| Zo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1994 | |||
| Recorded | May 1993 | |||
| Studio | Seltzer Sound, New York | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 49:55 | |||
| Label | Rise Records 2.13.61 | |||
| Matthew Shipp chronology | ||||
| ||||
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.
Shipp states that this is a tribute to his favorite modern pianist Andrew Hill. [1] In his book Visions of Jazz: The First Century, Gary Giddins says about Zo, "His duets with the highly original and seemingly omnipresent William Parker, form a suite with a pensive reharmonized "Summertime" as the second of four movements, and Shipp's hammering single notes and his chordal harmonies in part three show how fastidiously he control his material while charting his own course." [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz | [4] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
In his review for AllMusic, David R. Adler states: "It's a dark, forbidding affair, although the solo piano openings of 'Zo, No. 2' and 'Zo, No. 3,' beautiful in their angularity, provide some breathing room." [3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz says that "Zo seems more specifically experimental in that Shipp and Parker seem to want to plunge into the darkest (and sometimes the dreariest) corners they can find, deep left-hand chords set on top of juddering bass vamps." [4]
All tracks are written by Matthew Shipp except as indicated
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Zo #1" | 10:24 |
| 2. | "Summertime (George Gershwin)" | 12:01 |
| 3. | "Zo #2" | 13:28 |
| 4. | "Zo #3" | 14:02 |
Matthew Shipp is an American avant-garde jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader.
Cryptology is an album by jazz saxophonist David S. Ware, recorded in 1994 and released by Homestead Records.
Points is an album by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp recorded in 1990 and released on the Swedish Silkheart label.
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. It will be reissued on CD and, for the first time, on vinyl in 2023 on ESP-Disk'.
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.
Thesis is an album by the American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp, featuring a duo with guitarist Joe Morris, recorded in 1997 and released on the Swiss hatOLOGY label. Shipp played previously with the Joe Morris Ensemble on the album Elsewhere, but Thesis represents their first collaboration with Shipp as a leader.
The Multiplication Table is an album by the American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp, recorded in 1997 and released on the Swiss hatOLOGY label.
Strata is an album by the American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp, recorded in 1997 and released on the Swiss hatOLOGY label.
Time Is of the Essence Is Beyond Time is the third album by free jazz collective quartet Other Dimensions In Music, composed of trumpeter Roy Campbell, multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter, bassist William Parker and drummer Rashid Bakr. For this special quintet, recorded live in 1997 and released on the AUM Fidelity label, they are joined by pianist Matthew Shipp.
DNA is an album by the American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp with bassist William Parker, which was recorded in 1999 and released on Thirsty Ear. It was their second duo recording; the first was Zo. The album includes two traditional pieces, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and "Amazing Grace".
New Orbit is an album by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp recorded in 2000 and released on Thirsty Ear's Blue Series. Shipp leads a quartet with trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, bassist William Parker and drummer Gerald Cleaver.
Pastoral Composure is an album by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp, recorded in 2000 and released on Thirsty Ear. It was the first installment of the Blue Series, a collection of releases curated by Shipp. He leads a quartet with trumpeter Roy Campbell, bassist William Parker and drummer Gerald Cleaver. The album includes a version of Duke Ellington composition "Prelude to a Kiss" and a rendition of the French traditional song "Frère Jacques".
Expansion, Power, Release is an album by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp which was recorded in 1999 and released on the Swiss hatOLOGY label. It was the second album by his String Trio with violinist Mat Maneri and bassist William Parker, the first was By the Law of Music.
Gravitational Systems is an album by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp featuring a duo with violinist Mat Maneri, which was recorded in 1998 and released on the Swiss hatOLOGY label. Shipp played previously with Maneri on the albums Critical Mass, The Flow of X and By the Law of Music, but this was their first duo performance. The recording includes a rendition of the English traditional song "Greensleeves" and a version of John Coltrane's classic "Naima".
Equilibrium is an album by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp recorded in 2002 and released on Thirsty Ear. According to Shipp, this fourth Blue Series record is a synthesis of what he learned from all their other albums in the series. He continues exploring beat elements with modern jazz.
Cama de Terra is an album by the Brazilian jazz saxophonist Ivo Perelman, recorded in 1996 and released on Homestead. He leads a trio with pianist Matthew Shipp and bassist William Parker. Perelman and Shipp played previously on the duo album Bendito of Santa Cruz. The album marks the final release on Homestead before the record label dissolved in 1996.
