Ivo Perelman, Tim Berne, James Carter & Tony Malaby / (D)IVO Saxophone Quartet - (D)IVO

2022 CD release.

Innovative saxophonist Ivo Perelman is one of those rare musicians whose remarkably large discography is also uniformly superb. Despite having over 100 releases to his credit, not a single one even approaches mediocrity. Perelman’s style, unique from the onset, has evolved with breathtaking alacrity making each addition to his oeuvre distinct from the others yet equally superlative. On this album Perelman, democratically, leads the saxophone quartet D(IVO) consisting of himself on tenor, Tony Malaby on soprano, Tim Berne on alto, and James Carter on baritone saxophone. Berne and Carter also appear on this project’s precursor, an engrossing and impressive 12 disc box set of duets with various reed players.

Each such ensemble has its own character so it may not be fair to compare them, however, for context’s sake, it should be pointed out that musically D(IVO) is to the left of both World Saxophone Quartet and Rova. The seven pieces included here are all pure extemporizations and the four saxophonists react to each other with seamless camaraderie and uncanny ability to anticipate one another’s ideas. At the core of all of the intricate interplay, of course, is Perelman’s tenor anchoring the others deftly and with elegance. Even when all the musicians simultaneously embrace raw emotion with delightful dissonance the group sound manages to remain well organized.

None of this should be surprising to those who know these brilliant improvisers and their idiosyncratic creative approaches. Malaby, born in Tucson and based in Boston where he is on faculty at Berklee, is a dynamic musician with incisive ideas and confident expression. He only occasionally switches from tenor to soprano, however, he has mastered both so his virtuosity on the smaller saxophone here matches that of his bandmates. Berne, originally from Syracuse New York, now lives in Brooklyn, has a distinctive style blurring the boundaries between the notated and the spontaneous. He also incorporates elements of popular genres into his performances. The ebullient Carter, a Detroit native, who calls New York home, is known for his versatility. Not only he excels at multiple saxophones he also is comfortable in a variety of formations that includes soulful organ trios, gypsy jazz tribute bands, and western classical orchestras.

Needless to say, this shared vision owes a lot to Perelman and his restlessly inquisitive mind. When all four overlap their poignant, punch-like, phrases and lace the resulting repartee with hints of melancholy they build a dramatic ambience. Within this tense atmosphere the free flowing yet carefully crafted individual musings range from the fiery and exuberant to forlorn and wistful. Each artist simultaneously maintains his individual train of thought and remains responsive to his three bandmates. The result is thrilling and conceptually quite original and it has Perelman’s signature all over it.

As with every new release, here too, Perelman demonstrates a stylistic evolution .He has honed his singular artistry over decades and with each recording he continues to progress and advance. He states that the music on this date is the direct result of the influence the duet sessions had on him. It is also clear that he himself has strongly influenced his bandmates. To date this is Perelman’s masterpiece. It is an expressive, moving and provocative work that enlightens both performer and listener.