Power trio is associated first and foremost with guitars but Perelman makes a more than convincing case that reeds can rival strings for drama and intensity. The added attraction is the sensuality of a group sound in which the saxophone, in a manner not unlike that of Archie Shepp, slides through a wide dynamic range that has vaporous smeared notes and harsh, rugged overtones in abundance. As is quite emphatically shown on the title track, the leader can play in a staccato, highly agitated manner, stringing together one truncated phrase after another, but he still generates substantial propulsion to carry him along, all of which is reinforced by the swirling nature of Cleaver's patterns where the snare is treated with a fluid, hand drum sensibility. Any adepts of the New Music school of the 1960s will presumably find succour in the overall rhythmic and harmonic elasticity of this music, whereby the reed, bass and drums often scramble around a pulse or key rather than play it straight, but a major part of the appeal of this performance is the seamlessness with which that structural plasticine stiffens into a delicious old school rhythm and blues, as in ‘The Imitation Of A Rose’, which loosely recalls the stylistic continuum that Shepp was exploring on works such as Mama Too Tight or For Losers. While standing on solid historical ground, Perelman, Morris and Cleaver avoid pastiche by dint of the strength of their individual personalities, and amid the inevitable longueur caused by rubato passages that occasionally outstay their welcome, it is the range of sounds offered up that duly retains the attention. Perelman's precise execution in both the upper register, where sharp crescendos are theremin-esque, and in the lower, where he launches an assault of burly, baritone-like blasts, is impressive. It is a reminder that the most gripping kind of energy music is the one where there is no loss of control.