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Saxophonist Ivo Perelman and pianist Matthew Shipp have been making records together for a good quarter of a century. So when it comes time to add to their catalog of duo albums, they fall into it like a long-married couple into their warm, soft bed. As with their prior work, Magical Incantation is improvised in the moment, and while both players are capable of some window-rattling cacophony, that’s not the direction they follow here. Instead the pair goes for beauty, even romanticism, and since they’ve inhabited each other’s musical minds for decades, each can follow the other’s lead into a melodic place without overt communication. That’s not to say dust isn’t kicked up – “Incarnation” and the title track, with Shipp pounding the bass notes and Perelman pushing his ax into distressed squeals, certainly disturbs the ether. But quieter, almost winsome pieces like “Prayer,” “Sacred Values,” and “Enlightenment” (gently) dominate, their melodic construction and shared emotion so acute you’d swear they were composed beforehand. Magical Incantation is just gorgeous.
For Duologues 1: Turning Point, Perelman invites a partner of similar mindset but a different instrument. Drummer Tom Rainey. As a player equally conversant with Paul Motian-esque beat avoidance and the groove school of masters like Louis Hayes and Billy Hart, he’s a perfect match for Perelman, who likewise reveres both adherence to and freedom from tradition. As might be expected, the seven improvised tracks lean more heavily on rhythm, with Rainey creating shifting tempos and time signatures that Perelman then chases like a cat after a bug. Not that there’s any antagonism here – there’s a playful quality to the pair’s interaction, even when it starts to sound aggressive. Perelman isn’t trying to squash Rainey’s kit work, but ride it, swim with it, even dance with it – just after a large pot of coffee. Never fear, though – Rainey gives as good as he gets, underscoring the idea of two pals ribbing each other and reaching artistic heights as they do so. Turning Point doesn’t resonate with the heart as deeply as Magical Incantations, but it does succeed as pure fun, the sound of two accomplished musicians having a great time playing around.
