SQUID NOTE (RELEASED OCTOBER 2)
Duologue 7: Distillation confirms that saxophonist Ivo Perelman and pianist Matthew Shipp are the double helix of jazz. Like the strands of a DNA molecule, the two complementary voices of Perelman’s direct, often intense and expressive sound and Shipp’s genre-blending abstractions intertwine, creating an ongoing thread of musical development. There is a strong sense of independent dependency as the duo twist and turn through 19 spontaneous compositions. At times their individual musical strands come together, mimicking rhythmic or melodic sequences they chance upon. At other times, they take those motifs in a direction more in keeping with their individual voices. Shipp’s underlying abstractions undulate mysteriously, reflectively and joyously, providing a grounding for Perelman’s visceral sonic searches. Although Perelman and Shipp relish in the freedom from conventional harmonies, rhythms and structures, they are grounded on creating an ever-spiraling array of improvisations based on mutual intuition, inspiration and impulsivity. After almost 30 years of performing and recording as a duo, Perelman and Shipp have developed a musical telepathy that allows them to challenge, anticipate, contradict and support one another, making Duologue 7: Distillation an intimate and personal experience for them as well as for listeners. Seventy-three years after James Watson and Francis Crick proposed the model for the DNA molecule. Perelman and Shipp turn that famous double helix concept into music on Duologue 7: Distillation, building on their previous 17 previous sessions together yet always finding ways to grow.
BOTTOM LINE: Since their first duo session in 1997 (Bendito of Santa Cruz), saxophonist Ivo Perelman and pianist Matthew Shipp have developed an uncanny ability to twist and turn through spontaneous compositions. Perelman’s intensity and Shipp’s abstractions complement and contrast on Duologue 7: Distillation, the seventh recording in Perelman’s Duologue series and the 18th duo session for Perelman and Shipp.
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