| Points | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Recorded | January 14 & March 18, 1990 | |||
| Studio | East Side Sound, New York | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 70:48 | |||
| Label | Silkheart | |||
| Producer | Whit Dickey | |||
| Matthew Shipp chronology | ||||
| ||||
Points is an album by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp recorded in 1990 and released on the Swedish Silkheart label.
Shipp cites the following influences in "Points": Andrew Hill, Duke Ellington, Nina Simone, Hasaan Ibn Ali, Scriabin and Debussy. Other influences are the most adventurous of Herbie Hancock's electronic endeavors, though Shipp himself does not use electronics in any way, the Coltrane's concept of Cosmic Music, and Nefertiti by the Miles Davis Second Quintet. Two painterly influences upon Shipp's work are: Jackson Pollock for his lyricism, space, organic form and body; and Mark Rothko for his chromatic color fields and religious brightness.
"Afro Sonic" was inspired by Randy Weston and utilizes the repetitive thematic pattern of a talking drum as its backbone. Shipp indicates that "Piano Pyramid" is a piece to present the trio in a true tradition as "best exemplified by Bud Powell". [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz | [3] |
In his review for AllMusic, Brian Olewnick states "Shipp would, to some extent, work his way out of this conundrum in ensuing years and fans of his work will want to hear Points at the very least for its historical value but, objectively, it's an inconsistent and not entirely original release." [2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz says that this album and the next, Circular Temple , "takes some clues from the avant-garde past – Taylor, Bley, and Shipp's personal favorite, Andrew Hill – while going their own way in a quite dramatic fashion moment to moment." [3]
The JazzTimes review by Reuben Jackson states "Skeptics who think so-called 'free' music lacks definable theme and variations would do well to listen to titles like 'Afro Sonic', a gentle yet confident piece of swirling beauty, and 'Piano Pyramid', in which Shipp's lower register work and Parker's bass, dark as shadows, take a sparsely noted theme through rustling variations." [1]
Afternoon of a Georgia Faun is an album by American jazz saxophonist Marion Brown recorded in 1970 and released on the ECM label. Along with Geechee Recollections and Sweet Earth Flying, it was one of Brown's albums dedicated to the US state of Georgia. The album features Brown, multi-instrumentalists Anthony Braxton and Bennie Maupin, vocalists Jeanne Lee and Gayle Palmore, pianist Chick Corea, and percussionists Andrew Cyrille and Jack Gregg, all of whom double on secondary instruments, along with three supplementary percussionists for the second track.
The Moment's Energy is an album by British saxophonist and improvisor Evan Parker's Electro-Acoustic Ensemble recorded at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in 2007 and released on the ECM label.
Communion is the third album by American jazz trumpeter Roy Campbell and the debut recording with his Pyramid Trio with bassist William Parker and Reggie Nicholson replacing original drummer Zen Matsuura. The album was recorded in 1994 and released on the Swedish Silkheart label. Roy pays tribute to avant-garde jazz musicians Don Cherry, Hannibal Marvin Peterson, and brothers Don & Albert Ayler.
Great Bliss, Vol. 1 is an album by American jazz saxophonist David S. Ware recorded in 1990 and released on the Swedish Silkheart label. Great Bliss was conceived as a two-installment project and marks the debut of the David S. Ware Quartet, one of the most highly acclaimed musical groups of the decade.
Great Bliss, Vol. 2 is an album by American jazz saxophonist David S. Ware, the second installment of a two-albums project recorded in 1990 and released on the Swedish Silkheart label. As in the companion Great Bliss, Vol. 1, besides tenor sax Ware plays saxello, stritch and flute.
Sonic Explorations is the debut album by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp and alto saxophonist Rob Brown, originally issued on LP in 1988 on Cadence Jazz.
Cryptology is an album by jazz saxophonist David S. Ware, recorded in 1994 and released by Homestead Records.
Oblations and Blessings is an album by jazz saxophonist David S. Ware, recorded in 1995 and released on the Silkheart label. It features the David S. Ware Quartet with pianist Matthew Shipp, bassist William Parker and drummer Whit Dickey playing all original Ware compositions.
Breath Rhyme is an album by American jazz saxophonist Rob Brown recorded in 1989 and released on the Swedish Silkheart label.
High Wire is an album by the American jazz saxophonist Rob Brown, recorded in 1993 and released on the Italian Soul Note label. It features a trio with bassist William Parker and drummer Jackson Krall playing all original Brown compositions.
Circular Temple is an album by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp featuring his trio with bassist William Parker and drummer Whit Dickey, which was recorded in 1990 and released on the tiny label Quinton Records. The album was reissued in 1994 by Infinite Zero, a label founded by Henry Rollins and Rick Rubin to re-release out-of-print records, which was a division of American Recordings, under the umbrella of Warner Bros. Records.
Zo is an album by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp with bassist William Parker, which was recorded in 1993 and released on the tiny label Rise Records. The album was reissued in 1997 by the 2.13.61 label, founded by Henry Rollins, in partnership with Thirsty Ear Recordings.
Elsewhere is an album by the American jazz guitarist Joe Morris, recorded in 1996 and released on Homestead. The Joe Morris Ensemble features pianist Matthew Shipp's regular trio with bassist William Parker and drummer Whit Dickey. Morris and Shipp played together once with violinist Mat Maneri in Boston four or five years before.
Critical Mass is an album by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp which was recorded in 1994 and released on 2.13, a division of the 2.13.61 label, founded by Henry Rollins. Shipp adds violinist Mat Maneri to his usual trio lineup with bassist William Parker and drummer Whit Dickey. Shipp met Maneri when the violinist was just 17 in Boston, this is their first collaboration on record.
Prism is an album by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp featuring his trio with bassist William Parker and drummer Whit Dickey, which was recorded live in 1993 and released on the small Dutch Brinkman label. The album was reissued in 2000 by hatOLOGY.
The Flow of X is an album by the American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp, recorded in 1995 and released on the 2.13.61 label. It features a quartet with violinist Mat Maneri, bassist William Parker and drummer Whit Dickey, the same lineup as the previous album Critical Mass. The liner notes include a piece by Shipp comparing boxing and jazz.
This Dance Is for Steve McCall is an album by American jazz saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell which was recorded in 1992 and released on the Italian Black Saint label.
Strata is an album by the American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp, recorded in 1997 and released on the Swiss hatOLOGY label.
After Fallen Leaves is an album by American jazz saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell which was recorded in 1989 and released on the Swedish Silkheart label. Mitchell joined the Brus Trio for a tour of Sweden which culminated in this studio recording.
Namesake is an album led by trumpeter Dennis González which was recorded in 1987 and released on the Swedish Silkheart label.
