Matthew Shipp was born December 7, 1960, in Wilmington, Delaware. At five years old, he began playing piano with regular piano lessons that most children have had. At 12 years old, he fell in love jazz. He quickly rose to prominence in New York’s jazz scene after he moved there in 1984. Before deciding to focus on his music, he was a sideman for the David S. Ware Quartet and Roscoe Mitchell’s Note Factory. He has achieved the holy grail in jazz by displaying a unique style on the instrument. This is something that few jazz musicians can claim to be able to do. Although he has recorded many albums with different labels, his two most lasting relationships are with 2 labels. He recorded several chamber jazz CDs with Hatology in the 1990s, which was a pioneering group for jazz. He was also the director and curator of Thirsty Ear’s Blue Series label and recorded for them in the 2000s. He has created a vast collection of work which is visionary, broad-ranging and multifaceted. Matthew Shipp is a true leader of a new generation jazz giants. bio at www.matthewshipp.com
