Perceptions Trio: The Wicked Crew

It is a dark and spooky experience indeed to hear Perception's The Wicked Crew for the first time. But the ethereal sensations grow rather than dissipate with repeated listenings, making for an all-encompassing, lasting impression.

What may be most miraculous about the passage of this fifty-three minutes is the light touch each of these players display throughout. And it is not just the gentility with which each man approaches his respective instrument, but the delicacy with which the interactions proceed between saxophonist Charley Rose, guitarist Sylvan Joray and drummer Paulo Almeida

The deep and clean sound quality of tracks such as "Radio Goose Bumps" is a significant asset to the threesome's success in conjuring up constantly shifting moods. Kudos to Patrick Zosso for his recording skill, but also his aptitude in mixing and mastering. The band as co- producers were wise to enlist him in those multiple roles. e

In addition, the threesome's shared preference for the prevalence of five to six minute cuts increases the potency of the individual selections and the album as a whole. The title song, for instance, comes to an end almost as soon as it begins or so it seems: the comparative brevity of the number whets the appetite for more. Fortunately, additional equally hypnotic content arises immediately in the form of "Andromeda" and continues through Almeida's fluid percussion work in "Lit Candles."

The effects utilized by Rose and Joray on their respective instruments certainly add to the spacious atmosphere on "Ubarto." And it is to both men's credit that they do not overdo such exercises at the expense of their fundamental technique. All the better, they imbue their varied approaches to playing with a palpable warmth. For instance, "Peaceful Departure" is not the icy sound of pure mechanical devices.

Admirable too is how the eight original structured compositions such as "FlashLights and Sewers" are of a piece with the improvised likes of the aforementioned "Andromeda" and "Nebulosa;" by the time that latter closing cut appears, the continuity has become readily apparent. The sensuality is sustained, not merely fleeting, on The Wicked Crew.

Whether that title phrase of the Perceptions Trio's album is an intentionally self-reference or not, the phrase certainly applies. Meditative as is so much of this music, it is also highly provocative (like the imagistic cover art), all the more so for the insinuating means by which this threesome goes about the seemingly effortless creation of its art.