Song of the Week: Vamp to Vibe
Matthew Shipp
Vamp to Vibe
This weeks song of the week is by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp. Shipp is very prolific and seems to have been involved in at least 20 albums over the past 10 – 15 years, including DJ Spooky’s excellent hip-hop/jazz record Optometry, as well as curating the Thirsty Ear label’s eclectic modern jazz ‘Blue Series’ of CDs.
‘Vamp to Vibe’ is taken from Shipp’s 2003 album Equilibrium. His liner notes describe the music as continuing to explore ‘the elasticity of the jazz language when straight ahead jazz elements morph organically into more modern forms.’ Ah huh…
Ignore that I say and check out ‘Vamp to Vibe’s ‘can’t-get-that-bass-line-out-of-my-head’ piano and the innately groovy sound of the vibes (played here by Khan Jamal). It says more about contemporary jazz then words ever will.
‘Vamp to Vibe’ from Equilibrium, Thirsty Ear, 2003
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Tags: song of the week
April 28th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
There’s a touch of Herbie Hancock about it – also got an excellent espionage vibe going on..It’s similar to A Blue Note mid nineties CD (yes, it’s another comp’) where Blue Note tunes were remixed
April 29th, 2008 at 9:14 am
I know the Blue Note comp. you mean, but I’m not sure if Matthew Shipp would like to be compared to it! This track isn’t particularly representative of his stuff, which is usually more ‘freeform’ you could say. I saw him play last week actually and the gig comprised two one hour long sets of intense, but brilliant, improvisation.