchestral murmur quality to it that can be directly traced back to Ellington. They bathe the chart in luxuriant harmonies that make them sound twice are large.
Serious artistry doesn’t get into the way of having fun, and they’re clearly enjoying themselves on numbers like “Planetary Nebula,” where a sense of playfulness pervades much of it. What’s more, even then they stay on track and move on to innumerable sections, each as interesting as the prior one.
The marvel on “Black Dwarf” occurs in how they glissando so smoothly together. “Blue Supergiant Star” stands out for maintaining a steady tempo for most of the song, the pulse carried out by the bass clarinet with Perelman leading the remaining trio through every figure that materializes seemingly on a whim. Lastly, for the short, quick “Dark Matter,” the horns blend like a dense weave with not a thread out of place.
The concept of making creative music solely with four reeded horns isn’t a new one but under Ivo Perelman’s direction, the concept been thoroughly refreshed. Supernova surprises, astounds and delights at nearly every turn.
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