New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz is loved by critics

2024 was a very good year for the Matthew Shipp Trio and its album New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz (ESP-Disk'). It did very well on the Francis Davis Jazz Critics poll, coming in at #7.
The 19th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Poll: The Shape of Jazz That Keeps Us Going - The Arts Fuse

Davis himself put it at #4 on his ballot:
The 19th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Poll: Now and Then and Then and Now -- A Top Ten List From Its Namesake - The Arts Fuse

freeformfreejazz has it at #9

TOP 10: Must-See Albums of 2024

It's on Eugene Holley's unnumbered list
https://substack.com/inbox/post/153592868

Piero Scaruffi has it at #3
History of Music: Best rock albums of 2024

At Stereogum, Phil Freeman named it the best piano trio album

https://www.stereogum.com/2290987/the-best-jazz-albums-of-2024/columns/ugly-beauty/

AllMusic.com's alphabetical list, covering all genres, includes it
AllMusic Best of 2024 | AllMusic 2024 in Review

Gene Seymour has it at #8

Gene Seymour’s Top Ten Jazz Albums for 2024 — That Gene Seymour

And there are many more critic's lists and ballots that mention it.

Press Quotes

“Shipp is a titan, the name in free piano improvisation now that Cecil Taylor is gone, and the speed and agility of his thinking is so great that what comes out of his hands is graceful, light-footed. The past few years, he sounds like he’s recreating his style anew every time he plays, mercurial while also purposeful, with a clear direction. He doesn’t follow gravity or the path of least resistance, he makes his own laws of musical physics as he goes along.”—George Grella, Star Revue
https://www.star-revue.com/jazz-vision-festival-2024-by-george-grella

“Shipp’s trio with bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Newman Taylor Baker delivers some of the most audacious free swing you’ll ever hear, and on this disc, they add elements of modern classical to create something that lives up to that brash title. Astonishing stuff.”—Phil Freeman, Burning Ambulance 
Half-Year Roundup - Burning Ambulance (substack.com)

“A glance at pianist Matthew Shipp’s discography reveals that one of the prime outlets for his artistry is his classic piano trio, which ranks among the pre-eminent units in modern jazz. That’s down to the principal and his choice of simpatico partners. Shipp in full flow is unmistakable—a unique stylist who propounds a memorable mix of infectious motifs, glittering runs and stomping bass register.”—John Sharpe, New York City Jazz Record

“Shipp knows his history, evidenced by the wink-and-nod title of his newest recording with Michael Bisio and Newman Taylor Baker, New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz. After all, it was Bill Evans’ New Jazz Conceptions that established the template for the modern jazz piano trio, one reliant on pace and variety of materials to keep both newbies and old hands engaged. Shipp turns the formula on its head with a program of eight tracks, all but one of which are seven minutes or substantially less. Whereas Evans emphasized reengineered chestnuts, garnished with originals, Shipp dives deep, opening with the somber, succinct “Primal Poem” instead of a light-hearted swinger. It takes almost 30 seconds for Baker’s brushes to become audible on the succeeding “Sea Song,” another swim through subtly turned phrases, this time with a slowly rising tide of intensity. Almost ten minutes into the program, Bisio kicks off “The Function” with a sturdy walking line; however, Shipp counters with off-center phrasing, pugnacious jabs, and scampering lines, while Baker resourcefully fills in the margins, offsetting the impetus to swing conventionally. The remainder of the albums has a similar, muted contrarian tilt until the 11-minute “Coherent System,” which closes the proceedings with house-shaking intensity, tipping the listener to the nature of Shipp’s new concept: make a complete, album-length statement that is far afield from the quotidian.”—Bill Shoemaker, Point of Departure
https://pointofdeparture.org/PoD87/PoD87MoreMoments3.html

"’Non Circle’ and ‘Brain System’ sound like the Trio invented their own keys for Shipp’s sketches."—Michael Toland, The Big Takeover
Matthew Shipp Trio - New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz (ESP-Disk') | The Big Takeover

