Piano Vortex

I love the artwork and I love the idea behind the Blue Series but as with a lot of Matthew Shipp releases he never seems focused enough, even for avant-guard jazz. At times it sounds like he's just playing the piano for the fun of it and hopes a decent sound comes out of it. Some of the tracks are ok on here, like To Vitalize and the title track but for the most part the drums are way to far in th... read more

Description: Matthew Shipp, Stepping away from his electronic proclivities, delves deep into the original format that first gave birth to the very idea of jazz itself: The absolute freedom of an acoustic session. Joined by Whit Dickey on drums and Joe Morris on bass, Matthew's compositions ring with fresh new material that shows his expansive musical vocabulary. His trademark piano playing is, as always, beyond par, and the bass/drum interplay is nothing short of a deep musical conversation. But the real star is Shipp and his piano. This album is a testament to Shipp's uncontended mastery of the instrument. A must for all fans of "the Matthew Shipp, Stepping away from his electronic proclivities, delves deep into the original format that first gave birth to the very idea of jazz itself: The absolute freedom of an acoustic session.

Joined by Whit Dickey on drums and Joe Morris on bass, Matthew's compositions ring with fresh new material that shows his expansive musical vocabulary. His trademark piano playing is, as always, beyond par, and the bass/drum interplay is nothing short of a deep musical conversation. But the real star is Shipp and his piano. This album is a testament to Shipp's uncontended mastery of the instrument.

A must for all fans of "the real jazz" ... (more) (less)