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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This is the second installment in the collaboration between Hunter (master of the 8-string guitar) and Previte (electronic and acoustic drum virtuosos). This time around the rotating thrid member slot is filled by turntable wizard DJ Logic. Together they've turned up the heat further prgressing their sound into a more aggressive mix of funk, jazz and jam band-style rock.
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.
Thirsty Ear would like to congratulate Mary Halvorson, Guitarist and Composer, as Fellow for the 2019 MacArthur Genius Award. Electric Fruit" alludes to the vexing encounter between nature and technology, one of the most complex issues that we face as a global society. The album brings together a powerhouse of innovators?Weasel Walter, Mary Halvorson and Peter Evans?to emphatically capture, question and explore the throes of this crucial contradiction. "Electric Fruit" is a stirring and potent recording of the dangerous confrontation between the innate and the artificial, the organic and the robotic. Each member of the trio brings their peculiarities, problems and powers to the table for a passionate discourse.
Thirsty Ear would like to congratulate Mary Halvorson, Guitarist and Composer, as Fellow for the 2019 MacArthur Genius Award. Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone have collectively been featured in the New York Times, Jazz Review, the Wire, Time Out New York, Time Out Chicago, the New York Press, Jazztimes, All About Jazz, BBC and Downbeat. From the collaborative minds and nimble fingers of Mary Halvorson (Guitar, Vocals) and Jessica Pavone (Viola, Vocals) come a minimalist rendering of emotions and themes, performed with stark clarity and introspection. "Thin Air" is a presentation involving their vast talents as musicians, vocalists and poets. Their lyrics borrow from themes relating to everything from human relationships and travelling to more abstract and intangible elements. These melodies are offered in a sparse yet effervescent style that make the listener feel as though they are sitting right next to them, much like an impromptu coffeehouse performance. Both intimate and forward thinking, this release is a true example of the power of thought, through a unique blending of avant folk with jazz underpinnings.
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.
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.
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.
Thirsty Ear would like to congratulate Mary Halvorson, Guitarist and Composer, as Fellow for the 2019 MacArthur Genius Award. Following their critically acclaimed debut trio album, 'Electric Fruit', Mary Halvorson, Weasel Walter and Peter Evans have masterfully crafted their second release 'Mechanical Malfunction'. The trios blistering performances will, in equal parts, enrage, excite and bewilder. Anchored with compositions that sparkle and twist, the tunes morph into magical journeys. Welcome to Jazz 2.0-a brave new world. Fasten your seat belts.