“Matthew Shipp remains uncategorizable. He and his collaborators work almost entirely spontaneously, without written compositions, but his recordings also seem increasingly well-structured and beautiful. This trio, with bassist Michael Bisio and Newman Taylor Baker on drums, has been working together for some time, so their collective language is highly coordinated. They are fluent in quickly discovering a vibe, tonal center, and focus, even when there is no written theme. But this collection is exceptionally telepathic, even by Shipp’s elevated standards.”—Will Layman, Pop Matters
JazzMatters: The Best Jazz of March-May 2024 (popmatters.com)

“No one writes or plays like Matthew Shipp. His music has a mind of its own—and what a mind—and Shipp deserves to have the title Sui Generis precede his name or maybe follow it thusly: Matthew Shipp, S.G. New Concepts takes modern jazz to invigorating levels of excitement, intensity, and joy.”—Mel Minter, Musically Speaking
3 X 2 = Wow | Musically Speaking (melminter.com)

"On this new CD...Shipp and his longtime bandmates, bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Newman Taylor Baker, really have come up with new approaches to their music. ...it has a relentless forward momentum with the intensity and repetitiveness of Steve Reich at some points, and the simmering intensity of Morton Feldman at others. ... It’s jazz, but jazz of a uniquely pugnacious and forceful type that acknowledges tradition without any loyalty or subservience."—Phil Freeman (again!), Stereogum
https://www.stereogum.com/2260606/kenny-garrett-vs-ai/columns/ugly-beauty/

“Matthew Shipp Trio further elevate their group communication and collective vision on the surprisingly un-hyperbolically titled New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz.” 4-1/2 stars—Fred Thomas, All Music Guide
New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz - Matthew Ship... | AllMusic

“New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz, by Matthew Shipp with Michael Bisio and Newman Taylor Baker, lives up to its title, holding concert-music poise with improvisatory liberty and interpersonal chemistry in a balance that extends and expands the leader’s signature conception. Shipp’s prolificacy can be daunting; consider this one essential.”—Steve Smith, Night After Night
https://nightafternight.substack.com/p/for-the-record-april-5-2024

“In the accompanying notes to the CD, Matthew Shipp makes the claim that this album is ‘one of the greatest trio albums.' Is he justified? I think he is, certainly in the area of jazz piano trios: this is a really fine album of piano trio music that stands comparison with the best. … I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that this is an album of great beauty that is state of the art in terms of the possibilities of the jazz piano trio.”—Tony Dudley-Evans, London Jazz News
https://londonjazznews.com/2024/04/08/matthew-shipp-new-concepts-in-piano-trio-jazz

“...signs and symbols (in the form of phrases and clusters) are restated, sometimes refracted, and often echoed through Bisio’s bass and Baker’s percussive drumming. It’s a bold and emotionally riveting piano trio album, surely one of the finest you’ll hear all year.”—Lee Rice Epstein, The Free Jazz Collective
freejazzblog.org/2024/04/matthew-shipp-trio-new-concepts-in.html

“This trio has clearly swapped some of the most traditional roles. Thunder comes more often from the piano than the drums. The bassist is just as likely to command the melody as the pianist.   Democracy reigns supreme throughout. It’s not two supporting the leader, it’s each one supporting the other in a heady listen that leaves us guessing practically the whole way through. It’s free, yet conceptual and eminently purposeful as well.”—Jim Hynes, Making a Scene
makingascene.org/matthew-shipp-trio-new-concepts-in-piano-trio-jazz

"Shipp's New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz is approaching a revelation and may just be the best starting place for those who have never had the opportunity to hear this trio."
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/new-concepts-in-piano-trio-jazz-matthew-shipp-esp-disk

"...it’s the occult alignment of the trio’s sensibilities that truly elevates this set into a gem of the improviser’s art."
Mr. Stu's Record Room: Matthew Shipp Trio: New Concepts In Piano Trio Jazz (mrstusrecordroom.blogspot.com)

“the Matthew Shipp Trio has sought — and succeeded — in taking a conventional setting to unconventional heights, and New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz has attained a new height in this long-running quest.”—S. Victor Aaron, Something Else! 
Matthew Shipp Trio - 'New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz' (2024) - Something Else! (somethingelsereviews.com)

