Pastoral Composure , his latest CD, was the first in the series, released in mid-April. The media has taken notice of Shipp. The New York Times published a feature story about him in January 1998, and Jazziz , a well-known jazz publication, put him on its cover. This development stems from Shipp's long association with alternative music godfather Henry Rollins, who produced the pianist's early recordings and later released them on his 2.13.61 label. Avant-garde, or free jazz, has experienced a huge critical backlash since the early 1960s because it's difficult to distinguish the masters from the charlatans, inspiration from cacophony.
Musicians improvise with respect to the key and time signatures.
But, free jazz roams where it pleases. Horns honk or squeal out of tune, pianos rumble like an impending earthquake and drummers can sit silent for measures at a time. The music can sound like chaos, and then, just as suddenly, a melody asserts itself and the instruments fall in line with one another. Thanks in part to Rollins' early involvement with Shipp's career, his unconventional music has struck a chord with the alternative music set, including punk rock audiences. A lot of rock people listen to Shipp and his contemporaries.