Matthew Shipp

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Matthew Shipp
Matthew Shipp in 2005.
Matthew Shipp in 2005.
Background information
Born (1960-12-07) December 7, 1960 (age 60)
Wilmington, Delaware, United States
GenresFree jazz, avant-garde jazz, free improvisation, post bop
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsPiano
Years active1987–present
LabelsThirsty Ear, FMP, No More, hatOLOGY
Websitematthewshipp.com

Matthew Shipp (born December 7, 1960) is an American pianist, composer, and bandleader.

Early life and education[]

Shipp was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, and began playing piano at six years old. His mother was a friend of trumpeter Clifford Brown. He was strongly attracted to jazz, but also played in rock groups while in high school. Shipp attended the University of Delaware for one year, then the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with saxophonist/composer Joe Maneri. He has cited private lessons with Dennis Sandole (who also taught saxophonist John Coltrane) as being crucial to his development.

Later life and career[]

Shipp moved to New York in 1984[1] and has been very active since the early 1990s, appearing on dozens of albums as a leader, sideman, or producer. Before making a living playing music, Shipp worked in a bookshop as an assistant manager. He was fired, he threw some books at his boss, and he decided he would not look for a day job anymore.[1] He was initially most active in free jazz but has since branched out, particularly exploring music that touches on contemporary classical, hip hop, and electronica. At the beginning of his career Shipp was stylistically compared to some of his predecessors in the jazz piano pantheon but has since been recognized as a complete stylistic innovator on the piano – with AllMusic referring to his "unique and recognizable style"; and Larry Blumenfeld in Jazziz magazine referring to Shipp as "stunning in originality." Jazziz also referred to Shipp's CD 4D as "further proof of his idiosyncratic genius."

Shipp was a longtime member of saxophonist David S. Ware's quartet with bassist William Parker and alternating drummers. He has recorded or performed with many other musicians, including High Priest and Beans of Antipop Consortium, Michael Bisio, Guillermo E. Brown, Daniel Carter, Whit Dickey, Newman Taylor Baker, DJ Spooky, El-P, Susie Ibarra, Mat Maneri, Roscoe Mitchell, Joe Morris, Ivo Perelman, and Mat Walerian.

In February 2011, Shipp released a double-disc album entitled Art of the Improviser. This release is "testament to Shipp's achievements, yet it is also a continuation of the discovery in his developmental musical language."[2] The Chicago Tribune called the project "monumental" and "galvanic as ever."[3]

Shipp has been continuously improving his repertoire from touring the world, writing new compositions and, since 2011, has been collaborating with Barbara Januszkiewicz. Together they are exploring new territory through an avant-garde film called The Composer with Matthew Shipp / Barb Januszkiewicz.

On September 24, 2013, Thirsty Ear Records released a solo piano CD by Shipp called Piano Sutras. Will Layman, writing for PopMatters, described it as:

the kind of record we talk about and play for each other decades later... This is music that frames up a whole history: of an artist, of listeners, of the artists who formed the history of the art form, of the culture and time that allowed this art to flourish.[4]

Discography[]

As leader/co-leader[]