“New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz allows Shipp to move his personal linguistic discipline from its origins through classical influences and into his ever-expanding universe.”—Karl Ackerman, All About Jazz
Matthew Shipp Trio: New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz album review @ All About Jazz

“Clearly, this is an avant-garde jazz album that has across-the spectrum appeal. The music sounds through-composed, almost like some modern classical music, yet every bit of it was improvised on the spot.”—Lynn Rene Bayley, The Art Music Lounge
Matthew Shipp’s “New Concepts” Album | THE ART MUSIC LOUNGE (wordpress.com)

from JazzDaily blog "Matthew Shipp: Redefining Jazz’s Boundaries"

 

Matthew Shipp: Redefining Jazz’s Boundaries

Introduction:

Few musicians have shaped contemporary jazz’s avant-garde landscape as profoundly as Matthew Shipp. As a pianist, composer, and visionary, Shipp has spent his career pushing the limits of jazz’s structure and redefining the genre’s possibilities. From his explorations of free improvisation to his grounding in jazz’s rich traditions, Shipp’s body of work is as diverse as it is transformative. This blog post delves into Shipp’s life, music, and enduring influence on the modern jazz world.

Early Life and Influences:

Matthew Shipp was born sixty-four years ago today on December 7, 1960, in Wilmington, Delaware, into a family that valued music and creativity. His mother, a close friend of legendary trumpeter Clifford Brown, played a pivotal role in fostering his early interest in music. Shipp began playing the piano at the age of five, laying the foundation for his future as a groundbreaking jazz pianist.

Matthew Shipp initially attended the University of Delaware but left after a couple of years to focus on honing his craft. Returning to live with his parents, he dedicated himself to intensive practice while traveling frequently to Philadelphia, where he worked as a cocktail pianist and studied with renowned music educator Dennis Sandole, whom Shipp credits as a pivotal influence on his development. He later enrolled at the New England Conservatory of Music for a year, studying with avant-garde saxophonist and composer Joe Maneri, but left before completing his degree, choosing instead to carve out his own path in music.

Shipp moved to New York City in the mid-1980s, where he became immersed in the city’s vibrant jazz community. It was here that he connected with saxophonist David S. Ware, forming a lasting collaboration that significantly elevated Shipp’s profile. As a member of the David S. Ware Quartet, Shipp played on several groundbreaking albums, including “Flight of I” (1992) and “Third Ear Recitation” (1993).

While his work with Ware showcased his skills as a sideman, Shipp quickly established himself as a bandleader. His album “Points” (1992) revealed a bold new voice in jazz, combining free improvisation with an inherent sense of structure and lyricism. This balance of freedom and form became a hallmark of Shipp’s style.

Musical Philosophy and Style:

Shipp’s music defies easy categorization. His approach to the piano blends elements of classical, bebop, and free jazz, often characterized by dense harmonies, unpredictable rhythms, and a penchant for exploring extremes—both subtlety and intensity.

One of Shipp’s most defining traits is his commitment to improvisation as a central tenet of his artistry. This ethos is evident in his solo performances, where he often builds entire compositions in real-time, drawing from a vast well of musical ideas.

Despite his avant-garde leanings, Shipp’s work remains deeply rooted in jazz’s history. He frequently references the music of jazz pioneers, reinterpreting their ideas through his distinctive lens. His 2011 album “Art of the Improviser” is a testament to this synthesis, showcasing both his technical prowess and his deep respect for tradition.

Key Collaborations:

Throughout his career, Shipp has worked with a wide range of musicians, spanning various genres and styles. His collaborations with bassist William Parker, a fellow pioneer of free jazz, have been particularly significant. The two have recorded numerous albums together, forming a creative partnership that has produced some of the most compelling jazz of the past three decades.

Shipp has also collaborated with a diverse array of artists, including violinist Mat Maneri, saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell, and electronic musician DJ Spooky. These partnerships reflect Shipp’s openness to experimentation and his belief in music as a universal language that transcends boundaries.

