Matthew Shipp Opens Firehouse 12's Fall 2006 Season on September 22nd

New Haven's Firehouse 12 will launch its 12-event Fall 2006 concert season on Friday, September 22nd with a two-set solo performance by pianist Matthew Shipp. Known as “one of the most creative and intelligent musicians on the planet" (Nils Jacobson, AllAboutJazz.com), Shipp has performed in a wide variety of ensembles over the past two decades, but prefers expressing his poetic imagination as a solo pianist most of all. This concert will celebrate his latest solo piano CD, One (Thirsty Ear), released earlier this year.

In his March 2006 review, DownBeat's John McDonough described One as “full of balancing contrasts: density and space, percussion and gentility, urgency and reflection, pervaded with a sense of high seriousness." JazzTimes reviewer Thomas Conrad called the album's 12 pieces “all very fresh to the ear," and John Fordham of The Guardian wrote, “the music is strong, independent and very varied." “There is a kind of economy of scale that goes into these pieces that's refreshing for any solo piano outing," declared the All Music Guide's Thom Jurek. “One is a fully realized and poetic work by a mature pianist who should finally begin getting his due, not only as an improviser and a visionary but as a technician as well."

Hailed by critics as “one of the more adept barrier vaulters in modern jazz" (David Sprague, Variety), Matthew Shipp first gained fame as a member of the prolific David S. Ware Quartet in the early 1990's. Now an established leader in his own right, he has more than 25 recordings to his name, in addition to a diverse range of acoustic and electric collaborations with the likes of DJ Spooky, Mat Maneri, Roscoe Mitchell, Joe Morris, William Parker, and Spring Heel Jack among many others. Since 2000, he has also worked behind the scenes as a producer and curator for the renowned Blue Series for the Thirsty Ear label.

About Firehouse 12:

Firehouse 12 is an award-winning full-service bar, state-of-the-art recording studio and unusually intimate performance space located in New Haven's historic Ninth Square District. Painstakingly renovated over the course of four years by owner/producer/ engineer Nick Lloyd and Gray Organschi Architecture, this once-abandoned firehouse building has become a major part of New Haven's cultural renaissance since opening its doors in April 2005. It has also quickly gained a reputation as one of the premier recording studios and creative music venues on the East Coast.

A 2006 Best Studio Design Project nominee for the prestigious Technical Excellence and Creativity (TEC) Awards, the recording studio features world-class acoustic design by renowned acoustician John Storyk of Walters-Storyk Design Group. The striking 1200- square foot space features a Steinway concert grand piano, and doubles as an 80-seat public venue with unparalleled technical possibilities for some of the most respected names in creative music. Past performers include Han Bennink, Tim Berne, Dave Douglas, Susie Ibarra, Joe McPhee, Joe Morris, William Parker and Mario Pavone among many others.

In a June 2005 feature, New Haven Independent's Regina DeAngelo called Firehouse 12 “a north star in the jazz firmament that might well guide music lovers to New Haven from far away." She went on to write, “fabric-covered walls are angled to urge music to flow, not bounce, through a womb-like space. It's almost like sitting in the hull of an instrument. Luckily, the Firehouse attracts people who bring near-religious reverence to the music, producing an exchange of energy that often fires great performances." James Keepnews of the New Haven Advocate echoed DeAngelo's praise, calling the venue a “remarkable new cultural outpost" and “a resounding success." Yale University's Associate Vice President of New Haven and State Affairs Michael Morand recently called the space “a wonderful addition to New Haven's role as the cultural capital of Connecticut."