Matthew Shipp

Matthew Shipp has reached the holy grail of jazz in that he possesses a unique style on his instrument that is all of his own, and he's one of the few in jazz that can say so. Shipp has recorded a lot of albums with many labels but his 2 most enduring relationships have been with two labels. In the 1990s he recorded a number of chamber jazz cds with Hatology, a group of cds that charted a new course for jazz that, to this day, the jazz world has not realized. In the 2000s Mr. Shipp has been curator and director of the label Thirsty Ear's "Blue Series" and has also recorded for them. In this collection of recordings he has generated a whole body of work that is visionary, far-reaching, and many-faceted. Matthew Shipp is truly one of the leading lights of a new generation of jazz giants. A musician who deserves a place of choice in the jazz piano pantheon - Matthew Shipp is the connection between this past, present, and future for jazz heads of all ages. (Downbeat) It's a joy to follow his ardent flow unfolding like a well-told surrealist narrative. (New York Times) Shipp has helped define, with uncommon distinction, a fresh range of possibilities for contemporary pianism grounded in the jazz tradition - raise complex questions and yet invites listeners in. (Wall Street Journal)