Prolific Output:

Shipp’s discography is remarkably extensive, encompassing solo piano works, trio recordings, and collaborations with other avant-garde luminaries. Some of his most notable albums include:

• “Pastoral Composure” (2000): A quartet recording that blends lyricism with avant-garde sensibilities.
• “Equilibrium” (2003): A genre-defying work incorporating elements of jazz, classical, and electronic music.
• “Piano Vortex” (2007): A trio album showcasing Shipp’s interplay with bassist Joe Morris and drummer Whit Dickey.
• “Zero” (2018): A solo piano album that captures the essence of Shipp’s improvisational genius.

In addition to his work as a performer, Shipp has contributed to the jazz world as a producer and curator. His tenure as a consultant for Thirsty Ear Records resulted in groundbreaking albums that brought jazz into dialogue with hip-hop, electronic, and other contemporary genres.

Critical Reception:

Shipp’s music has garnered widespread acclaim from critics and fans alike. While his avant-garde approach has occasionally polarized audiences, his technical mastery and artistic vision are universally recognized. Publications such as DownBeat and The New York Times have praised his ability to balance complexity with accessibility, highlighting his role as one of modern jazz’s most innovative figures.

Legacy and Influence:

Matthew Shipp’s impact on jazz extends far beyond his recordings. As an artist, he has continually challenged the conventions of the genre, inspiring a new generation of musicians to embrace risk and innovation. His work has opened doors for more experimental forms of jazz while keeping the genre firmly grounded in its roots.

Shipp’s influence can be heard in the music of contemporary pianists such as Vijay Iyer, Craig Taborn, and Jason Moran, who have cited his boundary-pushing approach as a source of inspiration.

Matthew Shipp’s career is a testament to the enduring power of jazz as a medium for artistic expression and exploration. By combining tradition with innovation, he has carved out a unique space in the jazz world, earning his place among the greats. For listeners willing to embark on a journey into the unknown, Shipp’s music offers a rewarding and transformative experience—one that continues to redefine what jazz can be.

References:

1. Litweiler, J. (1990). The Freedom Principle: Jazz After 1958. Da Capo Press.
2. Cook, R. & Morton, B. (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Penguin Books.
3. Matthew Shipp picture. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Matthew_Shipp.jpg (By Wendy Harman)

Matthew Shipp: Redefining Jazz’s Boundaries – Jazz Daily

Symbol Systems Review by Raul Da Gama

https://jazzdagama.com/music/matthew-shipp-symbol-systems/

Matthew Shipp: Symbol Systems

By

 Raul Da Gama

 -

 Jul 31, 2018 

1333

 

0

The notional existence of the musical theories and concepts of the music of Matthew Shipp dissolve very quickly from their abstract entities to concrete one the moment notes are sounded. Each individual one and the clusters they form in phrases and lines morph into the appearance of the footfalls of dancers in some mystical ballet, leaping into the air, pirouetting dizzily, leaping again and then seeming to fall in patterns that at first seem unruly. Soon, however, short dramatic vignettes emerge, as well as some longer narratives. No matter what we hear it is invariably something magical appears as each note is incarnated quite separate from a black dot with a definitive pulse attached to it into something quite magical that flies off the proverbial clefs charging, in turn, every other particle in the air around the room.

Mr Shipp for the purposes of an internal discipline perhaps, assigns – or might assign – a value to each so that they have a place in his Symbol Systems. However, unleashed with the kind of power imparted to them by his supple fingers, these notes and this music becomes something living and breathing; dancers indeed, who now create the illusion of such concrete items as “Clocks” which are wound up in the pulsations of the rhythmic figures of Mr Shipp’s right hand. Elsewhere elaborate musical subterfuges ensue – on “Dance of the Blue Atoms”, for instance; or on “Bop Abyss” and “Algebraic Boogie”. Each title is seemingly a trigger which causes the hands – and fingers – of the pianist to leap and fly, and defy gravity not only with notes that ascend, light as air, as if to a rarefied realm.

Throughout the programme Mr Shipp engages the entire tonal palette of the piano creating scurrying episodes and charged silences that nestle cheek-by-jowl in their splintered melodies, fractured harmonies and bent rhythms. This is clearly the creation of a major composer whose pianism also suggests great cohesion of form and function and, above all, lyricism that sets Mr Shipp apart in the same way that it did for musicians such as Thelonious Monk and Cecil Taylor. Compression and expressivity are also equally evident in the movements of these works. As a result, the delicate melodic vignettes appear to point to a panoramic whole that, in, turn, constitutes the Symbol Systems that Mr Shipp would like us to discern in this music.

