{"id":9537,"date":"2018-05-10T13:14:05","date_gmt":"2018-05-10T20:14:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rifftides\/?p=9537"},"modified":"2018-05-10T13:14:05","modified_gmt":"2018-05-10T20:14:05","slug":"review-matthew-shipp-solo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rifftides\/2018\/05\/review-matthew-shipp-solo\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Matthew Shipp Solo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matthew Shipp, Zero<\/a><\/em>, ESP<\/p>\n

\"\"For years pianist Shipp has gone his own unconventional way. Critics have shunted him into the avant garde piano category. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not where he belongs. He is the sole occupant of the Matthew Shipp category. The listener with open ears will understand that individuality is the core of Shipp\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s approach. The title of his new solo album, Zero<\/em>, may suggest metaphysical implications. My advice is, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t worry about metaphysical implications. Simply listen to Shipp\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s keyboard mastery and the wide range of emotions in his playing\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand leave categories behind.<\/p>\n

Shipp is a natural collaborator. His most frequent recording companions are musicians who share his comfort with free expression. There are few videos of him playing alone. The following Fifteen-minute recording is an exception that can serve as an introduction to his solo work. It was shot a few years ago at Outpost 186 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It ends abruptly.<\/p>\n

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