Matthew Shipp

Dynamic post-free-jazz pianist Matthew Shipp has enjoyed a long, prolific career as a sort of permanent work in progress. Born in Wilmington, DE, in 1960, Shipp attended the New England Conservatory and took private lessons from Dennis Sandole, John Coltrane’s mentor. After moving to New York, Shipp released Sonic Explorations, a promising set of duets with saxophonist Rob Brown, in 1988. On more than 70 albums as a leader or coleader, Shipp has distinguished himself as a cerebral modernist who can revel in swing, dissonance, and balladic tenderness—even over the course of a single track. Listeners can also trace Shipp’s evolution using his considerable number of solo albums, beginning with 1995’s Symbol Systems and including gems such as 2013’s Piano Sutras. Often accompanied by drummer Whit Dickey and/or bassist William Parker, Shipp has also done long stints in bands led by saxophonists David S. Ware and Ivo Perelman.