Track list – 1: Clocks; 2: Harmonic Oscillator; 3: Temperate Zone; 4: Symbol Systems; 5: The Highway; 6: Self-Regulated Motion; 7: Frame; 8: Flow of Meaning; 9: Dance of the Blue Atoms; 10: Bop Abyss; 11: Nerve Signals; 12: Algebraic Boogie; 13: The Inventor Part 1; The Inventor Part 2

Personnel – Matthew Shipp: piano

Released – 2018
Label: HatHUT (hatOLOGY 749)
Runtime – 1:00:55

Signature review by John Payne

https://www.riotmaterial.com/matthew-shipp-trio-signature/

Matthew Shipp Trio’s Signature

APRIL 12, 2019 by John Payne

The rather prolific Matthew Shipp is the most relevant jazz pianist of the last few decades. With more than 85 releases of bold ‘n’ brave music as a solo performer and in duo/ trio/quartet formats alongside the avantish jazz likes of the David S. Ware Quartet, Ivo Perelman, Sabir Mateen, Darius Jones, Joe Morris, Jemeel Moondoc, Mat Walerian and two tons of others, he hasn’t had time to take a vacation. Several years ago Shipp told me he was thinking of retiring from recording, because, he said, there was just too much music out there in consumer land. I’m glad he didn’t, because his recorded output since spouting such balderdash has only grown more profound — and truly electrifying.

Recorded in first takes with his current trio (bassist Michael Bisio, drummer Newman Taylor Baker), Shipp’s new Signature album is, like much of his work of the last three decades, not an easy thing upon which to put one’s finger. But we’re talking here about a semi-improvised music played on piano, bass and drums, so let’s call it free jazz and get that outta the way. And the piano trio is no doubt the language in which Shipp communicates best; it allows him to reference the ghosts of jazz past in a way that gives you and him something to lean on — he summons Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell in substantial ways; a more superficial ear would place him in the Cecil Taylor “school” of doing things; there’s major chunks of Henry Cowell in it as well.

Shipp’s music is an intellectual music, literally, his “emotions” seemingly taking their cues from the impulses of his active mind as it instructs him how to move his fingers on the keyboard. Which doesn’t mean his music is coldass or forbidding — a Matthew Shipp recording documents the many conceivable ways a human brain can work its magic. His brain’s capacity for surprise is his subject matter; it fascinates him, keeps him company on cold nights. While it’s obviously true that many of our most advanced musicians have mined the fertile ground that lies somewhere between their brains, hearts and limbs, it’s just that Shipp is especially geniuslike at it. Shipp’s is a very fertile brain, from the sound of it, with a heightened ability to combine thoughts to create third thoughtlike entities, which invariably lead ferociously fast to other thoughts, and to spend quality time with certain thoughts he’s never had before.

What Shipp does — how he’s doing things differently — is best understood from a technical angle, as you ponder this li’l tidbit Shipp once spake about his musical methodology: “I’m trying to bleed out of the piano a contrapuntal kaleidoscope.” He also said, “There’s no such thing as chords. There’s independent voices moving and independent voices coming together to form blocks of sound. Within Western theory, when you have a few notes coalescing you call it this chord and that chord, but actually what is happening in music is always the movement of contrapuntal voices.”

A conception of musical counterpoint really helps in your comprehension (and enjoyment) of Signature, whose easy-to-get-into tracks float like a butterfly and kick like a mule, sometimes simultaneously; they have the black & white dynamism of Kandinsky’s woodcuts. The title track’s initial mood is contemplative and cool, but quickly becomes amiably angular as it spiderwebs notes in “modern” ways; brush drums and a stumbly acoustic bass lock in with Shipp in a most organic way. But this is how Shipp works: Regarding your first impression of a structure, you think you’re in one place but you’re in many. Compare that sensation with the familiar description of the structures of Debussy: they’re a series of different objects viewed under the same light. This type of rocking building blocks allows Shipp to pursue an important evolution in any progressive music: The development of a strictly personal symmetry, or individual sense of logical musical structure.

