Ivo Perelman: Counterpoint

Tenor sax strongman Ivo Perelman underscores the objective for this release, advising that "This combination, with viola and guitar—I've never before used this particular grouping ... I knew it would be challenging, with dense textures and this three-part counterpoint." However, the respective musicians have recorded in various formations in the past, so one would immediately surmise that the group already possesses the requisite synergy and improvisational savvy, providing a built-in advantage from the onset. Thus, the sax-guitar-viola combo operates within similar polyphonic aspects via the Latin —point against point—ideology. But from the avant-garde perspective, the performers intersect, mimic and of course generate counterpoint amid contours usually framed on asymmetrical rhythmic patterns.

Malleable shapes, curvatures and linear trajectories seed the instantaneous compositions. Each piece offers a dissimilar perspective beneath the intricacies, whether it's Maneri's streaming passages or Perelman's circumnavigations through all registers that parallel, colorize or augment his cohorts' phrasings. But on "Part 4," Morris' lays out a medium-toned and rather subliminal ostinato that sets the groundwork for the trio's free-form improv. Here, the saxophonist's terse lines in the upper-register trigger a firestorm as Maneri finishes off what was started. Yet "Part 7" contains a slower-paced motif, tempered by Perelman's laisse-faire stance and abetted by his use of tremolo, leading the band towards a steadily ascending storyline. As "Part 9," features the guitarist's singing notes against a faint and layered backdrop, where the band works within the lower register, sparking emotive attributes that bridge coarse and wistful mini- themes with the artists' vast expressionism. One of the predominant aspects of this affair relates to the musicians' cagey inner-workings and on-the-fly developments while using counterpoint as an agile and sustainable vehicle for these largely, magnetic performances.