The Conduct of Jazz
| The Conduct of Jazz | ||||
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| Studio album by Matthew Shipp | ||||
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Publication |
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| Label (s) | Thirsty Ear | |||
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Format (s) |
CD |
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Title (number) |
7th |
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running time |
49:38 |
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| occupation |
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Peter Gordon |
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Studio (s) |
Systems Two, Brooklyn |
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The Conduct of Jazz is a jazz album by Matthew Shipp . The recordings, made on May 28, 2015 in Studio Systems Two, Brooklyn, were released on October 23, 2015 on Thirsty Ear .
background
John Sharpe pointed out that in the mid-2010s, Matthew Shipp's work in small groups had long been the focus of his oeuvre, most recently especially in the format of the classical piano trio. The Conduct of Jazz represented Shipp's twelfth release in this format, although the staff of his trio had gradually changed over the years. During these recordings, drummer Newman Taylor Baker , who replaced Whit Dickey , made his debut alongside bassist Michael Bisio . The title “Stream of Light” is a solo performance by Shipps.
Track list
- Matthew Shipp Trio: The Conduct of Jazz (Thirsty Ear THI57211.2)
- Instinctive Touch 5:06
- The Conduct of Jazz 7:48
- Ball in space 6:44
- Primary Form 4:45
- Blue Abyss 6:33
- Stream of Light 5:24
- The Bridge Across 12:34
All compositions are by Matthew Shipp.
reception
According to John Sharpe, who reviewed the album on All About Jazz , Shipp is a unique stylist who performs his unforgettable mix of infectious motifs, pearly runs and avalanches of dense clusters. He is in charge of a rhythmic democracy that often frees both bassists and drummers from the tyranny of time play, although occasionally, as in "Blue Abyss", they all come together to create an exciting effect. Otherwise Bisio enjoys almost complete freedom, manifested in a stream of weird comments. Baker offers similarly astute side effects and brings openness and transparency into the joint game. Although some of the topics are closely related to earlier Shipp constructs, this is "not a problem, as their function is to shape the container".
Also in All About Jazz , Glenn Astarita wrote that Shipp led the trio through works designed with rhythmically based overtures, bop influences, and a few allusions to Thelonious Monk as he eloquently slipped in and out of moody hooks. Otherwise, he emphasizes his improvisational tendencies, starting with a staggered process that gradually ascends and the lower register is intertwined with lively whirlwinds and deep block chords. His playing also contains a touch of Bill Evans ' warmth and a melodramatic pull as he dynamically changes the tempo. "Here rolling waves merge with hammering accents and other factors that are permeated by polytonal beauty and a multi-dimensional perspective," says Astarita's summary.
Steve Greeenlee said in JazzTimes that after previous Matthew Shipp albums this is almost mainstream jazz . Nevertheless, this music is Shipps, who has always disregarded the acceptance by the general public, as close to the radio taste as Shipp had ever produced before, and yet it is also unmistakably his: “Shipps aesthetically challenging compositions, powerful play, could never be confused with those of others. ”Bisio, with whom Shipp has worked several times before, is an inconspicuous present who swings in his game and offers an unexpected counterpoint , but never vies for attention even in a solo. Baker has a lighter touch on the drums than some of Shipp's earlier cohorts, the author believes: he may act with more swing and is often content with suggesting a rhythm rather than playing one directly. Shipp was a fully developed artist at this point, Greenlee sums up, relying on his own influences as well as influencing others.
John Garratt ( Pop Matters ) said The Conduct of Jazz was not about Shipp's aim to erase the past [of jazz] in order to pave the way for the future. The title track of the album has very unmistakable references to Duke Ellington in the rhythms and Thelonious Monk in the harmonies, but The Conduct of Jazz certainly doesn't sound like a step backwards.
According to Bill Meyer, who reviewed the album in Dusted , Shipp's devotion to structure stands out. Since his time with David S. Ware, the pianist has grown in understanding of what holds music together. "By now, Shipp's themes are often permeated with classical notions of event and drama, but the vectors and forces that drive this music are rooted in the physics of jazz." The title "Blue Abyss" affirms the importance of another foundation - heaviness . Shipp's expression of the theme is bass-heavy and deliberately timed, and his and Bisio's rush to get there only reinforces his threatening presence. "But where it once rumbled like a thundercloud, Shipp now leaves space in the music and easily slides in and out of the negative spaces created by the periodic dropouts of the rhythm section." As the title suggests, Meyer , jazz is made this way - by embracing change.
S. Victor Aaron performed in Something Else! Choosing to do jazz is often a decision between sticking to established ways of playing the idiom or taking risks and trying something that tries to push the boundaries. For the few who have really developed their own voice, this is not a dilemma. "Your personality is the dominant force in your music, regardless of whether you play" in the tradition "or take a bold new direction." This was also the constant of Shipp's recordings, which not only extended over several decades, but over so many projects based on ideas that alternately approached the mainstream and, in the minds of so-called traditionalists, flew into a galaxy far away. Overall, such distinctions do not matter. It's all Shipp music. On this album it is the music of a Shipp trio, which is currently closer to modern mainstream jazz than to free jazz - at least compared to most of his records. The attempt to play “straight” does not have to give up the long-cherished habit of playing with a playful sense of adventure.
Web links
- Listing of the album on Allmusic (English). Retrieved August 13, 2020.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b John Sharpe: Matthew Shipp Trio: The Conduct of Jazz. All About Jazz, December 1, 2015, accessed August 11, 2020 .
- ^ Matthew Shipp Trio: The Conduct of Jazz at Discogs
- ↑ Glenn Astarita: Matthew Shipp Trio: The Conduct of Jazz. All About Jazz, July 6, 2015, accessed August 7, 2020 .
- ↑ teve Greeenlee: Matthew Shipp Trio: The Conduct of jazz. JazzTimes, December 8, 2015, accessed August 7, 2020 .
- ^ John Garratt: Matthew Shipp Trio: The Conduct of Jazz. Pop Matters, November 9, 2015, accessed August 11, 2020 .
- ^ Bill Meyer: Matthew Shipp Trio: The Conduct of Jazz. Dusted, November 30, 2015, accessed August 11, 2020 .
- ^ S. Victor Aaron: Matthew Shipp Trio - The Conduct of Jazz (2015). Something Else, July 6, 2020, accessed August 7, 2020 .