Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Matthew Shipp Quartet: Pastoral Composure

201

Matthew Shipp Quartet: Pastoral Composure

By

Sign in to view read count
Matthew Shipp Quartet: Pastoral Composure
Matthew Shipp went into retirement earlier this year at age 38, after seven years of recording some of the most adventurous free jazz piano in history. Recently Thirsty Ear convinced him to come out of his self-imposed retirement and record a quartet album entitled Pastoral Composure. His new quartet features trumpeter Roy Campbell, bassist William Parker, and drummer Gerald Cleaver.

A more sympathetic group has rarely existed in free jazz. Campbell's trumpet lines range from outright clear melodicism to wild pithy freedom; he's deftly supported by Parker's bass anchor and Cleaver's wide-ranging exploration of time. Meanwhile Shipp builds complex structures that evolve from simply stated solo melodies to thick and cerebral harmonic development. It's hard to praise this recording adequately: Pastoral Composure ranks as one of the most significant works in the history of free jazz. It's guaranteed to intrigue and satisfy fans approaching the work from the standpoint of swinging melodicism just as well as fans with a keener interest in creative exploration.

While the other members of Shipp's quartet have previously appeared on record, newcomer Gerald Cleaver has not. His work offers an inspiring glimpse of an emerging talent deserving of further documentation.

Track Listing

Gesture; Visions; Prelude to a Kiss; Pastoral Composure; Progression; Frere Jacques; Merge; Inner Order; XTU.

Personnel

Matthew Shipp: piano; Roy Campbell: trumpet, pocket trumpet, flugelhorn; William Parker: bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Album information

Title: Pastoral Composure | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Thirsty Ear Recordings

Comments

Tags

Concerts

Apr 26 Fri

For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Fiesta at Caroga
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Fellowship
David Gibson
Immense Blue
Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.