Prolific jazz pianist Matthew Shipp...

By Bret Saunders

There's prolific and then there's whatever word you would apply to New York-based pianist Matthew Shipp. He has four separate CD projects in the marketplace so far in 2011: two duet projects with saxophonists, a gloriously eccentric collaboration with hip-hop artistsAntipop Consortium("Knives From Heaven") and a two-CD set on the Thirsty Ear label that may well hold his most rewarding music on disc to date.

"The Art of the Improviser" excerpts two 2010 concerts — an intense trio performance and a solo odyssey that puts his imagination on full display. Shipp, as much as any current jazz pianist, has formed a style that would appear to owe very little to those who came before him. That's a problem when it comes to writing about his music, but it won't detract from the enjoyment of his approach if the listener puts history aside and is just willing to let the sound wash over them.

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band will perform Friday at the Denver Botanic Gardens, along with fellow New Orleans staples Allen Toussaint and Buckwheat Zydeco. ( Getty Images file photo )

"The major thing is I wanted to create my own universe, an extension of my mind," says Shipp, who will play with his trio at Dazzle on Friday. "But even though you want to be you, a lot of things got taken into my system. I wouldn't want to emphasize one thing over another."

There are a couple of clues in terms of influences on Shipp to be found on "Improviser." A cover ofDuke Ellington's "Take the A Train" pays its respects to Ellington's orchestral piano, but at the same time is perhaps the most 'out' documentation of the classic sinceSun Ratook it on in Montreux in 1976.

The solo track "Gamma Ray" is a Shipp original that could have been composed byThelonious Monk. And I hear traces ofDon Pullenin his freer moments and occasionally some of Keith Jarrett's almost trance-like approach. Ultimately, though, Shipp follows his own muse, and his music is the better for it.

Going back about 20 years, Shipp has played on a stunning number of recordings; as a leader and a sideman. I (geekily) wonder if he actually has a copy of every recording on which he has performed.

"I think I actually do. I'm looking at that pile as I talk to you," he says with a laugh.

Read more:Prolific jazz pianist Matthew Shipp shifts toward more live performances - The Denver Posthttp://www.denverpost.com/music/ci_18434666?source=rss#ixzz1Rmbg06XK
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