MATTHEW SHIPP'S NEW ORBIT

Thirsty Ear Records, better known for acts like ambient pioneer Brian Eno and singer/spoken word artist Henry Rollins, is trying something a little different with their new line of jazz albums known as The Blue Series. One of the new offerings is New Orbit from Matthew Shipp. Shipp, a master jazz pianist from New York, was an understudy of Dennis Sandole, who also taught John Coltrane. The beauty of New Orbit is in its simplicity. Comprised almost entirely of no more than a piano, bass and horn, there isn’t a lot to get in the way of the simple layers of sound. Contemporary jazz influences are obvious, but parallels can also be drawn between Shipp and classic jazz composers of yesteryear, like Thelonius Monk. The album ranges from dark and brooding tracks like “Paradox X”, to more jazzy and upbeat numbers like “Syntax”. New Orbit succeeds in doing what every album should do: open musical doors for the listener and allow them to explore the work at different levels. Every track is a completely new experience, yet each track feeds into the next. It remains cohesive in this way and is a very well produced piece of work. Look for New Orbit in stores on January 16th or visit thirstyear.com today.