Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » David S. Ware & Matthew Shipp Duo: Live In Sant'Anna Arresi, 2004

4

David S. Ware & Matthew Shipp Duo: Live In Sant'Anna Arresi, 2004

By

Sign in to view read count
David S. Ware & Matthew Shipp Duo: Live In Sant'Anna Arresi, 2004
Saxophonist and composer, David S. Ware (1949-2012), was one of the most original voices in modern jazz and his uncompromising approach to his art was deeply connected with a spiritual understanding of life. To Ware, playing and listening to music were different aspects of the essence of life.

Ware left behind a rich discography and, fortunately, new musical treasures are still coming. One of them is a live recording from Sant'Anna Arresi with his long-term-collaborator, the pianist, Matthew Shipp. The album is the second volume in AUM Fidelity's ongoing series of archive recordings.

In the fine notes penned by Shipp, he points out how they were trying to find a new musical language while still being aware of their past together: "I hear both of us being conscious of the fact that there is no leader, and our ways of reacting to each other based on the language we had built up in the quartet are here made freer and thrust into a different context."

The result is intense and burning music. Two instant compositions, lasting about twenty minutes, and a brief encore. Shipp digging into the piano like a mountain, bringing out hard, sharp diamonds, and at times plucking the strings, making them sound like an ancient temple. All the time, Ware reaches higher and higher. His sound is thick, huge and raw, but also fragile and beautiful in all its burning intensity.

In the middle of the staggering achievement of what the Japanese saxophonist, Akira Sakata, has called a "marathon high," there is also room for more quiet moments, but listeners should be warned that this is a deep plunge and it is music that requires emotional surrender.

At around the 10.47 mark in "Tao Flow (Part 2)" listen closely and there is the sound of a dog barking in the background. It is a very rare thing in live jazz recordings to encounter something like this, but in Ware's case, it makes perfect sense and is a beautiful coincidence that confirms the connection between life and art that was so essential to him.

Track Listing

Tao Flow part 1; Tao Flow part 2; Encore.

Personnel

David S. Ware
saxophone, tenor

David S. Ware: sax (tenore); Matthew Shipp: pianoforte.

Album information

Title: Live in Sant'Anna Arresi, 2004 | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: AUM Fidelity

Comments

Tags


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

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

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.