Ivo Perelman forms a trio with two duo partners from his massive Reed Rapture In Brooklyn project on a quest to explore three-way interactions among saxophone titans. Oxygen (Mahakala Music) puts the tenor saxophone master with fellow tenor standouts Ken Vandermark and Joe McPhee but with the latter two playing instruments that offer a contrast to the tenor saxophone sound.
Vandermark undertakes the burly baritone saxophone, a reed he’s recorded with and featured over the tenor dozens of times before. McPhee – who is probably best known as a saxophonist first and trumpeter a close second – mans a trombone, an instrument he’s recorded with on several other occasions, many of those times while performing with Peter Brötzmann. Along with Perelman on tenor sax and Vandermark holding down the low tones on baritone sax, the trio brews an interesting blend.
As with all of Perelman’s collaborations, the main attraction is the telepathic interactions among all the participants. That’s exemplified on the album’s final track, “Hydrogen,” where the three move together from one melodic figure to another, picking up the slightest cues from each other to leave behind one figure for another and keeping everything fresh and free of inertia. Following Perelman’s introductory cue, everyone is locked in on a certain path for “Oxygen,” a song where melodic development takes precedent over pure improvisation.
Vandermark is the only one blowing a horn for the first three minutes of “Carbon,” the other two crafting a pulse from makeshift percussive devices. Later, the other two man their instruments and together, they mete out some sounds so alien it’s sometimes hard to discern who is playing what. But all along, there’s a linearity to the progression while leaving behind enough space for individual expression (like Vandermark’s furious turn on the baritone).
The boys sing – vocalizations to be more specific – to kick off “Sulfur,” then strap on their horns and engage in lively interaction, slowing it down until it’s Perelman leading a breathy, sentimental mood. “Phosphorus” is about layering: first McPhee alone, joined by Perelman and then Vandermark turning this into a three-way conversation. Vandermark forms a low drone on “Nitrogen” that gives Perelman a framework around which to make his own lower-register explorations. A change in key signals McPhee’s quiet entry, offering a harmonic counterpoint.
When advanced improvisers like Ivo Perelman, Ken Vandermark and Joe McPhee get together, advanced, instantly produced art is the outcome. Oxygen debuts on March 4, 2025. Get it now from Bandcamp.
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