A really beautiful book, and one that's quite different than most other jazz books we can think of – in that it approaches its main subject matter from many different directions, in a way that actually proves to
be more illuminating overall! As the title implies, the book looks at the huge run of recordings that avant pianist Matthew Shipp has done for the Rogue Art label – and author Clifford Allen begins
with a look at Shipp himself, then his New York setting, then interviews
with collaborators who include Whit Dickey, William Parker, Joe Morris, and Rob Brown – before then moving on to look at the Rogue Art label, through an interview
with its founder – then ending
with page after page of liner notes for Shipp albums on the label – including a few that haven't been released yet! The presentation is very smart, and really opens up Shipp's creative process in a great way – and this softcover edition is 207 pages,
with some black and white images.