Perelman / Ribot / Sharp / Morris: Trifecta

With a discography approaching 200 releases, it might be tempting to imagine saxophonist Ivo Perelman as a kind of jazz gunfighter, in the lineage of Charlie Parker or Coleman Hawkins, stepping into one cutting contest after another. But that image misses the mark. Perelman's recordings are rarely about competition. Instead, they are grounded in creation, collaboration and deep musical partnership. The closest he comes to that rough-and-tumble spirit is in his long-running exchanges with pianist Matthew Shipp, where the intensity of their rapport can resemble a friendly but fierce sparring match.

With Trifecta, Perelman presents three studio sessions, each pairing him with a different guitarist: Marc Ribot, Elliott Sharp and Joe Morris. Together, these recordings illuminate not only Perelman's improvisational language but also the roots of his musical temperament. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Perelman was a classical guitar prodigy before exploring multiple instruments. It was only after moving to the United States that he found his voice on the tenor saxophone. That voice, marked by a distinctive upper-register lyricism that can evoke birdsong or primal utterance, has since become one of the most recognizable in free improvisation.

Each disc in Trifecta highlights a different facet of Perelman's collaborative instincts, shaped by the contrasting approaches of three master guitarists.

The session with Ribot opens with restraint and sensitivity. The two musicians begin by probing the sonic space with quiet, deliberate gestures, allowing the music to unfold organically. By the midpoint, their lines intertwine with a delicate intricacy, like strands of fine thread. Tracks such as "Two" and "Three" explore oscillating textures and Ribot's signature off-kilter tonal palette, while "Four" drifts into a more lyrical, dreamlike territory. It is only on "Five" that the dynamic shifts decisively: the pair engage in a vigorous push-and-pull, their interaction rising and falling in waves of intensity.

The session with Elliott Sharp moves in a more unpredictable direction. Sharp's restless inventiveness demands constant adaptation, and Perelman meets the challenge with equal imagination. The opening track unfolds with a measured calm before giving way to the fractured, echoing textures of "Two." "Three" evokes something almost aquatic, as if both musicians are navigating an unfamiliar sonic environment. On "Four," Sharp's guitar takes on organ-like resonance while Perelman threads ghostly tones through the texture. The standout may be "Six," where Sharp's percussive drive fuels a surge of kinetic energy, propelling the duo into a compelling stretch of high-intensity interplay.

Perelman's collaboration with Joe Morris is the most longstanding, dating back more than three decades to his early years in Boston. Together, they have recorded extensively, beginning with a duo session in the mid-1990s where Perelman played cello. Among the guitarists featured here, Morris perhaps comes closest to mirroring Perelman's own musical conception. Their duets reveal an almost telepathic connection: phrases are completed, redirected or dissolved in real time. Tracks like "Two" and "Three" unfold with a sense of ease and mutual understanding, as if the two are shaping a single, shared line rather than exchanging separate ideas.

Taken as a whole, Trifecta is less a showcase of virtuosity than a study in relationship. Each pairing reveals a different mode of listening, responding and co-creating. Perelman adapts without losing his identity, shaping his voice to meet each guitarist halfway. In doing so, he affirms that his music is not about confrontation but connection, an ongoing dialogue in which individuality and unity coexist.