The piano/sax duet is territory covered time and again by the highly individual pianist Matthew Shipp, and even when it’s one of countless pairings he’s done with tenor sax champ Ivo Perelman, there’s something new revealed in each encounter. On Then Now, Shipp is tossing around ideas on the fly with altoist Rob Brown, and a different partner brings about more than the usual variation in Shipp’s approach.
Matthew Shipp and Rob Brown go way back, well before Shipp’s long running collaborations with Perelman. They made a duo record back in 1988 (Sonic Explorations) that basically marked the launching point for both Shipp’s and Brown’s discography. Since then, Brown has appeared on a few Shipp projects as well as his own, and a lot for William Parker and Shipp’s former drummer, Whit Dickey.
Then Now is, like Sonic Explorations, a series of improvs loosely connected as a suite, only this time, there are no jazz standards attached at the end. Not that this matters: the essence of this tête-à-tête lies not in songs but in how two fiercely individual artists blend into a creative whole without compromising their identities. Across these eight improvisations, we hear them do that by making music on impulse, and judiciously using the levers of melody, harmony and rhythm to turn each piece into a narrative flow.
The beginning sax monologue on “Then Now #3” is a prime prototype of Brown’s Dolphy-isms advanced forward into today’s modern jazz sensibilities. Shipp slips in to modestly alter the harmonics of it, then goes on his own solo interpretation that brings even more delicacy out of Brown’s original inspiration. The percussive aspect of Shipp’s piano can often be overlooked when a drummer is present, but for performances such as “Then Now #4,” he displays a strong ability to control the flow from underneath, inserting beats at prime points all while comping telepathically.
The tightly weaved dialogue between Brown and Shipp throughout “Then Now #6” is really something to behold, it’s not something that’s possible without a profound understanding of each other’s tendencies and musical personalities.
Then Now is now available through RogueArt Records.
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