This past April I wrote a slightly longer review of Pastoral Composure.

Matthew Shipp Quartet
Pastoral Composure (Thirsty Ear)
review by Micah Holmquist
May 14, 2000

The most interesting part of Pastoral Composure is the negotiation that these four players make between mainstream jazz and the "out there" sounds, which they are more associated with.

At times they go for the more expected route. "Inner Order", for instance, is basically some relatively abstract work from a group of musicians with a bass player, William Parker, who may or may not be in tune. On the other hand, there is "Visions" which could easily fit right next to the latest from Nicholas Payton and a classic cut from Sonny Rollins on the play list of a public radio jazz program. It moves freely and persuasively in a hard driving fashion, in no small part due to the excellent work of drummer Gerald Cleaver. In a similar vein is Shipp’s reverent solo treatment of the Duke Ellington composition "Prelude to a Kiss." This version would not be out of place on even the most mainstream of Duke tributes.

The above tracks work if only because all four musicians are supremely talented but the disc really gets exciting when the division between the conventional and the avant is less clear. A tune called "Gesture" opens the disc and is perhaps the best example of this. Like all but two of the compositions found here "Gesture" is a Shipp original and in parts it sounds like it could fit right next to "Inner Order" but there is a dark and unsettling quality to the piece as well. Cleaver shines here once again with his drum rolls that recall Art Blakey but which also contribute to a larger pulsating effect. Roy Campbell’s spiraling trumpet lines also contribute to this effect and are quite intriguing. Shipp also plays impressively as he switches between highly percussive and pulsating work and more expressive material.

Other cuts have similar qualities. A cover of the traditional "Frere Jacques" ("The London Bridge is falling down…) could be occasion for a rip roaring send up but the four players do a relatively straight job while still exploring the outer reaches of the tune. Except for a few brief solos, you could sing along to most of this just under five and half minute cut.

Pastoral Composure ends with a solo piano piece called "XTU." Here Shipp shows just why he is such a captivating player. The sound is much more of what you would expect from the pianist but never gets predictable. There are several tempo changes and listeners will have a hard time figuring out where Shipp is going from moment. In this sense, "XTU" is like Pastoral Composure as a whole but the closer and album share another quality; the journey may seem strange but it makes a great deal of sense at the end.

Tracks: Gesture (6:49)/Visions (7:56)/Prelude to a Kiss (4:38)/Pastoral Composure (4:39)/Progression (5:33)/Frere Jacques (5:36)/Merge (5:46)/Inner Order (3:44)/XTU (3:34)

Personal: Matthew Shipp (piano)/Roy Campbell (trumpet, pocket trumpet, flugel horn)/William Parker (bass)/Gerald Cleaver (drums)

Recorded January 6, 2000 New York City

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