Since the late 80's, Brazilian free-jazz saxophonist Ivo Perelman has raised all kinds of hell with a stellar cast of players. In this sparse setting, it's clear why his fractious sax abstractions command both envy and respect. Joined by drummer Balazs Pandi (reviewed in Prog most recently as a member of Slobber Pup) and Joe Morns, here on bass rather than his usual electric guitar, the trio's intensity is a jaw-dropping encounter. With the mood boisterous and exuberant, a series of constantly evolving negotiations are conducted at breakneck pace.
Rapid flurries of adrenalised points fire off, and an often frantic momentum escalates into an increasingly querulous exchange of claim and counter-claim. Perelman’s skittish sax squeezes melodic shards into unexpected shapes in similar style to the Softs’ Elton Dean, All three turn in great performances, so it’s unfair to favour a single player. They walk a tightrope without the aid of a safety net - that’s long been a preferred mode of transport for jazz musicians, and in the course of getting from Ala B there’s always the danger that you might fall. With One that’s kind of the whole Point.