Such a discrete symmetry can be heard in Shipp’s “Flying Saucer,” where this spontaneously composed thing is the thing itself. The track hasn’t much to do with “impressions,” musical references or following through on what a contrived compositional system told him he had to do. Shipp is rolling, stabbing at notes, left hand prominent and way down there. He and his mates keep it up, absorbing each other, in fact playing like each other albeit on different instruments. Shipp’s now a whirlwind, an army waving banners, birds pecking at your palms. You wouldn’t call the resultant sound field alien — Shipp keeps hitting these jazz-referential “club” chords that humanize things; then he’s quickly back out there, following his head’s forays into the wild blue yonder, or tromping about in a bog.

The cocky pointyhead Matthew Shipp’s playing is fleet-fingered, light but very, very strong; throughout, Bisio’s bass and Taylor Baker’s drums are almost aburdly in-tune with Shipp’s symmetry, deserving of the supremest compliment any musician can get: They disappear, much like how Horsemouth’s drums vanish on those old Burning Spear records. Musicians like these become heartbeats. (Bisio does get a “solo” turn in the all-bass-drone interval called “Deep to Deep,” as does Taylor Baker in the multi-percussive “Snap.”)

Signature’s standouts include the oddly shaped 16 minutes of “This Matrix” (speedy pianist virtuoso swats swarms of mosquitos, clears the way for a looong bass solo), the similarly epic and appropriately titled “Speech of Form” (crosses rivers and valleys, stops for picnic lunch, takes a whizz, moves on), and the pointillistic and pedal-effects-adorned “Stage Ten,” in which, come to think of it, the music appears to emanate from the listener’s own body and mind. Thank you, maestro Shipp.

John Payne is Music Critic at Riot Material. He also writes about music and film at publications including Mojo, The Quietus, Red Bulletin, Drum!, High Times and Bluefat. Mr. Payne is the former music editor of LA Weekly, and the author of the forthcoming official Diamanda Galás biography Homicidal Love Songs and editor/co-author of Jaki Liebezeit: Life, Theory and Practice of a Master Drummer (Unbound, spring 2019).

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2013 Nashville Scene preview

http://www.nashvillescene.com/music/dont-miss-avant-jazz-legend-matthew-shipp-with-lambchop-saturday-at-vfw/article_c786ebae-b069-5b66-8534-43fb4e969398.html

Don't Miss Avant-Jazz Legend Matthew Shipp with Lambchop Saturday at VFW

• JACK SILVERMAN
 
• MAY 10, 2013

• I’ve seen a ton of shows since moving to Nashville 15 years ago, but pianist Matthew Shipp’s 2006 solo set at a church on Indiana Avenue still stands out as the most mind-blowing performance I’ve witnessed. It was an astonishing display, as if he had consumed the entirety of popular music, broken it down to its genetic code, then reassembled the DNA into a seemingly infinite number of mutations: familiar, delicate, unnerving, harmonically dense, nostalgic, atonal, pulsating, arrhythmic — and that was just the first 60 seconds.

• Classical allusions, straight-ahead jazz changes and simple melodies would emerge out of cacophony, then recombine in ways that contradicted their usual associations. A jarring “Summertime,” in particular, seemed loaded with political overtones. Even though the crowd was predominantly indie-rock types there to see openers Lambchop and Hands Off Cuba, the avant-garde jazz legend got a spontaneous and boisterous standing ovation like few I’ve seen.

  Kudos to promoter Chris Davis for bringing Shipp back again, this time to the VFW Post 1970, 7220 Charlotte Pike, at 8 p.m. Saturday. He'll be appearing with his trio, including Michael Bisio on upright bass and Whit Dickey on drums. For jazz fans (or anyone with a set of ears, really), this may be the can’t-miss show of the year. Better yet, Lambchop will once again open for Shipp. And with guitarist Mary Halvorson and bassist Stephan Crump at Zeitgeist’s Indeterminacies series Friday night, this could be the greatest weekend for free jazz Nashville’s ever seen.

