Matthew Shipp is one of the most reliably exciting pianists in the world regardless of how he chooses to record, and this excellent album is another example of his mastery of the solo piano format. This album was recorded live in May of 2016 at the Taktlos Festival and features a concentrated burst of improvisational vigor. One of the most interesting aspects of Shipp's piano style is how he makes the most of the entire length and breadth of the piano, juxtaposing cascading runs with powerful low end depth charges. It makes every performance unique and allows him to draw on a vivid palate of sound. "Intro Z" begins with a gentle and melodic opening, that slowly gathers pace, developing themes and improvisations and gradually working them into the overall improvisation, changing the tactile nature and temperament of the music. The music becomes complex and fleet of foot, expanding the improvisation into a focused core. "Pocket" is a short concentrated burst of musical energy, with Shipp rippling across the keyboard, punctuating his light runs with booming bass chords. This leads to "Gamma Ray" with its deceptively gentle opening subsumed by crashing sounds and urgent clusters of notes. He makes the most of changes in dynamics, with the spaces that in-between the musical poles. There is a lush opening to the standard "Tenderly" which is a surprise, but Shipp finds much to use within this song, stretching and pulling at the various threads of the music until something interesting begins to emerge. The music develops a sharp-angled tone, with an edginess that cuts and slices where very low tones are suddenly present in the music throwing the lighter portions into sharp relief. There is an urgency to "Monk's Nightmare" that takes the percussive piano attack of Thelonious and uses it to develop reverberating blasts of chords, moving into a relentless current of sound that is very exciting to listen to. Motifs and lines of though carom off one an other in a dynamic fashion, as the music spools out making it the longest track and centerpiece of the album. There is a crystal clarity to "Blue in Orion" with notes hanging in space like stars in the sky, mixing melodic lines and improvisations, before the music evolves into "It" which features cascading avalanches of notes punctuated by dramatic silences. Matthew Shipp stays true to his own style, no matter what the musical situation, and this is a powerful example of music that channels the spirit of exploration and a personal philosophy of continuous growth, allowing him to bring his inner strength of character to forefront.
Invisible Touch At Taktlos Zürich - amazon.com
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