Label: Esp-Disk, 2020
Personnel - Matthew Shipp: piano; Michael Bisio: double bass; Newman Taylor Baker: drums.
The phenomenal pianist Matthew Shipp leads one of the best trios currently at work. Relying on the acute, sensitive responsiveness of bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Newman Taylor Baker, Shipp creates freely with a broad aesthetic range that goes beyond the expected. The three musicians are mavericks of the rhythm and texture who cultivate an exemplary balance between discipline and abandon. Wonderful, lyrical moments are extracted from the new album, The Unidentifiable, starting with “Blue Transport System”, which, possessing that kind of slow, seductive rhythmic flow that keeps us engaged, also pulsates at a quiet boil. Bisio’s melodious bass helps to cultivate this trance-like penchant for reverie, and the lovely finale is worthy of a film-noir score.
“Phantom Journey” resonates in its own harmonic force. The bulky chords are filled with color, timely disquieted by the loud, percussive outbursts that emerge from the far left reaches of Shipp’s keyboard. It’s a thrilling, occasionally spooky ride, and yet the tune’s main rhythmic idea suggests nu-jazz vibes and a taste of Latin. Also evocative in its soundscapes, “The Unidentifiable” and “Regeneration” proves the trio atypically indulging in different moods and rhythms with magnificent results. If on the former piece the trio brings the magnetic modal jazz of the 60’s to the center, supplementing it with an uncanny ability to swing and an unaccompanied bass solo; on the latter, they embark on an engrossing calypso cruise that never ceases to surprise. The excellence of the groove is impressive and comes with a pristine melody atop.
Whereas “The Dimension” is a solitary piano ride professed with understated yet intense fervor, “Loop” is a free ramble that includes fluttery run-ups as part of the call-and-response methodology followed by the trio.
The record closes out with “New Heaven New Earth”, a tune bookended by arco bass slashes of various tones, although it’s Baker’s scintillating brushwork that really ends it. At the very center, Shipp exteriorizes with wit and irony, revolving around certain elements. Epic narratives are forged through nimble snare drum routines and piano cadences, and that disciplined sonic architecture is enriched with textural waves of improvisation.
The charm and energy are palpable throughout the album’s 11 tracks. This is such an elastic trio, whose immense resources take them wherever they want.
Grade A
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Blue Transport System ► 03 - Phantom Journey ► 07 - The Unidentifiable