“We tend to do the free jazz sessions right at the end of long tours,” Baldi says, “or after making other records, so it's a nice break from the more regimented song forms that the other bands have, or from playing the same songs every night on tour.” For Baldi & Gerycz, free jazz is a release - something to break apart stretches of familiar songwriting - and because of that, there’s a lot of joy in these recordings - see the raucous album closer “The Holy Retrievers (In Transit).” Admittedly After Commodore Perry Service Plaza is a bittersweet collection, though - compiled from the final session Baldi & Gerycz recorded in person. As such, it’s a cherished memory - it’s also kindling for creation - those original feelings inspire the duo to find novel ways to collaborate, even perform.
