Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ivo Perelman / Joe Morris / Gerald Cleaver: Family Ties

69

Ivo Perelman / Joe Morris / Gerald Cleaver: Family Ties

By

View read count
Ivo Perelman / Joe Morris / Gerald Cleaver: Family Ties
Her boyfriend might have left Janis Joplin with nothing, as she asserts in her classic version of Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee," but Ivo Perelman refutes Joplin's claim that "freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose" on Family Ties.

The Brazilian saxophonist has returned to recording with a deluge of releases, this outpouring being inspired by his latest quartet, three-quarters of which are represented here. Missing is pianist Matthew Shipp, who is heard on the The Hour Of The Star (Leo Records, 2011).

In many ways though, this remains a quartet record, as Shipp's presence is felt throughout. Perelman's creative concept often splits his band into duos and trios to build upon a notion. As all the music is freely improvised, their inclination is that all parts support the whole, and this recording is a continuation of the quartet's conversation.

Opening with kazoo, Perelman spits and sputters bird-like passages over drummer Gerald Cleaver's tom-toms, giving way to his lower register tenor explorations. The saxophonist pauses while Cleaver turns to his cymbals, only returning with guitarist-turned bassist Joe Morris to infuse additional energy into the mix. Where other free improvisation can get lost, this band maintains a structure and organization to the music. The saxophonist's upper register flights retain context, and flow is uninterrupted.

Elsewhere, that same scaffolding can be found. "The Imitation of the Rose" almost rocks out with Cleaver's drumming and Morris' powerful walking bass line. Within the muscular beat, Perelman is given the latitude to exhale some fiery notes and soar into more upper register explorations. Given the commission of this band, even an instantly composed piece like "Love," which clocks in at nearly 25 minutes, maintains the framework throughout.

The most accessible venture here is the closing blues, "The Buffalo," the trio negotiating its lonely road with the simplicity and elegance known only to accordant players. Like any effective blues, the mode may be simple but the thoughts expressed are varied and quite textured; sort of a fine ribbon that wraps a found object from the street, making the ordinary extraordinary.

Track Listing

Family Ties; The Imitation of the Rose; Love; Preciousness; Mystery in Sao Christovao; The Buffalo.

Personnel

Ivo Perelman
saxophone, tenor

Ivo Perelman: tenor saxophone, kazoo, mouthpiece; Joe Morris: bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Album information

Title: Family Ties | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Leo Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About 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 make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

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

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.