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.