Equilibrium

For the casual listener accustomed to music geared to a commercial market, I suspect this album would seem inconsistent at best. But for those willing to be taken on Shipp's idea of a head trip, there's more reward than first hinted at. First of all, Shipp is in control of his game here. This CD's blending of jazz and electronic/ambient forms is the beneficiary of previous experimentation and Shipp has learned well how to use both jazz and electronica elements as he sees fit rather than being at their mercy. Being in control of one's tools rather than being control by the tools is the difference between good music (acoustic, electronic or anything in between) and soulless dribble. This refinement of his craft puts Shipp in a leading position in the "jazztronica" field at the present, and because of the all too often mediocre and sometimes downright fraudulent attempts at jazztronica by other jazz artists (Dave Douglas' overhyped, contemptible Freak In is a good, recent example), other musicians currently exploring electronica could certainly learn something from his example.

Compositionally, Shipp is working within a context rather than collecting individual pieces (this explains why there's only nine tracks of music totaling slightly more than 40 minutes). When listened to in context, the music spirals along in a stream evoking a diversity of shifting moods and depths, from ambiance setting title track to the darkly groovin' "Vamp to Vibe" to the spacey music caverns of "Nebula Theory" to the jazzy trip-hop meld "Cohesion" to the subtly askew "World of Blue Glass." A midpoint is marked by the unsettlingly incomplete "Portal," and three more tracks -- "The Roots," an edgy trip-hop piece featuring vibist Khan Jamal, the swinging and slightly creepy "The Key "(also featuring Jamal) and the free-formed, FX'd "Nu Matrix" -- take this exploratory music adventure to its trippy, ambient finish.

I suspect the contextual aspect will keep this album from being very accessible for some. Also, I'm sure some "purists" will be immediately turned off by its experimental quality and electronica elements. Such people I doubt will not give this album a beneficial second (or further) listening that it really deserves. I found repeated listening helped get past the contextual and experimental aspects to discover some rather impressive qualities of Shipp's musicianship. One strength Shipp clearly possesses is the ability to bring mood and depth to his music despite its experimental nature. In addition to being obviously cerebral, the music as a haunting, mistakably spiritual quality not unlike someone like John Coltrane. Even though I wouldn't yet call Shipp a genius as I would Coltrane, he definitely carries that spiritual depth throughout his diverse compositions, evidence that Shipp's craft is as passionate and personal as it is cerebral and inventive. Also to his credit, as this project's captain, Shipp takes up leadership and makes his presence known without crowding the other members of his ensemble, a mark of a mature and attentive musician. Each member is thus able to give their own distinctive voice to the creative whole and help make Shipp's compositions that much richer. Once these strengths of this recording are recognized, then most of the tracks no longer seem as dependent on their context and can stand alone better as individual pieces. All in all, these positive aspects of this album, combined with its explorations of further possibilities in bringing jazz into the 21th century, make this album very meaningful, relevant and enjoyable.