Giacomo Merega: Opus Dichotomous

The title adopted by Giacomo Merega and Joe Morris' duo release Opus Dichotomous might be a false flag. This recording is anything but an exercise in contrasts. Merega's electric bass and Morris' guitar travel congruously throughout the nine tracks to deliver these improvised gems. Perhaps the dichotomy the title refers to is that of botany where a plant's dichotomous branching emanates from a common stem.

Merega and Morris can be heard, along with drummer Jason Nazary, in the quartet led by saxophonist Noah K (Kaplan). Their music is documented in Out Of The Hole (ezz-thetics, 2020), Cluster Swerve (hatOLOGY, 2017), and Descendants (hatOLOGY, 2011). Where those sessions present composed music, here we are treated to an all-improvised session.

Fans of Morris are accustomed to these all-improvised outings in groups and combinations of artists too numerous to mention here. The guitarist has also released stellar solo sessions on acoustic guitar Solos Bimhuis (Relative Pitch, 2015) and banjo Atmosphere (KMB Jazz, 2008), plus he can be often heard on bass. Hearing Morris in a duo setting might be the best way to focus one's attention on his unique methodology, which is elevated by—and elevates—his playing partners. Past examples are performances with Nate Wooley Tooth And Nail (Clean Feed, 2008), Barre Phillips Elm City Duets (Clean Feed, 2008), Mary Halvorson Traversing Orbits (RogueArt, 2018), Agusti Fernandez Ambrosia (Riti, 2011) and Wadada Leo Smith Earth's Frequencies (Fundacja Słuchaj!, 2023).

The same can said for Morris' duo with Merega. The pair open and close the recording utilizing volume pedals. "Real And The Not Real, Something Like An Opera" and "Stabat Mater (Dedicated To E.M.)" both trade in a dreamlike, let's call it a gossamery tangle of interdependent architecture. Their relationship is indeed chimerical throughout. They weave a crazy quilt of sound in "Quasicandenze" and work in quieting microtones in "The Uninhabited Song." What showcases Morris' guitar explorations is Merega's bass mantel. He doesn't keep time so much as he constructs an architecture of sound for Morris and himself to build upon.