Ivo Perelman and Nate Wooley: Polarity 3

The stimulating Polarity 3 is the third installment in a series of spontaneous duets between innovative saxophonist Ivo Perelman and equally creative trumpeter Nate Wooley. On these 10 tracks, the two improvisers use silent pauses to craft haunting atmospheres and contemplative melodies. The performances are akin to two complimentary yet independent introspective musings.

Languid, wistful tones from both men start off the opener "One." The soft howls and undulating refrains are interspersed in the hypnotic quietude and thus set the ambiance for the entire recording. Short, crisp exchanges maintain a pensive melancholy despite the increase in the urgency of the dialogue. Perelman's muscular agile tenor twitters oscillate around Wooley's clear and gently billowing horn. The almost funebre "Two" functions like a coda to the previous track continuing and concluding the ideas started on "One."

Neither Perelman nor Wooley have shied away from embracing provocative dissonance in their past extemporizations. They also flirt with it here, but the focus is more toward lyrical melodicism. For instance, on "Eight" Wooley's muted trumpet has distinctly bluesy hints. Perelman, who follows Wooley, expresses himself in mellifluous and brassy phrases. The pair seamlessly builds a soulful conversation with an elegance that has echoes of past musical styles.

This level of emotive poignancy is a salient feature of the album as a whole including on the "freer" pieces like "Five." The overlapping exploration of scales alternating with plaintive wails and abstract, tuneful ruminations coalesce into a sublimely alluring soundscape. Hypnotic in its muted colors yet dynamic in its restlessness the tune is an apt centerpiece for the entire set.

Similarly the finale, "Ten," plays a large role in the disc's thematic cohesiveness as its mood flows from the forlorn to the passionate and back. The synergistic dialogue of long notes and meandering lines transforms into a fiery repartee and then back to meditative serenity with natural grace. It, therefore, makes for a logical conclusion to this superb, collaborative, session.

As is expected from both Perelman and Wooley, Polarity 3 is another superlative and brilliant work. It reflects the ingenuity of both artists but, as with all successful collaborations, is more than the sum of its parts. It is electrifying and thoughtful music that satisfies the mind long after it has stopped playing.

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