Articles

Matthew Shipp: Invisible Light - Live São Paulo

By Karl Ackermann

Matthew Shipp's playing has become so distinct over the years that it is difficult to view him from the perspective of influences. There are numerous examples of the virtuoso pianist-composer channeling Cecil Taylor, Andrew Hill, Thelonious Monk or even Morton Feldman, but not through imitation. Nor is his own identifiable style so tangible that his music loses any spontaneity. Invisible Light -Live São Paulo is among the finest of Shipp's solo projects, reflecting the best of what he has cultivated ...

Matthew Shipp - Mark Helias - Gordon Grdina: Skin And Bones

By Karl Ackermann

The Skin and Bones Music Series is an ongoing succession of creative music events in various venues in and around the city of Kelowna in British Columbia. The concerts have hosted a diverse group of jazz artists from veterans such as Peter Brötzmann to rising stars The Bjorn Kriel Trio. Among the series' featured acts was the power trio MGB, with guitarist, oud player, and oboist Gordon Grdina, Matt Mitchell and Jim Black. In 2018, Grdina returned with virtuoso pianist, ...

Matthew Shipp trio at Ai Confini tra Sardegna Jazz 2019

By Danilo Codazzi

A Focus on Matthew Shipp

By Bob Osborne

This time around a focus on master pianist and composer Matthew Shipp with a selection of material from across his career. In between new music from post-EST super-group Rymden and more selections from the highly talented William Tatge. Playlist Matthew Shipp Trio “Signature" from Signature (ESP Disc) 00:00 William Tatge Trio “Hidden Agenda" from General Cargo (Brooklyn Jazz Underground) 07:32 Rymden “Reflections" from Reflections and Odysseys (Jazzland) 15:27 Matthew Shipp “Gamma Ray" from Invisible Touch at Taktlos Zurich ...

Matthew Shipp Announces Presidential Campaign

By Mark Corroto

I like to think about Matthew Shipp's music in the same light as that of Eric Dolphy and Charlie Parker. If both artists, Bird and Dolphy, had the level of support from critics and listeners that they currently command while they were still alive, the pair would have been wealthy. Okay, that plus honest record companies executives that didn't rip them off and steal their publishing rights. What I'm getting at here is there are giants that live amongst us. ...

Kris Davis/Matt Mitchell/Aruán Ortiz/Matthew Shipp: New American Songbooks, Volume 2

By Karl Ackermann

Nate Wooley--as a Producer--equals his composer, improviser, and trumpeter alter ego. The editor-in-chief of the journal Sound American and distributor of music through the label of the same name, has issued a second edition of his forward thinking New American Songbook series. New American Songbooks, Volume 1, (Pleasure of the Text, 2017) was a cooperative trio of drummer Greg Saunier, guitarist Mary Halvorson and Ron Miles on cornet. Unlike any number of familiar “Great American Songbook" collections, this one featured ...

Matthew Shipp Trio: Signature

By Karl Ackermann

In the period of 2017-2018, the leading avant-garde and free jazz pianist Matthew Shipp performed and recorded in a variety of small group settings. Often, he was paired with reed players such as Allen Lowe, Mat Walerian, Daniel Carter, Roscoe Mitchell and on an astounding dozen albums with Ivo Perelman. But it is in solo piano and trio settings that Shipp's matchless piano talents shine. In the mix of those two years were the excellent Piano Song (Thirsty Ear, 2017) ...