Rodrigo Amado / Chris Corsano: The Healing

Among recent partnerships in free improvisation, the saxophone/drum tandem of Rodrigo Amado and Chris Corsano has been one of the most dynamic and incendiary. They have joined forces in one form or another since the early 2010s; the recording which first put them on the map was their effort with Joe McPhee and Kent Kessler, the widely-celebrated This Is Our Language (Not Two Records). They continued this fruitful project with equally stirring results on A History of Nothing (Trost, 2018) and Let the Free Be Men (Trost, 2021). But the duo's distinctive compatibility was actually foreshadowed earlier when they made No Place to Fall, a studio recording from 2014 which Astral Spirits released in 2019. Just two years after that initial encounter, they played live together in Lisbon, and The Healing gives us another chance to appreciate the pairing in its formative stage, as the two were continuing to hone their shared vocabulary.

"The Healing Day" wastes little time in delivering the goods, as Amado's tempestuous assault spearheads the charge from the opening moments. Corsano's pugnacious temperament matches Amado's ferocity perfectly, building up a riotous energy. But Amado has never been just a fire-breather, and he brings the temperature down considerably with a patient, bluesy investigation that allows him to unfold his thoughts at a more relaxed pace. Soon becomes clear that Amado is in a soulful mood for this recording, teasing out a wide variety of well-tempered phrases with a lyrical undercurrent that does not require peeling the paint off the walls, even though there are striking moments of garrulous intensity that are part of the conversation as well. What is abundantly clear is how closely the two musicians follow and respond to each other over the track's sprawling 24 minutes, as Corsano has the sensitivity needed to support Amado's introspection, just as he has the kindling to fuel the saxophonist's fury.

Amado's upper register kicks off "The Cry," which has a plaintive, yearning dimension which Corsano sustains with a subdued presence, and here too we find Amado leaning into phrases that at times sound closer to bop than to free jazz firepower, with only occasional glimpses of a more torrid severity. "The Griot" highlights Corsano's mastery of his kit with a lengthy, winding solo statement that inspires Amado's own spirited rhythmic inflections. The closing track, "Release is in the Mind," sees Amado's lengthy expressions feeding off of Corsano's thunderous exclamations, for a potent five-minute burst to bring the performance to an end.

For fans of unbridled free jazz, The Healing may not have quite the appeal of No Place to Fall, which has more moments of no-holds-barred intensity. But Amado and Corsano are just as effective when their ideas are somewhat more muted, and it is the quality and complexity of the pair's interactions that carry this excellent release forward.