Philosopher's Stone

"Philosopher's Stone finds Perelman, Wooley and Matthew Shipp in fellowship. The pianist, for the most part, plays the role of field governor, supplying the fuel for these ten pieces." -Mark Corroto, All About Jazz — With this recording Ivo Perelman introduces a new member into his circle, the great trumpeter Nate Wooley. The original working title of this album was Alchemy. The revised title Philosopher's Stone refers to the mythic material sought by alchemists of the Middle Ages, who fervently believed that it could turn common metals into silver or gold — and, not incidentally, confer immortality. Here, the materials are anything but common. But the music — thanks to the science of recording, and the magic of these empathetic improvisers — will remain long after the moments in which it first took shape.