Matthew Shipp

Matthew Shipp

Performer

b. 1960. American pianist in the Free Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz tradition.

Matthew Shipp is a respected avant-garde jazz pianist known for his free improvisational style and cerebral approach. Active since the 1990s, associated with the downtown NYC jazz scene. Has an extensive independent discography.

  • ZO
    Pre-order

    ZO

    ESP DISK LTD. Nov 2026
    1 disc
    Vinyl
    $36.49
  • CODEBREAKER
    TAO FORMS

    CODEBREAKER

    CD · 1 disc

    $14.49
    Artist
    SHIPP, MATTHEW
    Released
    Nov 05, 2021
    Matthew Shipp takes an introspective turn on his latest solo piano album, continuing to discover new territory for his singular cosmic pianism. Codebreaker encrypts rich harmonies, cloud-like clusters, and the unlikely confluence of Bill Evans and Bud Powell
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  • CODEBREAKER

    CODEBREAKER

    TAO FORMS Nov 2021
    1 disc
    CD
    $14.49
  • CONDUCT OF JAZZ
    THIRSTY EAR

    CONDUCT OF JAZZ

    CD · 1 disc

    $15.49
    Artist
    SHIPP, MATTHEW
    Released
    Oct 23, 2015
    Matthew Shipp is the American Piano Jazz Mature Secret as printed in Norway's biggest newspaper, Aftenposten. Continuing..."In the shadow of Cecil Taylor and Keith Jarrett, he has played out his individuality through three decades. He can be described as a cross between the two giants, but he exceeds both, with it's ownership of the blues and the free expression's inherent possibilities." Powerful thoughts from afar but strikingly rich in their poignant affirmation of Shipp's talent. Mr. Shipp is no stranger to recording and no stranger to receiving accolades from the press. But with the release of "The Conduct of Jazz", one will hear with remarkable clarity that these words are not just prophetic but are exceedingly apt for a player whose time has come.
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  • CONDUCT OF JAZZ

    CONDUCT OF JAZZ

    THIRSTY EAR Oct 2015
    1 disc
    CD
    $15.49
  • ONE

    ONE

    THIRSTY EAR Jan 2006
    1 disc
    CD
    $16.49
  • PASTORAL COMPOSURE

    PASTORAL COMPOSURE

    THIRSTY EAR Apr 2000
    1 disc
    CD
    $15.49
  • NU BOP
    THIRSTY EAR

    NU BOP

    CD · 1 disc

    $16.49
    Artist
    SHIPP, MATTHEW
    Released
    Jan 22, 2002
    Follow-up to the critically acclaimed CMJ jazz record, New Orbit. Shipp continues to challenge the limits and preconceptions of jazz with this explosive, beats-driven modern jazz recording. Acoustic and electronic rhythm figures serves as a backdrop for a canvas of organic compositions based on improv impluses.
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  • NU BOP

    NU BOP

    THIRSTY EAR Jan 2002
    1 disc
    CD
    $16.49
  • CODEBREAKER
    TAO FORMS

    CODEBREAKER

    CD · 1 disc

    $14.49
    Artist
    SHIPP, MATTHEW
    Released
    Nov 05, 2021
    Matthew Shipp takes an introspective turn on his latest solo piano album, continuing to discover new territory for his singular cosmic pianism. Codebreaker encrypts rich harmonies, cloud-like clusters, and the unlikely confluence of Bill Evans and Bud Powell
    View full page
  • CODEBREAKER

    CODEBREAKER

    TAO FORMS Nov 2021
    1 disc
    CD
    $14.49
  • DNA

    DNA

    THIRSTY EAR May 1999
    1 disc
    CD
    $15.49
  • EQUILIBRIUM
    THIRSTY EAR

    EQUILIBRIUM

    CD · 1 disc

    $16.49
    Artist
    SHIPP, MATTHEW
    Released
    Jan 21, 2003
    A seamless mix of beats, hip hop, free jazz and electronic music. Includes William Parker's stylistic bass, Gerald Cleaver's delicious beats, Chriss Flam's liquid synth programming, Khan Jamal's rich, resonating vibes and Shipp's unique piano styling.
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  • EQUILIBRIUM

    EQUILIBRIUM

    THIRSTY EAR Jan 2003
    1 disc
    CD
    $16.49
  • HARMONY & ABYSS
    THIRSTY EAR

    HARMONY & ABYSS

    CD · 1 disc

    $16.49
    Artist
    SHIPP, MATTHEW
    Released
    Sep 28, 2004
    Shipp has perfected his own style, drawing effortlessly from free Jazz, Hip-Hop, Electronica, and modern Classical. From pastoral electronics to blazing and tight free improvisation, Shipp composes with the touch of a master. HARMONY AND ABYSS is the next phase in a creative rebirth from an epic career that has already spanned more than two decades. Even those who thought his last release EQUILIBRIUM was as far as he could go will be more than pleasantly surprised.
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  • HARMONY & ABYSS

