Product Description

Matthew Shipp, Stepping away from his electronic proclivities, delves deep into the original format that first gave birth to the very idea of jazz itself: The absolute freedom of an acoustic session.


Joined by Whit Dickey on drums and Joe Morris on bass, Matthew's compositions ring with fresh new material that shows his expansive musical vocabulary. His trademark piano playing is, as always, beyond par, and the bass/drum interplay is nothing short of a deep musical conversation. But the real star is Shipp and his piano. This album is a testament to Shipp's uncontended mastery of the instrument.


A must for all fans of "the real jazz"

Track Listing

1. Piano Vortex
2. Keyswing
3. The New Circumstance
4. Nooks And Corners
5. Sliding Through Space
6. Quivering With Speed
7. Slips Through The Fingers
8. To Vitalize

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #235409 in Music
• Released on: 2007-08-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .18 pounds

Review
Piano Vortex is the most intimate resoriding Shipp has made in a long while. He looks back through the music's history and speaks with it, as it informs his own extension of it. This is an intimate and unvarnished look at Shipp as a jazz pianist as we've ever heard on record --All Music Guide

Review
One of the most enjoyable, concetnrated and potent outings I've heard from shipp-a dense exciting piano sprint. The creative joy becomes obvious and his music's vitality carried the day.

Shipp's playing is about not only what ripples on the surface, but the anxious thoughts and feelings that rumble underneath. --All About Jazz

Review
Shipp's restless and experimental nature has made it possible to overlook his melodic ingenuity and piano vortex is a good place to re-examine that side of him --Snap

Customer Reviews

Forefront of modern jazz improvisation
Pianist and composer Matthew Shipp has led a fascinating dual career recently, performing in both electric and acoustic contexts, as a leader and as a sideman. On this occasion he is the leader of an acoustic trio, joined by Joe Morris on bass and Whit Dickey on drums. The music presented here shows the dualism as well, with an almost even split between freer more abstract improvisations, and material that focuses on melody and lyricism. On the freer side, "Piano Vortex" is slow developing and moody, a long probing improvisation that shifts like the tide. "The New Circumstance" has a bowed bass opening with spare, dark flavored piano that evolves into a repeating percussive figure. "Slips Through the Fingers" is a feature for crystalline solo piano. "Keyswing" and "Nooks and Corners" shows the band's more melodic side with a definite Thelonious Monk influence, sounding playful and providing short and concise performances. "Quivering With Speed" combines pounding squalls of low register piano with rippling runs on the upper register to great effect. Throughout the disc there is excellent interplay between the three musicians, and the disc's LP length makes sure that it never overstays its welcome. This is a very good album, and shows that Matthew Shipp remains at the forefront of modern jazz improvisation.

Excellent
Matthew Shipp has really been on a purple streak the last few years, making several outstanding records. This trio in my mind is perfectly on the fence between "inside" and "outside" playing, and often swings hard. "Key Swing" reminds me a bit of Herbie Nichols, but with an edge. This is an invigorating, refreshing listen that goes beyond the sometimes stale piano trio format without going too far out. Highly recommended.