Release year Title Label Personnel/Notes
1988 Sonic Explorations Cadence Jazz Duo with Rob Brown (alto sax)
1992 Points Silkheart Quartet with Rob Brown (alto sax), William Parker (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)
1992 Circular Temple Quinton Trio with William Parker (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)
1994 Zo Rise Duo with William Parker (bass)
1995 Critical Mass 2.13.61 Quartet with Mat Maneri (violin), William Parker (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)
1996 Symbol Systems No More Solo piano
1996 Prism Brinkman Trio with William Parker (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)
1996 2-Z 2.13.61 Duo with Roscoe Mitchell (saxophones)
1997 The Flow of X 2.13.61 Quartet with Mat Maneri (violin), William Parker (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)
1997 Before the World FMP Solo piano
1997 By the Law of Music hatHUT String Trio with Mat Maneri (violin), William Parker (bass)
1997 Thesis hatOLOGY Duo with Joe Morris (guitar)
1998 The Multiplication Table hatOLOGY Trio with William Parker (bass), Susie Ibarra (drums)
1998 Strata hatOLOGY Quartet with Roy Campbell (trumpet), Daniel Carter (saxophones, flute, trumpet), William Parker (bass)
1999 DNA Thirsty Ear Duo with William Parker (bass)
1999 Magnetism Bleu Regard Solo, duo and trio performances with Rob Brown (alto sax, flute), William Parker (bass)
2000 Gravitational Systems hatOLOGY Duo with Mat Maneri (violin)
2000 Pastoral Composure Thirsty Ear Quartet with Roy Campbell (trumpet), William Parker (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums)
2001 Expansion, Power, Release hatOLOGY String Trio with Mat Maneri (violin), William Parker (bass)
2001 New Orbit Thirsty Ear Quartet with Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet), William Parker (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums)
2002 Songs Splasc(h) Solo piano
2002 Nu Bop Thirsty Ear With William Parker (bass), Guillermo E. Brown (drums), Daniel Carter (sax, flute), FLAM (synths, programming)
2003 Equilibrium Thirsty Ear With William Parker (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums), Khan Jamal (vibes), FLAM (synths, programming)
2003 Antipop vs. Matthew Shipp Thirsty Ear
2003 The GoodandEvil Sessions Thirsty Ear With Roy Campbell (trumpet), Alex Lodico, Josh Roseman (trombone), Miso (turntables), William Parker (bass), Danny Blume (drums, guitar, programming), Chris Kelly (drums, programming)
2003 The Sorcerer Sessions Thirsty Ear With Evan Ziporyn (clarinets), William Parker (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums), FLAM (synths, programming), Daniel Bernard Roumain (violin)
2004 The Trio Plays Ware Splasc(h) Trio with William Parker (bass), Guillermo E. Brown (drums)
2004 Harmony and Abyss Thirsty Ear With William Parker (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums), FLAM (synths, drums programming)
2005 In Finland Cadence Jazz Trio with Joe McPhee (soprano sax, trumpet), Dominic Duval (bass)
2005 One Thirsty Ear Solo piano
2006 Phenomena of Interference Hopscotch With Steve Dalachinsky
2006 Salute to 100001 Stars – A Tribute to Jean Genet RogueArt As the band Declared Enemy; with Sabir Mateen (alto sax, flute, clarinet), William Parker (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums), Denis Lavant (spoken words)
2007 Piano Vortex Thirsty Ear Trio with Joe Morris (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)
2007 Abbey Road Duos Treader Duo with Evan Parker (tenor sax, soprano sax)
2008 Right Hemisphere RogueArt As the band Right Hemisphere; quartet with Rob Brown (alto sax), Joe Morris (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)
2008 Un Piano RogueArt Solo piano
2008 Cosmic Suite Not Two Quartet with Daniel Carter (reeds), Joe Morris (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)
2009 Harmonic Disorder Thirsty Ear Trio with Joe Morris (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)
2010 4D Thirsty Ear Solo piano
2010 SAMA Not Two Duo with Sabir Mateen (reeds)
2010 Creation Out of Nothing (Live in Moscow) SoLyd Solo piano
2011 Night Logic RogueArt Trio with Marshall Allen (alto sax, flute, EVI), Joe Morris (bass)
2011 Art of the Improviser Thirsty Ear Solo piano and trio with Michael Bisio (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)
2011 SaMa Live in Moscow SoLyd Duo with Sabir Mateen (saxophone)
2011 Cosmic Lieder AUM Fidelity Duo with Darius Jones (alto sax)
2011 Broken Partials Not Two Duo with Joe Morris (bass)
2012 Elastic Aspects Thirsty Ear Trio with Michael Bisio (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)
2012 Floating Ice Duo with Michael Bisio (bass)
2013 Rex, Wrecks & XXX RogueArt Duo with Evan Parker (tenor sax)
2013 Piano Sutras Thirsty Ear Solo piano
2014 Root of Things Relative Pitch Trio with Michael Bisio (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)
2014 The Darkseid Recital AUM Fidelity Duo with Darius Jones (alto sax)
2014 I've Been to Many Places Thirsty Ear Solo piano
2015 To Duke RogueArt Trio with Michael Bisio (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)
2015 Live at Okuden ESP-Disk As the band The Uppercut; with Mat Walerian (reeds)
2015 The Gospel According to Matthew & Michael Relative Pitch Chamber Ensemble; trio with Mat Maneri (viola), Michael Bisio (bass)
2015 Our Lady of the Flowers RogueArt As the band Declared Enemy; quartet with Sabir Mateen (tenor sax, clarinet), William Parker (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums)
2015 The Conduct of Jazz Thirsty Ear Trio with Michael Bisio (bass), Newman Taylor Baker (drums)
2016 Live in Seattle Arena Music Promotion Duo with Michael Bisio (bass)
2016 Live at Okuden ESP-Disk As the band Jungle; with Mat Walerian (reeds), Hamid Drake (drums)
2016 Cactus Northern Spy Duo with Bobby Kapp (drums)
2017 Piano Song Thirsty Ear Trio with Michael Bisio (bass), Newman Taylor Baker (drums)
2017 Invisible Touch At Taktlos Zürich hatOLOGY Solo piano
2017 This Is Beautiful Because We Are Beautiful People ESP-Disk As the band Toxic; with Mat Walerian (reeds), William Parker (bass, shakuhachi)
2017 Not Bound Fortune Quartet with Daniel Carter (reeds), Michael Bisio (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)
2018 Accelerated Projection RogueArt Duo with Roscoe Mitchell (tenor & soprano sax, flute)
2018 Zero ESP-Disk Solo piano
2018 Sonic Fiction ESP-Disk Quartet with Mat Walerian (reeds), Michael Bisio (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)

