Ivo Perelman, Nate Wooley, Mat Maneri, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Joe Morris, Matt Moran: Seven Skies Orchestra

Ever the intrepid innovator, saxophonist Ivo Perelman takes his music in a new direction on the double-disc set, Seven Skies Orchestra. After a long series, primarily of duets, Perelman returns to a larger ensemble setting, a sextet in this case. That is not the only difference between this release and his previous output; the music here, although still entirely improvised and easily recognizable as Perelman's, moves in a more spacious, contemplative direction, less introspective and more outgoing.

Vibraphonist Matt Moran opens "Part One" with sparse and resonant tones which cascade like ice crystals. This sets a serene, almost Zen-like, mood. As the rest of the band enters, each member simultaneously follows his own stream of consciousness and plays off the others. The result is an overlap of individual voices which is stimulatingly multilayered and flirts with dissonance yet eschews cacophony. It is akin to multiple poetic recitations in a theatrical piece. Perelman, for instance, blows angular fiery lines which bounce off the strings of cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm in a provocative dialogue while the others carry on an unhurried four-way conversation in the background.

Elsewhere, "Part Nine" starts off as an angular string trio repartee, with bassist Joe Morris and violist Mat Maneri joining Longberg-Holm. Within the resultant sonic web, Perelman's eloquent tenor saxophone with languid musings enters first, then trumpeter Nate Wooley with his burnished notes which mirror Perelman's. Moran provides a cool and crisp punctuation with his chiming beats. The tune evolves into a meditative exploration with a strong spiritual bent.

Overall the ambience is cinematic and sometimes tense. For instance "Part Four" features Perelman exploring the upper registers of his tenor saxophone with squawks and honks which sometimes echo within sparse plucked strings and Moran's reverberating mallet strikes. The mood is both nocturnesque and otherworldly. As demonstrated on this track, Perelman utilizes silent pauses as a seventh member of the group which underscores the expansive nature of the music.

Seven Skies Orchestra is a new creative height in Perelman's uniformly superb career. It definitely rewards newcomers to Perelman's style as well as long term fans. In fact any music lover with open ears and inquisitive mind should find much to enjoy in this textured and dynamic work.