A Whole System Of [CD]

Matthew Shipp & William Parker - A Whole System Of [CD]

Matthew Shipp is a seminal American avant-garde jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader, celebrated as a complete stylistic innovator. His career is defined by fierce intellectual independence and a disciplined, prolific dedication to expanding the boundaries of his art. In seamlessly bridging the avant-garde with 21st-century sonic landscapes, he has expanded the expressive possibilities of jazz itself. William Parker is a renowned master of the double bass and from the 1970s to present has been a central figure in the continued development of what is commonly called 'free jazz.' He is and always has been a prolific composer of highly estimable reach, a multi-instrumentalist and an expansive bandleader. He embodies a lifelong dedication to universal tonality -- as spiritual practice and community-building force -- work that has ensured the continuity of an essential art form and fostered a supportive ecosystem for generations of creative musicians. A Whole System Of is their brand-new Duo creation; only their fourth such album in this form. Celebrating their four-decade-spanning collaboration on a boundless range of work, the intimacy of duo puts to fore the consummate magic of their deeply developed communion. Shipp's career launched after moving to New York City, where he immediately sought out Parker. A defining period in both of their musical lives was membership in the David S. Ware Quartet, hailed as one of the premier bands in jazz history. Simultaneously, both began and continued building their own landmark and far-ranging discographies as leaders.