Dave Rempis: alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones; Joshua Abrams: bass, clarinet; Avreeayl Ra: drums, wooden flute; Jim Baker: keyboards, electronics.

Dave Rempis, a former member of the extravagant Vandermark 5, is an inventive saxophonist and relentless explorer who continues to deserve attention in the free jazz circuit. “Perihelion”, a two disc-set, is the sophomore album of his powerhouse trio, which comprises the bassist Joshua Abrams and the drummer Avreeayl Ra. Together, they passionately make these divagations spill a creative freedom that asks to be absorbed with no preconceptions. The disc one is composed of a 43-minute tune called “Enceladus” that blossoms with spiritual ambiances and relaxed paces, which contrast with some ominous surroundings and well-controlled chaos often articulated with polyrhythms and saxophone outbursts. Somewhere in the middle, the tune gains the form of a tribal dance, bringing warm breezes of the Sahara desert into the mind. The disc two has a special guest -keyboardist Jim Baker joins the trio, adding extra color and sounding incredibly well in the 32-minute “Cassini Division”, a quasi-hallucinogenic experience that vibrates with Rempis’ baritone timbre. “Pan and Daphnis” runs for slightly more than eight minutes and insists on more enigmatic tones while displaying electronics and a static electricity. Fluent in ideas, and rich in climaxes and temperaments, “Perihelion” is an unmissable experience.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Enceladus ► 02 – Cassini Division