Ivo Perelman/Borah Bergman: Geometry

Over the years, Brazil has given us samba, bossa nova as well as many outstanding composers, guitarists, percussionists and singers. Unfortunately, the world-class saxophonists that have emanated from there can be ticked off on one hand. Tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman is of that rare breed. A fixture on the New York underground circuit since 1990, Perelman eschews the familiar rainforest vibe for the unruly terrain of the avant garde. An intense mercurial player unbound by song structure and rigid changes, he always lives in the moment, a willing supplicant to the sounds, spaces and spirit of the music from within and without-flying the trapeze with no net below. Perelman’s best (and worse) work has been in the heady milieu of the duet. On Geometry, Perelman and pianist Borah Bergman go buck-wild with a buncha tunes that are filled with the joy of spontaneous improvisation. The spiritual heirs of Jimmy Lyons and Dave Burrell, Ivo and Bergman recall the “out” sessions of ’70s era BYG. As for Strings, well, two thumbs down. A chaotic din of Perelman’s anarchic cello, vocal grunts/animal noises and Morris’ abstract guitar extrapolations, Strings is really annoying.

Originally Published May 1, 1998