Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Matthew Shipp: Leonine Aspects

2

Matthew Shipp: Leonine Aspects

By

Sign in to view read count
Matthew Shipp: Leonine Aspects
Without exception, every time you encounter Leonine Aspects, you come away with a different experience. 'Encounter' not 'listen.' The word 'encounter' signifies both an engagement and a chance happening. Let's back up a bit. This duo between saxophonist Evan Parker and pianist Matthew Shipp was captured from a live performance on August 22, 2017 at Théatre de la Sinne in Mulhouse, France at the Festival Méréo. While the pair have performed together in differing settings, this is only their third duo recording. It follows the double studio/live release Rex, Wrecks & XXX (RogueArt, 2013) and Abbey Road Duos (Treader, 2007). Maybe the paucity of recordings is due to the fact Parker lives in the UK and Shipp in New York. Additionally, both artists keep a very active schedule, at least they did before pandemic.

These duos contain a superabundance of information and to absorb it is an act of immersion, one that changes with each listen. The CD consists of two tracks, one at 51+ minutes and a second just shy of four minutes. The concert has all the Parker/Shipp elements aficionados are familiar with. Parker runs through his celebrated circular breathing patterns and famed chirping bird songs, while Shipp balances his patented thunder attack with his razor—sharpened signature fineness. The music is a balance between each musician adding elements to the performance and interacting and responding to the other. The inexplicable factor here is each encounter with this recording yields a different experience. Another way to consider this recording is to imagine it as an LP where you might drop the needle onto different grooves to change the entryway. It is as if you the listener acknowledges the impossibility of stepping into the same river twice, the Parker/Shipp conversation would change, but fundamentally stay the same.

Track Listing

Leonine Aspects #1; Leonine Aspects #2.

Personnel

Evan Parker
saxophone, soprano

Album information

Title: Leonine Aspects | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Rogue Art

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

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

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