Ivo Perelman / Matthew Shipp - The Art of Perelman-Shipp Vol. 6 (Leo Records, 2017)

Of all of the music released in this impressive series, this duet may be the centerpiece for tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman and pianist Matthew Shipp, whose musical partnership goes back decades. This cumulative experience allows them to pare away anything extraneous to get to the core of the music which is presented shorn of ornamentation or sentimentality. The music is a ten part improvised suite, beginning with "Part 1" which has a melancholy and mournful theme, with raw emotional content. Drops of piano glisten against pinched peals of saxophone and "Part 2" which follows up with urgent and raw playing from both musicians with the pushing and pulling of their playing developing a kinetic energy and heat that powers their improvisation. "Part 4" develops some ripe piano and saxophone interplay building a dynamic loud to soft dynamic structure, while "Part 5" develops a spacious and thoughtful improvisation where hearty squalls of saxophone are met with globules of piano in near telepathic interplay. The openness of the terrain leads to nearly endless possibilities for the music and there is a sense of mystery inherent in the their playing that keeps the music continuously compelling, especially on "Part 7" where they employ great patience in creating sounds that are spare and deep building to "Part 9" where massive low end blocks of piano set the stage for flying sparks of saxophone. Ivo Perelman and Matthew Shipp share a deep musical connection the is on fine display with this album. Trust is the key, the understanding that however out and abstract the music may get, they support each other and persevere, continuing to make fine art completely in the moment and creating a celebration of musical freedom. Saturn - amazon.com

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