Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ivo Perelman / Chad Fowler / Reggie Workman / Andrew Cyr...

3

Ivo Perelman / Chad Fowler / Reggie Workman / Andrew Cyrille: Embracing the Unknown

By

Sign in to view read count
Ivo Perelman / Chad Fowler / Reggie Workman / Andrew Cyrille: Embracing the Unknown
Let's explore the title of saxophonist Ivo Perelman's latest release, Embracing the Unknown. His quartet with fellow saxophonist Chad Fowler, plus jazz legends Reggie Workman and Andrew Cyrille embrace, or welcome, adopt, and maybe better stated, champion the unknown. This exercise in instant composing guides listeners through the mysterious, the new, the novel, the undiscovered, i.e. the unknown. But then again, doesn't every Ivo Perelman recording embrace the unknown?

With his one hundred plus (and counting) discography, the answer is undoubtedly yes, but this effort Embracing the Unknown is the embodiment of that ideal. For that, we can credit the rhythm section of Workman and Cyrille. The pair have been working together since the 1960s, from the Jazz Composers Orchestra to each other's quartets and their Trio 3 with Oliver Lake. Perelman recorded with Cyrille on two prior occasions, the Children Of Ibeji (Enja, 1992) and Dione (Leo Records, 2017) with Matthew Shipp.

The Workman/Cyrille factor modulates the bulk of his recording. The drummer favors small gestures like bells, metallic objects, and cerebral, even meditative drumming. This, along with Workman's bass explorations set the mood throughout. The hushed sounds of the 21-minute opener remain tethered even as the intensity ramps up. Perelman and Fowler are attentive to Workman and Cyrille's lead throughout. With that in mind, this might be the most lyrical Perelman recording in years. The sad beauty of "Self-Reflection" opens with a duet between the two saxophonists before Workman enters with the gentlest pizzicato attack and Cyrille's light tom-tom accents. Then there is the blues inflection of "Introspection" which incites the saxophonists to constantly intertwine their horns, knotting their sounds into a glorious mishmash. The instruction to listen to an audio recording might be a strange one, but hearing this quartet is believing in their magic.

Track Listing

Embracing the Unknown; Soul Searching; Self-Reflection; Introspection; Self-Analysis; Self- Fulfillment; Self-Contemplation.

Personnel

Ivo Perelman
saxophone, tenor
Chad Fowler
saxophone
Additional Instrumentation

Chad Fowler: stritch, saxello; Reggie Workman: percussion.

Album information

Title: Embracing the Unknown | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Mahakala Music


Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.