This one gets an automatic pass on three counts: one, the name “elastic” is close to my name “plastic alto”. Two, anything that Philly-based curator and producer Mark Christman of Ars Nova finds I tend to want to hear; I caught about five shows during my Philly-sojourn days a few years back, including Mary Halvorson with John Tchicai. Three, I think I recall Eric Hanson (Tree Lawn, Yoshis, Williams College, Steppin’ In, tribelines) saying he briefly managed Matthew Shipp, who I actually only know by name not sound or sight. (Which, and again, that is how plastic alto rolls or stretches or folds or bends of expands or expends — and now I have a Richard Serra reference in my Uri Caine digression, reminds me that Uri Caine is coming to town, although when I finally met his brother my neighbor Gidon Caine — and they say timing is everything — I could not have gone worse, me catching him backing his car out of driveway kids late to school, I gather).

Elastic Aspects in Philly

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Ars Nova Workshop
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Philadelphia Art Alliance
251 S. 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA Map
Price: $15 General Admission
Buy Tickets
Friday, March 9, 2012 – 8:00pm
Matthew Shipp Trio
Record Release Celebration
Matthew Shipp, piano
Michael Bisio, bass
Whit Dickey , drums
Please join Ars Nova Workshop for the Philadelphia debut of the Matthew Shipp Trio. Following 2011’s spectacular The Art Of The Improviser LP, tonight Shipp’s Trio celebrates the upcoming release of Elastic Aspects on Thirsty Ear Recordings.

“It is listening to Matthew Shipp’s work that has always been a reminder to me that real jazz music—no matter how refined or complex it can be—relies primarily on guts,” wrote Henry Rollins when Ars Nova Workshop asked the punk-rock icon to comment on his longtime friend on the eve of Shipp’s last Philadelphia performance in October, 2010. Rollins goes on to emphasize the startling physicality of Shipp’s uncompromising playing—sometimes elegant and sometimes brutal, Shipp slams and seduces the keys unlike any other jazz pianist to create a delightfully aural and stunningly visual event.

Shipp’s played piano since he was 5-years-old, studied at the New England Conservatory of Music with saxophonist Joe Maneri, and cut his teeth working with Roscoe Mitchell and David S. Ware. He’s since worked with many leading jazz musicians, including William Parker, Khan Jamal and Joe Morris. His most recent recording is The Art Of The Improviser—a double-LP showcasing one side of solo pieces and another with his trio featuring bassist Michael Bisio and Whit Dickey.

The trio formed in 2009, though the three have worked with each other in various configurations over the years—Dickey worked in trio with Shipp and William Parker, and also alongside Shipp in David S. Ware’s Quartet. Bassist Bisio’s been on the scene since the early 1980s, working over the years with Joe McPhee, John Tchicai and Marilyn Crispell. Following their debut recording in 2011, the trio is set to release a series of new compositions and improvisations on Thirsty Ear Recordings titled Elastic Aspects, which they will perform tonight.

Photo: Peter Gannushkin, DOWNTOWNMUSIC.NET. doesn’t show up here:(

but go to his or their link

Links (will open in new window):
Matthew Shipp (Official Website)

edit to add, April 2, 2012: speaking of Uri Caine, which is probably not fair to Matthew Shipp — although I will make it up to him, or my version of him, with the longer Shipp/shabbat piece — the latest part of my story about stalking my neighbor Gidon Caine the lawyer is that I saw him again the other night, while I was simultaneously stalking his neighbor Mac the Professor to bug him or say “mazel tov” about his engagement — and I was uncharacteristically holding in my arms for about 20 minutes the dog, Frida the Cocker — I had progressed from walking the dog to stalking two neighbors, because Mac’s bride to be said she wanted to pass on to Terry “some good news” — anyhow, Mr. Caine the Not Musician was reparking his Benz and I yelled out “Did you see Uri’s show?” and he ignored me but when I repeated it