Matthew Shipp - Harmony and Abyss

[crawjo]

And finally, the third new release that I am vaguely interested in. Thom Jurek didn't like this one as much as the others, so I'm thinking maybe this one will be better.

[Librarian]

I liked it, this was a post from my blog...

This is Matthew Shipp's most recent entry in the Blue Series he curates for the Thirsty Ear label. Once again it's a mixture of acoustic jazz and electronics with some remixing and synth programming thrown in to boot. This is pretty similar to Shipp's other entries in the series, so fans should be pleased with the effort, while there is nothing here to change the minds of the skeptical. Shipp performs on synth in addition to piano, joined by regular cohorts William Parker on bass, Gerald Cleaver on drums and remixer and electronic manipulator FLAM.

“Ion” opens with synthesized strings and piano at a medium tempo with electronic beats and then an acoustic piano break. “New ID” has a slow piano opening which gives way to heavy beats as things take off with percussive piano playing off against the electronic beats with Parker’s plucked bass adding yet another rhythm to the mix. He seems to be a little more well recorded on this disc – the acoustic bass was getting lost amongst the electronics in previous Shipp Thirsty Ear releases. “3 in 1” puts the electronics on hold for a moment with a straight piano trio piece with some subtle beats. “Virgin Complex” has a synth opening with distorted dark piano chords, bowed bass and sci fi synth. Lest things get too serious, “Galaxy 105” has funky bass and an upbeat swinging piano - very jaunty music, nice stuff but perhaps a little out of place in this album. “String Theory” blasts us back into the electronic realm with synth and electronics as FLAM takes center stage.

“Blood 2 the Brain” has piano with electronic beats which mix with live drum beats. This is an interesting well integrated track, perhaps the most successful on the record, with the synths acting as arrangements. “Invisible Light” has piano with percussion. “Abyss” leaves the realm of jazz almost entirely for soundscapes of electronic music - organ like synth with bowed bass, Parker’s work is the only grounding in jazz as the music reaches for the stars.

This may be more of an evolutionary rather than revolutionary album for Shipp – he’s consolidated his interests in acoustic and electronic music so they flow together almost seamlessly. Now it will be interesting to see what kinds of wrinkles he can throw into future releases to keep the music fresh.

[crawjo]

Thanks guys. Shipp doesn't seem to get much attention at JC anymore, but I've always heard a lot of promise in his playing, and I think that "evolutionary" is exactly the direction he needs to be going right now.

I'll definitely pick this one up.

Yeah, I've always heard a lot of promise as well. But for some reason he's never moved past that.

There are some absolutely brilliant moments on Pastoral Composure. That album contains some of his best and worst playing. Although, if it weren't for the show stealing performance of Campbell Jr. that album would be quite easily forgotten.

I actually look foward to the day when Shipp finally breaks through.

But I'm not holding my breath anymore.

Jesus, I almost fucking died last time!!

[Dick Bowman]

It would be interesting - I think - for someone to do a "compare and contrast" with the Shipp trio's "Plays Ware" on Splasch. I'm quite taken with that one - it's interesting that there are no "gaps" despite the looming absence of Ware. Haven't heard H&A yet, but haven't been anywhere near as taken by earlier Thirsty Ears as his more "traditional" recordings.

[mke]

Originally Posted by Dick Bowman

It would be interesting - I think - for someone to do a "compare and contrast" with the Shipp trio's "Plays Ware" on Splasch.

That's been done on One Final Note.

[crawjo]

I picked this up earlier this week. I really like it, after two listens. Much more nuanced approach from Shipp than on the other recordings with FLAM that I have. I think this is my favorite Shipp recording on Thirsty Ear.