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Ivo Perelman: Armageddon Flower

by John Sharpe
Pianist Matthew Shipp serves as the fulcrum of Armageddon Flower, a riveting quartet date that unites two longstanding units: the duo with tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman, and his String Trio with violist Mat Maneri and bassist William Parker. However, no-one is confined by past roles. Each of these four players has collaborated in multiple configurations over the last three decades. So four known quantities perhaps, but the familiarity here breeds neither complacency nor predictability. What emerges is a daring, combustible ...
Continue ReadingIvo Perelman: Armageddon Flower

by Mike Jurkovic
Ekphrastic by design, Armageddon Flower, the forty-seventh bold, forward-thinking testament pairing saxophonist Ivo Perelman and pianist Matthew Shipp is the duo's new zenith in a tireless exploration dating back nearly thirty years. It is another view from the pinnacle of their brotherhood that includes such watermark recordings as the symbiotic Live In Nuremberg (SMP, 2019), Fruition (ESP, 2022), Magical Incantations (Soul City Sounds, 2024) and the fanciful, Brazilian flavored Bendito of Santa Cruz (Cadence, 1996) which started it all.
Continue ReadingMatthew Shipp: On The Ascent

by Doug Collette
The simultaneous release of two markedly different efforts documents pianist/composer Matthew Shipp's arguably inevitable ascent into the upper echelons of contemporary jazz. The man's rise to prominence has been inexorable to be sure, but all the more laudable for the slow but steady nature of his journey. As such, the arc of Shipp's career not surprisingly mirrors his musicianship: virtually without exception, playing alone or with others, he invariably takes his time to explore the possibilities of the material as ...
Continue ReadingMatthew Shipp: The Cosmic Piano

by Dan McClenaghan
Pianist Matthew Shipp has a mathematical side: The Multiplication Table (hatOLOGY, 1998) and The Piano Equation (Tao Forms, 2020) hint at this. He has a metabolic side: DNA (Thirsty Ear, 1999) and Right Hemisphere (Rogueart, 2008). And he has a solar system side: Gravitational Systems (hatOLOGY, 2000) and New Orbit (Thirsty Ear, 2001). And finally, though there is more, he goes into cosmic modes, on Cosmic Lieder (AUM Fidelity, 2011) and the disc at hand, The Cosmic Piano, a solo ...
Continue ReadingIvo Perelman & Matthew Shipp String Trio: Armageddon Flower

by Dan McClenaghan
Saxophonist Ivo Perelman's albums come at us relentlessly. He is prolific. Multiple albums per year is his norm. His approach is, more often than not, sound and fury, signifying... what? It is hard to say. Of his Armageddon Flower he says: Listening to this music is akin to reading the Book of Revelations in the Bible." Armageddon Flowers sounds like a search for truth, a deep quest for Rama or the Holy Ghost, the workings of the intricacies ...
Continue ReadingIvo Perelman & Matthew Shipp String Trio: Armageddon Flower

by Mark Corroto
Imagine our earliest ancestors huddled deep inside a cave, safe from the howling wind and stalking predators outside. A fire flickers at the center, casting erratic shadows onto the jagged walls. Among the tribe, someone watches those shadows--not with fear, but with imagination. Perhaps they see, in the dancing silhouettes, the outlines of animals hunted earlier that day. This individual reaches out, dips a crude brush in pigment and begins to trace the forms on stone. In that moment, a ...
Continue ReadingThe Musings of Matthew Shipp: Black Mystery School Pianists And Other Writings

by Mark Corroto
Black Mystery School Pianists And Other Writings Matthew Shipp93 Pages ISBN: # 978-1-57027-435-0Automedia2025 Whether you own one Matthew Shipp album or 250, his music inevitably raises the question: Where does his artistic vision originate? Understanding any artist is complex, but with someone as innovative as Shipp, deciphering his musical DNA is an especially intriguing pursuit. Anyone who has followed Shipp on social media knows he is an outspoken critic--not just of ...
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