Jazz Articles about Matthew Shipp

Matthew Shipp

by Jeff Stockton
November 11, 2003

Producer, composer, sideman, and soloist Matthew Shipp arrived in New York City 20 years ago, and in the interim has become arguably the most important player on the downtown avant-garde scene. Throughout the ‘90s, initially with the David S. Ware quartet, then as a leader most often with bassist William Parker at his side, Shipp recorded with Roscoe Mitchell, Rob Brown, Roy Campbell, Wadada Leo Smith, Other Dimensions in Music and with violinist Mat Maneri and Parker in the Matthew ...

Matthew Shipp: Equilibrium

by James Taylor
April 2, 2003

The buzz on Matthew Shipp's new recording was that it would be his greatest, most accessible, album to date. Accessible Equilibrium most certainly is, but greatness and accessibility for a free jazz artist should rarely be uttered in the same breath. The latest addition to Thirsty Ear Records' Blue Series, of which Shipp also serves as artistic director, Equilibrium is both funky and free - a genre-bending blend of electronic beats, ambient rhythms and ...

Antipop Consortium: Antipop Vs. Matthew Shipp

by James Taylor
April 2, 2003

Is it hip-hop or is it jazz? A revolutionary new ideal or a sound versed in tradition? Antipop vs. Matthew Shipp is a radical union between New York City's finest avant-garde hip-hop trio and free jazz's most important young pianist--and it's better than anything those phonies from Philly have put out in a decade.Antipop , Shipp's second collaborative release in as many months, sees the pianist joined by what is becoming his regular rhythm section: William Parker, Guillermo ...

Antipop Consortium: Antipop Vs. Matthew Shipp

by AAJ Staff
February 21, 2003

Vs. has a most interesting aim: a direct collision between hip-hoppers Antipop Consortium and free jazzer Matthew Shipp. We've seen beats applied to jazz records, various forms of studio manipulation, and the application of rhythmic vocals alongside improvisation. So what is new here? The straightforward collision, essentially. Sometimes it works, most of the time it doesn't. Its greatest strength is also its greatest weakness: raw accessibility.

A bit of background. Jazz listeners, who are more likely to appreciate ...

Matthew Shipp: Equilibrium

by Kurt Gottschalk
February 4, 2003

Matthew Shipp has done a praiseworthy thing with an odd outcome in his Blue Series for the Thirsty Ear record label. Shipp has overseen the creation of an important and identifiable sound, a label in the classic sense of old Blue Note and Impulse! records which appealed to the listener by offering a dependable product with a recognizable sound and style. Here, the style (on some of the best releases) is a hybridization of improv and electronica that remains purely ...

Matthew Shipp: Equilibrium

by Richton Guy Thomas
February 1, 2003

Equilibrium represents the second collaboration between pianist Matthew Shipp and electronic expert FLAM, after last year's successful Nu Bop. The lineup is the same, except reed man Daniel Carter is replaced by vibraphonist Khan Jamal, who adds a sense of heightened continuity to the quartet's sound. The opening number, “Equilibrium,” is a splendid example of the harmony achieved by the group. Shipp’s classical approach stirs up some unique dialog with Khan Jamal's vibes, while William Parker’s bass line ...

Matthew Shipp: Equilibrium

by AAJ Staff
January 12, 2003

If the winds of change are any signal, there's a storm ahead. Pianist Matthew Shipp, brought out of retirement by Thirsty Ear's offer to become artistic director of its Blue Series imprint, has been waving flags right and left. Last year's Nu Bop signaled his vision of out jazz combined with studio production; its infectious accessibility brought it wide acclaim. Equilibrium continues in the same vein.

What's particularly remarkable about these records, aside from their actual content, is ...