    HARMONY & ABYSS

    THIRSTY EAR Sep 2004
    1 disc
    CD
    $16.49
  • HARMONIC DISORDER
    THIRSTY EAR

    HARMONIC DISORDER

    CD · 1 disc

    $16.49
    Artist
    SHIPP, MATTHEW
    Released
    Jan 27, 2009
    Matthew Shipp possesses a unique style on his instrument that is his and his alone. Using his vastly talented rhythm section, (Joe Morris on Bass, Whit Dickey on Drums), Mr. Shipp comes through with another instant jazz classic, packed with tension and dynamism. On HARMONIC DISORDER, Shipp re-invents the trio with the explosive impact of a true innovator and future icon.
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  • HARMONIC DISORDER

    HARMONIC DISORDER

    THIRSTY EAR Jan 2009
    1 disc
    CD
    $16.49
  • ELASTIC ASPECTS
    THIRSTY EAR

    ELASTIC ASPECTS

    CD · 1 disc

    $15.49
    Artist
    SHIPP, MATTHEW
    Released
    Feb 28, 2012
    Elastic Aspects was developed as a suite for trio, highlighting the telepathic interplay of bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Whit Dickey. It is given to vast complexities, spiked with moments of shear beauty against lightening transitions to polyphonic figures wrapped in a sonic voice that is both metaphysical and arresting. Whether it is a swing motif played inside the piano or his trademark cluster chords or a light as a feather touch barely kissing the keys, Shipp's range is effortlessly encyclopedic; probing the many energies of life.
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  • ELASTIC ASPECTS

    ELASTIC ASPECTS

    THIRSTY EAR Feb 2012
    1 disc
    CD
    $15.49
  • ART OF THE IMPROVISER
    THIRSTY EAR

    ART OF THE IMPROVISER

    CD · 2 discs

    $17.99
    Artist
    SHIPP, MATTHEW
    Released
    Feb 22, 2011
    THE ART OF THE IMPROVISER, a 2XCD, is Shipp's most audacious attempt yet to answer the enigmatic question of what it means to be a modern jazz musician. Already having explored the possibilities of electronically infused jazz on critically acclaimed projects with the likes of DJ Spooky, Scanner, and Anti-Pop Consortium, Shipp revisits an acoustic sound for this fearless voyage into the psyche of the improviser.
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  • ART OF THE IMPROVISER

    ART OF THE IMPROVISER

    THIRSTY EAR Feb 2011
    2 discs
    CD
    $17.99
  • NU BOP LIVE
    RAI TRADE

    NU BOP LIVE

    CD · 1 disc

    $26.49
    Artist
    SHIPP, MATTHEW
    Released
    Nov 10, 2009
    Nu Bop is Matthew Shipp's second release which follows his 2002 first studio album produced by "Thirsty Ear". One of the leading figures on the contemporary jazz scene, the pianist's open approach is fully explored as he crosses free jazz boundaries with quasi-electro funk dynamics. "Nu Bop" is the energetic live recording of the concert from the "New York is Now" festival. The line up includes New York luminaries such as Daniel Carter, William Parker and Guillermo E. Brown who all contribute to the perfect environment for mixing up free jazz elements and digital beats. This music freely surges from highly dense free jazz to hard-driven electronic grooves, from free open sounds and phrasing, to intricate and repetitive rhythmic jungles. Daniel Carter's lyrical energy digs down into the band-leader's deep and dark piano chords, while William Parker's earthly bass shares the terrain and fire with Guillermo E. Brown's electro-acoustic pulse.
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  • NU BOP LIVE

    NU BOP LIVE

    RAI TRADE Nov 2009
    1 disc
    CD
    $26.49
  • 4D
    THIRSTY EAR

    4D

    CD · 1 disc

    $15.49
    Artist
    SHIPP, MATTHEW
    Released
    Jan 26, 2010
    Matthew Shipps new solo piano CD, "4D" is the complete synthesis and culmination of all of his past Thirsty Ear releases, with the added wrinkle of standards re-interpreted as only he could create, while combining his own brand of compositions to the mix. Mr. Shipps musical language, having been refined an mutated, as his career, has continued to grow at exponential rates, allowing him to fully explore the hidden aspects of jazz. He is an innovator of the highest level on his instrument, and offers his presentations with a poets touch, adding lyricism and voice to his playing, without words. In his own determination to explain his musical inclinations, he likens his approach to that of "peering into the piano as a starship in it's relation to psychic space." But it's something more to be felt than to be understood. The end result of this recording is a 4th dimensional sonic tapestry that fills space, but with precise contours and unpredictable sequences, adding and linking together like audible pieces in a diabolically devised puzzle. In Essence, this serves as a supposition of what exists in the fourth dimension, expressed through the dimension of sound.
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  • 4D