Review of The Uppercut Live at Okuden by Derk Richardson

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/matthew-shipp-mat-walerian-duo-the-uppercut/

Matthew Shipp & Mat Walerian Duo: The Uppercut Live at Okuden | Nov 20th, 2015

Music: 4 stars (out of 5)

Sonics: 4 stars (out of 5)

As Matthew Shipp’s catalog expands, so does our understanding of the depth and breadth of his genius. In more than 25 years of recording, the avant-garde pianist has explored as many settings as any player in jazz. His duo dates—with William Parker, Joe Morris, Michael Bisio, Rob Brown, Mat Maneri, Roscoe Mitchell, Sabir Mateen, Darius Jones, Evan Parker, and here, Polish reed player Walerian—are especially revealing. In this conversational format, Shipp’s attentiveness to his partner’s moves becomes more anticipatory than reactive, and Walerian’s alto sax, bass clarinet, soprano clarinet, and flute push Shipp in many directions, while adding an extraordinary range of colors and textures around the bright edginess and rich chords of the acoustic piano. There are lots of blues and bop intonations and songlike melodies to make these original boundary- bashing pieces accessible to mainstream listeners. But Shipp, 54, and his de facto protégé Walerian, 31, throw in plenty of fractured harmonies, skittering rhythms, guttural honks, and high-register squeals as the moment moves them. Other than the applause preceding the encore, you might forget that this is a concert date, though the roomy sound of the piano and the palpably spontaneous creative energy feel totally live.--Derk Richardson

To Duke review by John Sharpe

 allaboutjazz.com/to-duke-matthew-shipp-rogue-art-review-by-john-sharpe

By John Sharpe
April 30, 2015

So has pianist Matthew Shipp finally clambered aboard the repertory album bandwagon? Certainly on To Duke he addresses seven standards derived from the Ellington Orchestra, alongside four originals. But if you cast an eye over Shipp's discography you'll find such pieces are nothing new. Actually popular songs constitute an enduring part of his repertoire. What's unusual here is the focus on several from the same songbook on the same set. But there's no question of special treatment. In terms of development they often sound little different from other trio inventions. Typically Shipp uses the written material to establish a mood and act as reference points amid the flurries of tangential interplay.

Shipp's accomplices possess the prowess to follow him wherever he goes, though they also have the freedom to choose not to follow him at all. Bassist Michael Bisio offers oblique commentary on the leader's distinctive stylings, whether through plaintive upper register pizzicato or buzzing bow work. On drums, Whit Dickey provides the bedrock of multi directional meter which both creates tension and allows and encourages the pianist's digressions. Shipp's renditions of familiar strains engender a lighter than usual feeling from his patented blend of insistent motifs, sparkling runs and hammered single keys, largely eschewing the customary crashing depth charges.

Shipp's approach recalls a refurbishment of a classic building where the facade remains largely intact but hides an ultra modern complex behind. While Shipp opens the program alone with stirring chords and a rolling cadence on "Prelude to Duke," "In a Sentimental Mood" ably illustrates the trio's modus operandi. Although Shipp revels in the theme, the rhythm team might be pursuing unrelated charts. Dickey lays down a lattice of polyrhythmic layers, while Bisio's counterpoint mediates between the two. But it all makes sense when Shipp leaves the tune for a minimalist chiming sequence nonetheless in the same register and tempo. Then when Bisio and Dickey do eventually lock into the same beat they conjure a glorious surging quality, which ends the track on a high.

"Satin Doll" begins with a playful call and response between piano and bass. In their hands, time expands and contracts, until Shipp spins off in a string of dizzily mutating figures. While threeway interaction prevails as the prime directive of the day, Bisio tackles "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good" solo, moving from sighing slurs via world weary melancholy to a veritable blizzard of notes, which acts as a suitably engaging foretaste of the rapid clip of the ensuing "Take the A Train." At times the bassist sounds as if he is hanging on for dear life in a welter of dashing piano lines and pulsing drums, before a thunderous climatic derailment. Later on "Dickey Duke" the drummer stars in a series of unaccompanied breaks for his throbbing perpetual motion tattoo.

By the close, it is clear that though nominally an exploration of Ellington, the recital is in fact essential Shipp.