Jazz Articles about Matthew Shipp

About Matthew Shipp

Album Review

Matthew Shipp Trio: Elastic Aspects

Read "Elastic Aspects" reviewed by Troy Collins

by Troy Collins
February 24, 2012

From the sublime introspection of Bill Evans' legendary trio to the unfettered expressionism of Cecil Taylor's various units, the acoustic piano trio has proven to be one of the jazz tradition's most versatile and enduring configurations. Underscored by percussion, the pairing of two chord-based instruments facilitates a wide range of melodic, harmonic and rhythmic freedom, enabling performers to shift between roles, alternating support and lead positions. Having established his reputation as one of today's leading pianists, Matthew Shipp's numerous efforts ...

Album Review

Matthew Shipp Trio: Elastic Aspects

Read "Elastic Aspects" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
February 23, 2012

When speaking of the development of the piano trio, talk inevitably turns to its different lineups, such a the evolution of Bill Evans' trio before and after the Scott LaFaro, or the differing approaches of drummers Paul Motian and Joe La Barbera. For Matthew Shipp, his latest company signals a sort of turning point--perhaps even a milestone.Shipp's trio, first heard on The Art Of The Improviser (Thirsty Ear, 2011) might be the most sympathetic subscribers to the Matthew ...

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Album Review

Matthew Shipp: Elastic Aspects

Read "Elastic Aspects" reviewed by Chris Rich

by Chris Rich
February 21, 2012

Elasticity is expressed throughout this Matthew Shipp trio release in the deftness of transitions, the focused investigations of central elements in music and a selection structure that has its own striking cohesion. The piano gets its elaborate discovery expedition with corresponding investigations from bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Whit Dickey. Recorded in July 2011, Elastic Aspects might be heard as a suite, beginning with a stretch toward free improvisation ("Alternative Aspects"), featuring Bisio's emphatic and overt bow ...

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Live Review

Matthew Shipp Quartet with Paul Dunmall: London, September 8, 2011

by John Sharpe
September 29, 2011

Matthew Shipp Quartet with Paul DunmallThe VortexLondonSeptember 8, 2011 For a growing number of American improvisers, London is becoming a home away from home. Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith is on record as saying how much he enjoys communing with the capital's finest, and reedmen Ken Vandermark and Joe McPhee have both become regular visitors over the last three years. But at the forefront of the trend is pianist Matthew Shipp, thanks to his connection ...

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Album Review

Matthew Shipp: Duos With Mat Maneri & Joe Morris

Read "Duos With Mat Maneri & Joe Morris" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose

by Raul d'Gama Rose
September 22, 2011

To Matthew Shipp, the piano is a vast kaleidoscopic landscape that will always remain tonally uncharted. Sometimes it is daunting to traverse; at other times it is familiar. When faced with the prospect of the former, Shipp's dynamic and pianistic attack is quite different. He is aroused by the challenge of a pursuit flushed with mysterious tones and colors the sequence of which he seems never to be sure. Then he will attack the notes, repeating motifs with subtly varied ...

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Album Review

Darius Jones / Matthew Shipp: Cosmic Lieder

Read "Cosmic Lieder" reviewed by Troy Collins

by Troy Collins
April 8, 2011

Cosmic Lieder documents the first recorded collaboration between rising alto saxophone star Darius Jones and venerable pianist Matthew Shipp. Veering between dark lyricism and roiling catharsis, the date offers an illuminating window into the creative discourse between two different generations of the avant-garde. Released concurrently with the expansive live double album, The Art of the Improviser (Thirsty Ear), which showcases Shipp's artistry in both solo and trio settings, this intimate studio date presents yet another facet of the ...

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Album Review

Darius Jones / Matthew Shipp: Cosmic Lieder

Read "Cosmic Lieder" reviewed by Nic Jones

by Nic Jones
April 5, 2011

Cosmic Lieder contains the sound of a duo engaged in an exercise in totality, which takes in no small amount of the music's past even while there's never any doubt that both players are concerned with music of the future--though, happily, not over-earnestly so. But to call this program a “coming-of-age" would be misleading. Of the two, pianist Matthew Shipp has staked the greater claim on the future by having been on the scene longer, but in saxophonist Darius Jones' ...