As sideman[]

Release year Leader Title Label
1991 David S. Ware Great Bliss, Vol. 1 Silkheart
1991 David S. Ware Great Bliss, Vol. 2 Silkheart
1992 David S. Ware Flight of I DIW/Columbia
1993 David S. Ware Third Ear Recitation DIW
1994 David S. Ware Earthquation DIW
1995 David S. Ware Cryptology Homestead
1996 David S. Ware Oblations and Blessings Silkheart
1996 David S. Ware DAO Homestead
1996 David S. Ware Godspelized DIW
1997 David S. Ware Wisdom of Uncertainty AUM Fidelity
1998 David S. Ware Go See the World Columbia
2000 David S. Ware Surrendered Columbia
2001 David S. Ware Corridors & Parallels AUM Fidelity
2002 David S. Ware Freedom Suite AUM Fidelity
2003 David S. Ware Threads Thirsty Ear
2005 David S. Ware Live in the World Thirsty Ear
2006 David S. Ware BalladWare Thirsty Ear
2007 David S. Ware Renunciation AUM Fidelity
2009 David S. Ware Live in Vilnius NoBusiness
2016 David S. Ware Live in Sant'Anna Arresi, 2004 AUM Fidelity
1997 Rob Brown Blink of an Eye No More
1998 Mat Maneri So What? hatOLOGY
2001 Whit Dickey Life Cycle AUM Fidelity
2017 Whit Dickey Vessel in Orbit AUM Fidelity
2004 El-P High Water Thirsty Ear
1992 Roscoe Mitchell This Dance Is for Steve McCall Black Saint
1999 Roscoe Mitchell Nine to Get Ready ECM
2003 Roscoe Mitchell The Bad Guys Around Jazz
2014 Jemeel Moondoc The Zookeeper's House Relative Pitch
1996 Joe Morris Elsewhere Homestead
2000 Other Dimensions In Music Time Is of the Essence Is Beyond Time Homestead
1996 Ivo Perelman Cama de Terra Homestead
1997 Ivo Perelman Bendito of Santa Cruz Cadence Jazz
1999 Ivo Perelman Brazilian Watercolour Leo
2011 Ivo Perelman The Hour of the Star Leo
2012 Ivo Perelman The Foreign Legion Leo
2012 Ivo Perelman The Clairvoyant Leo
2012 Ivo Perelman The Gift Leo
2013 Ivo Perelman The Edge Leo
2013 Ivo Perelman The Art of the Duet, Volume One Leo
2013 Ivo Perelman Enigma Leo
2013 Ivo Perelman Serendipity Leo
2013 Ivo Perelman A Violent Dose of Anything Leo
2014 Ivo Perelman Book of Sound Leo
2014 Ivo Perelman The Other Edge Leo
2015 Ivo Perelman Callas Leo
2015 Ivo Perelman Butterfly Whispers Leo
2015 Ivo Perelman Complementary Colors Leo
2016 Ivo Perelman Soul Leo
2016 Ivo Perelman Corpo Leo
2016 Ivo Perelman The Art Of The Improv Trio Volume 3 Leo
2017 Ivo Perelman The Art Of Perelman-Shipp Volume 1: Titan Leo
2017 Ivo Perelman The Art Of Perelman-Shipp Volume 2: Tarvos Leo
2017 Ivo Perelman The Art Of Perelman-Shipp Volume 3: Pandora Leo
2017 Ivo Perelman The Art Of Perelman-Shipp Volume 4: Hyperion Leo
2017 Ivo Perelman The Art Of Perelman-Shipp Volume 5: Rhea Leo
2017 Ivo Perelman The Art Of Perelman-Shipp Volume 6: Saturn Leo
2017 Ivo Perelman The Art Of Perelman-Shipp Volume 7: Dione Leo
2017 Ivo Perelman Live in Brussels Leo
2017 Ivo Perelman Live in Baltimore Leo
2017 Ivo Perelman Heptagon Leo
2017 Ivo Perelman Scalene Leo
2017 Ivo Perelman Philosopher's Stone Leo
2018 Ivo Perelman Oneness Leo

Bibliography[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Um café Com... Matthew Shipp". YouTube. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  2. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Art of the Improviser." All Music Guide. February 2011.
  3. ^ Reich, Howard. "Matthew Shipp at 50." Chicago Tribune. February 2011.
  4. ^ Layman, Will (September 23, 2013) "Matthew Shipp: Piano Sutras". PopMatters.
  5. ^ "RogueArt, JAZZ label". Web.roguart.com. Retrieved January 31, 2013.

External links[]

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