Having garnered some of the most excited reviews of his career with last year’s trio record New Concepts in Piano Jazz, maverick pianist Matthew Shipp pivots to his other most well-known concept: an improvised solo record. Unlike, say, Keith Jarrett, Shipp prefers to record in the studio, and avoids being (overtly) influenced by piano lessons or classical training. If anything except his own shimmering imagination rules The Cosmic Piano, it’s the twin towers of Cecil Taylor and the blues.
Like Taylor, Shipp wanders all over the keyboard to seemingly directionless purpose; also like the avant-garde piano demon, deep listening reveals a method to the mania. Unlike Taylor, Shipp doesn’t try to dismantle the keyboard with hurricane speed – indeed, if anything Shipp…

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