Saxophonist Ivo Perelman and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith are undoubtedly two of the most adventurous improvisers in jazz. When these two finally get together in the latest session of Perelman’s Duologues series, you’d expect major fireworks, right? But these guys scorch the earth on a regular basis – why would they do what’s expected of them? Instead, Duologues 5 is as much a mutual listening session as a collaborative performa nce. These avant vets understand how to take free improvisation and make it sound planned, interweaving their lines together as if it was mapped out ahead of time. Most of the tracks here feature whimsical melodies that overlap, heading toward the same end goal even as they’re made up in real time. “Six” provides some aggression, with Smith in particular breaking glass and knocking over furniture. But the other half-dozen tracks sound like two pals engaging in a spirited but friendly conversation – talking over one another from time to time, debating over the details, but always ending in thematic and spiritual agreement. If you think spontaneous composition has to be consistently abrasive, Duologues 5 proves otherwise.