    4D

    THIRSTY EAR Jan 2010
    1 disc
    CD
    $15.49
  • I'VE BEEN TO MANY PLACES
    THIRSTY EAR

    I'VE BEEN TO MANY PLACES

    CD · 1 disc

    $15.49
    Artist
    SHIPP, MATTHEW
    Released
    Sep 09, 2014
    This recording is meant as a reflection on where I have been in the music ?so I visit and revisit or should I say re-interpret many of the houses I have occupied. Of course this being a solo CD, the main focus is to make the piano come alive and to be a direct extension of my spirit-psyche and body. The piano here is vascular-cut it and it will bleed. When you listen to this recording you are directly listening to my brain waves and in some cases on this CD I feel I have transcended the instrument and am dealing with pure brain waves or let's say cosmic pulse-Matthew Shipp.
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  • I'VE BEEN TO MANY PLACES

    I'VE BEEN TO MANY PLACES

    THIRSTY EAR Sep 2014
    1 disc
    CD
    $15.49
  • PIANO SUTRAS
    THIRSTY EAR

    PIANO SUTRAS

    CD · 1 disc

    $15.49
    Artist
    SHIPP, MATTHEW
    Released
    Sep 24, 2013
    Piano Sutras is a landmark release for Matthew Shipp whose accolades rank him as being universally acclaimed, the most brilliant pianists of his generation and one of the most original stylists in Jazz history. This solo recording is both breathtakingly beautiful, deeply companionate and intellectually upending. If you want to know where Jazz is in the present and where it will be in the future, all you have to do is listen to this release. A tour de force.
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  • PIANO SUTRAS

    PIANO SUTRAS

    THIRSTY EAR Sep 2013
    1 disc
    CD
    $15.49
  • GREATEST HITS

    GREATEST HITS

    THIRSTY EAR Jan 2013
    1 disc
    CD
    $15.49
  • PIANO EQUATION
    TAO FORMS

    PIANO EQUATION

    CD · 1 disc

    $14.49
    Artist
    SHIPP, MATTHEW
    Released
    May 22, 2020
    For over 30 years Matthew Shipp has built up an unparalleled body of work and a wholly original musical language that becomes more focused and distinctive with the passage of time. His abstract eloquence is on vivid display throughout The Piano Equation, new works for solo piano. Shipp builds his solo music in a cellular fashion, formed out of disparate elements that combine and evolve in novel and fascinating forms. Stride, swing and the avant-garde collide like elemental particles, the aftereffects radiating outward in increasingly complex and intricate formations. The scientific, the personal, the political and the fantastic co-exist throughout his work, melding in the pianists radical vocabulary which speaks with it's own alien yet familiar logic. Fragments of melody coalesce and transform, dissolve or shatter into kaleidoscopic reveries. The Piano Equation celebrates Matthew Shipp's 60th birtday, and while some may have used the arrival of such a landmark occasion as their 60th birthday to look backwards, Shipp continues to move resolutely forward, further evolving a voice that is as intimately personal as it is cosmically adventurous. This release is also the inaugural release from Tao Forms, a new label founded by drummer-improviser-composer - and longtime Shipp collaborator - Whit Dickey.
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  • PIANO EQUATION

    PIANO EQUATION

    TAO FORMS May 2020
    1 disc
    CD
    $14.49
  • NEW CONCEPTS IN PIANO TRIO JAZZ
    ESP DISK LTD.

    NEW CONCEPTS IN PIANO TRIO JAZZ

    CD · 1 disc

    $12.99
    Artist
    SHIPP, MATTHEW
    Released
    Apr 05, 2024
    2024 release. This group evolves in leaps and bounds. You've never heard a jazz piano trio sound like this album - not even this band on it's previous album, the much-praised World Construct. That said, there is a through line from the first Matthew Shipp Trio album, 1990's Circular Temple (ESPDISK 4082CD, 2023 reissue) to New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz. Says Shipp, "Yes, we went there with that type of title this time. To anyone who thought the trio had reached it's apotheosis on World Construct, you are in for a surprise - this is light years ahead of World Construct. Of course each CD is it's own world and valuable for that, but I am in complete and utter shock at what I am listening to. New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz sounds completely thoroughly composed and yet completely spontaneously improvised at the same time. This is a major album in jazz history. Newman Taylor Baker is one of the most profound percussionists ever. Michael Bisio sounds like God's angel on this album. He has dedicated himself to working in my vision for years now and I think this might be the ultimate of how we can read each other and hook up. This is one of the greatest trio albums ever. While creating a whole new cosmos we manage to escape every cliche that exists in jazz and in avant jazz. This really might be the last trio CD because it really cannot get better than this."
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  • NEW CONCEPTS IN PIANO TRIO JAZZ

    NEW CONCEPTS IN PIANO TRIO JAZZ

    ESP DISK LTD. Apr 2024
    1 disc
    CD
    $12.99