Matthew Shipp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matthew Shipp
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Matthew Shipp in 2005.
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| Background information | |
| Born | December 7, 1960 Wilmington, Delaware, United States |
| Genres | Free jazz, avant-garde jazz, free improvisation, post bop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | Thirsty Ear, FMP, No More, hatOLOGY, RogueArt, ESP-Disk, AUM Fidelity |
Matthew Shipp (born December 7, 1960) is an American musician. He is a talented jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader. He is known for his unique style of avant-garde jazz music. This type of jazz explores new sounds and ideas.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Shipp grew up in Wilmington, Delaware. He started playing the piano when he was six years old. His mother was friends with the famous trumpeter Clifford Brown. Matthew loved jazz music. He also played in rock bands during high school.
He went to the University of Delaware for one year. Then, he studied at the New England Conservatory of Music. There, he learned from saxophonist and composer Joe Maneri. Matthew also took private lessons from Dennis Sandole. Sandole also taught the legendary saxophonist John Coltrane. These lessons were very important for Matthew's musical growth.
Music Career
Matthew Shipp moved to New York City in 1984. Since the early 1990s, he has been very active in music. He has appeared on many albums. He has been a leader, a band member, or a producer.
At first, Shipp was mostly known for free jazz. This is a style of jazz that allows musicians to improvise freely. But he has also explored other types of music. These include classical music, hip hop, and electronica.
Music experts say Matthew Shipp has a very special style. AllMusic described his style as "unique" and "instantly recognizable." Larry Blumenfeld from Jazziz magazine called him "stunning in originality."
Many famous artists admire Matthew Shipp's work. David Bowie praised his music. Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth noted that Matthew's concerts attract different kinds of fans. Matthew Shipp has even opened for Sonic Youth as part of the David S. Ware Quartet. He also worked with punk-rock icon Henry Rollins. Rollins released several of Shipp's albums. Rollins said that Matthew's music "stretches the limits of what is considered Jazz." He called Matthew "a true artist and visionary."
Working with Other Musicians
When Matthew Shipp first came to New York, he met William Parker. Parker is a bassist. Parker later suggested Matthew for saxophonist David S. Ware's quartet. This group became very famous. It included Parker and different drummers over time. The David S. Ware Quartet recorded many albums. In 2001, a critic called them "the best small band in jazz today." After Ware passed away, Shipp said their group was unique. He felt they brought something new and beautiful to free jazz.
Shipp was also part of Roscoe Mitchell's Note Factory. He has played with many other musicians too. These include DJ Spooky, El-P, and Ivo Perelman. He also co-leads a group called East Axis.
Album Releases
Matthew Shipp has worked a lot with Thirsty Ear Records. He was a main advisor and released many albums with them. His 2011 album, Art of the Improviser, was a double album. AllMusic said it showed his musical journey. His 2013 solo piano album, Piano Sutras, was also highly praised. It was called "music that frames up a whole history." In 2015, he released The Conduct of Jazz with his trio.
He also started working with RogueArt in France. From 2006 to 2022, he released many albums with them. Some were solo, and others were with other musicians. A book called Singularity Codex: Matthew Shipp on RogueArt was written about his work with this label. It also talks about his life and the jazz scene in New York City.
Shipp began working with ESP-Disk in 2015. He released a duo album with Mat Walerian called Live at Okuden. He also released several albums with his trio. These include Signature, The Unidentifiable, World Construct, and New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz. World Construct was called "a career-defining album." New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz was described as "an album of great beauty." In 2022, he released Fruition with Ivo Perelman. An NPR review said they reach "a higher flow state in real time."
In 2020, Whit Dickey, a longtime friend, started a label called Tao Forms. This label has released several of Matthew Shipp's solo and collaboration albums.
Discography
Matthew Shipp has released many albums as a leader or co-leader, and as a sideman (playing with other artists). Here are some examples of his many works:
As leader/co-leader
- 1988: Sonic Explorations (Duo with Rob Brown)
- 1992: Circular Temple (Trio with William Parker, Whit Dickey)
- 1996: Symbol Systems (Solo piano)
- 1999: DNA (Duo with William Parker)
- 2001: New Orbit (Quartet with Wadada Leo Smith, William Parker, Gerald Cleaver)
- 2005: One (Solo piano)
- 2010: 4D (Solo piano)
- 2011: Art of the Improviser (Solo piano and trio)
- 2015: The Conduct of Jazz (Trio with Michael Bisio, Newman Taylor Baker)
- 2018: Zero (Solo piano)
- 2020: The Piano Equation (Solo piano)
- 2022: World Construct (Trio with Michael Bisio, Newman Taylor Baker)
As sideman
Matthew Shipp has played piano on many albums led by other musicians. He was a key member of the David S. Ware Quartet, appearing on many of their albums from 1991 to 2016. He has also played with Roscoe Mitchell, Ivo Perelman, and many others.
See also
In Spanish: Matthew Shipp para niños
