Other Dimensions in Music with Matthew Shipp
Time is of the Essence is Beyond Time
Aum Fidelity
Other Dimensions in Music are one of New York’s finest “ecstatic jazz” quartets, augmented on this release by piano player Matthew Shipp. While ODIM’s previous release, NOW! was light, dexterous, melodic and flowing, this CD is an altogether different beast. Matthew Shipp has a heavy touch, and a tendency to engage in creating long passages of thick, heavy chords. This adds weight to the music, but these musicians are more than capable of adapting.
William Parker’s bowed bass elegy on track 2 (none of the tracks are titled) is simply beautiful, and when Daniel Carter comes in on flute accented by Rashied Bakr’s subtle drum statements, you feel that unique improv magic that sets your hair on end. They build on this with Carter and Shipp exchanging comments over the flow of Bakr’s drums. Nothing lasts too long, and the mix shifts to showcase Roy Campbell’s trumpet, which then gives in to furious group interplay. I love the dynamism of ecstatic jazz, that never changing quality that always keeps a firm hold of your attention. Unlike some records, there are never passages where you forget that the music is on. The more focus that you give the record, the more it gives back. That’s quality.
AUM Fidelity, P.O. Box 170147, Brooklyn, NY 11217; http://www.aumfidelity.com
