Matthew Shipp:
A Crack in the Jazz Egg
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Well
yeah, go ahead and call Matthew Shipp a jazz pianist, because that in a way
is precisely what he is. But, good god, he strides far outside whatever
done-to-death images that expression is going to conjur, and clearly, clearly itÕs time to do a little
probing on that score. The NYC-based musician, whoÕs also worked in several
decidedly non-trad jazz collaborative contexts (David S. Ware, El-P, DJ
Spooky, the Maneri Ensemble, Spring Heel Jack, Roscoe Mitchell's Note
Factory, the William Parker Quartet, among numerous varied others), now
comes with the latest in a lengthy series of tightrope walks high above
craggy chasms: ShippÕs new 4D album on the essential Thirsty
Ear label finds him focusing fiercely in a difficult but immensely
rewarding (give it some time, please) slew of keyboard challenges that draw
from familiar and arcane archives in the trad jazz idiom and splice them
Ôtween overtly pointyheaded harmonic/structural densities of the Euro
neo-classical and new-music territories. Matthew ShippÕs forte and relevant
achievement is the ferociously intelligent way he stamps very personal points and lines on
this meltdown of traditions.
BLUEFAT:
Your new
album is pure music, and a very exacting exploration of ideas and
problem-solving. What does it say about your relationship to jazz?
I
donÕt have problems with the term jazz. To me, itÕs a label which is necessary in the
practical world, even though in the metaphysical world of making the music
there are no labels, thereÕs just making music. But being a pragmatist, I
can understand that youÕve got to have a part of the record store to put
the album in. As for my relationship to jazz, I guess IÕm a jazz musician
ÐÐ IÕm an African American improvisational musician, and thatÕs been
defined as ÒjazzÓ if you do that, soÉ
(continued)
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