By Don Phipps

The album Dialog begins with an attention-grabbing speculation. Can musicians who aren’t bodily collectively stick with it a musical dialog? In line with the liner notes, it seems soprano saxophonist Evan Parker was unable to depart the UK and be a part of vibraphonist Sergio Armaroli in Milan for a recording session. Armaroli then introduced the choice of overdubbing to Parker. Parker rejected this format, and as a substitute the duo determined to generate an extended distance “name and response,” the place Armaroli would report his solo contributions and Parker would reply with solos of his personal.

So, can musicians who aren’t bodily collectively conduct a musical dialog? To this, the reply is a professional sure. Whereas one can marvel what it might’ve been like to listen to the 2 musicians collectively, the format permits every musician to exhibit their chops and thematically have interaction one another. There are six solo vibraphone improvs and 5 solo soprano sax improvs (the sax improvs comprise solely 12 of the roughly 68 minutes of recorded music – making Dialog primarily a solo vibraphone album interspersed with Parker-provided accents and highlights). Every solo covers summary and various themes, however every contributes to a coherent complete.

Armaroli’s adventurous and various improvisations are substantial – with every improv including a brand new twist to the album’s lexicon. No the place is that this extra obvious than in “Two Rooms One Vibraphone #6,” a 27-minute masterpiece of artwork type building and deconstruction, playfulness, and abstraction, working notes and silent pauses. There may be inside this one piece a universe of concepts, an exploration supported by way of Armaroli’s masterful approach. It’s nearly the sonic equal of a burning bonfire, its random warmth fading and rising till one heart log falls inward making a rush of embers and a roaring sound – as if the fireplace itself is comfortable that now it has contemporary wooden to eat. Likewise, Armaroli rolls and drolls and at instances explodes. Distinction this effort with the decidedly minimalist strategy Armaroli makes use of in “Two Rooms One Vibraphone #5” – with its mushy underwater phrases and ballet-like pirouettes and rotations.

Parker chooses to reply to Armaroli’s creative sound investigations with temporary tone poems that spotlight his glissando round breathing- delivering a lightweight contact of sonic results that at instances sound like two saxophones enjoying directly! The notes cascade like a waterfall, splashing joyfully onto a rock and hitting the floor with a lightweight however pronounced splatter. There are additionally phrases that appear to speed up like a rocket into the stratosphere.

This free collaboration of creative musical concepts provides Dialog a singular character – like name and response – however much more than that. Suppose Picasso and Matisse, delivering and sharing their artistic endeavors to problem and stimulate one another. That is the present of Armaroli and Parker in “Dialog” – a masterful trade of two virtuosos.

Hearken to ‘Interlude 1’ from Dialog right here: