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Matthew Shipp & Mat Walerian Duo/The Uppercut: Live At Okuden
ByWhile the familiar tropes which make Shipp such a distinctive stylist remain in place, he pursues them without the single mindedness that characterizes his own dates, thereby allowing ample room for Walerian to shine. For his part the Pole exudes a spare melodicism, predominantly relying on the conventional registers of his alto saxophone and bass clarinet to express the speech like inflections of his lines. In fact conversational exchange forms the main currency of the duet, in which Walerian's free flowing legato contrasts with the pianist's spiky staccato accompaniment.
Although separated into individual cuts, the first five pieces flow together. Walerian's boppish bass clarinet opens alone on "Introduction," before Shipp combines in sparkling lyrical vein, with bluesy undertones emanating from both. On "Blues For Acid Cold" Walerian turns brooding and mournful, and is still reflective on "Jungle Meditation," though stretching the envelope with whistling sighs. He switches to alto saxophone for the next two selections, in animated dialogue on the joint "Free Bop Statement One" and then breathy but insistent on "Free Bop Statement Two." However it is "Love And The Other Species" which represents the high point of the recital, as Walerian's alto spirals and soars above Shipp's thunderous clusters before a gradual easing down to a subdued conclusion.
Track Listing
Introduction; Blues For Acid Cold; Jungle Meditation; Free Bop Statement One; Free Bop Statement Two; It's Sick Out There; Love And The Other Species; Peace And Respect; Black Rain; Encore.
Personnel
Matthew Shipp: piano; Mat Walerian: alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute.
Album information
Title: Live At Okuden | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: ESP Disk