Ivo Perelman and Wadada Leo Smith: Duologues 5

Tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman thrives in the company of like-minded artists.  The number of superb duo releases in his prolific body of work is proof of that. On the fifth volume of the Duologues series, he has found a uniquely synergistic match in the trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith.  Smith, a founding member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), much like Perelman, is an ingenious improviser. The pair crafts seven provocative pieces that together make up the introspective Duologues 5 

The release opens with Perelman's yearning tenor that echoes in the brief silence that follows.  Smith engages the saxophonist in a melancholic and pensive conversation.  The brief, crisp exchanges create a sublimely cinematic ambience that permeates the entire recording. The stimulating dialogue also brims with a wistful lyricism.  

"Part 2"  features a more energetic interplay.  Smith responds to Perelman's muscular, acerbic lines with poignant, rapid- fire phrases; meanwhile, the saxophonist counters the trumpeter's burnished tones with languid, undulating notes.  Midway through, the track develops a more somber mood, with an ebb and flow of forlorn monologues. These streams-of-consciousness musings complement and enrich one another.

As the extemporizations progress, a subtle spirituality imbues the album.  "Part 3," for instance, consists of captivating, chant-like refrains that change and evolve. Whether soloing or dueting, the two musicians create crystalline musical fragments that shimmer differently with each repetition.  The result is a haunting piece that resonates long after it has stopped playing.

Following in its wake is the dynamic yet contemplative conversation that makes up "Part 4."  Despite a strong sense of drama, the tune remains serene and poetic. Perelman and Smith complement each other's performances perfectly. There are no jarring moments, no discordance, despite both musicians embracing, quite often, delightful dissonance.

The final, and the longest, track, "Part 7" is sort of a distillation of the essence of the entire session. It is, however, more than just a summary.  It is a fully formed, stimulating improvisation that sometimes gleams with bluesy hues, while at others soothes with its undulations. There is a strong sense of mysticism in its moving melodic variations.  Perelman and Smith create tension by contrasting divergent yet parallel individual expressions. Their repartee is similar to an abstract painting, with alternating, shadowy and bright brushstrokes, and it is equally captivating.

Duologues 5 is an imaginative and brilliant slice of spontaneous creativity.  It is a meeting of two masters who fuse their talents without egoism or self-indulgence into a gem that is a highlight in both artists' uniformly superlative discographies.