Earlier this week, André 3000 surprise-dropped an improvisational piano EP and confirmed as much as the Met Gala with a complete piano on his again. It serves because the follow-up to his 2023 flute album New Blue Solar, however jazz pianist Matthew Shipp shouldn’t be a fan.
In a Fb submit, Shipp ranted that 7 Piano Sketches is “full and utter crap” and “doesn’t even deserve the eye of a critique it’s so dreadful.” Right here’s what he wrote:
so a pal known as me up and talked about that Andre 3000 has a piano album out–i used to be like what . I checked it out on youtube — my impression of it. I believe it’s full and utter crap -horrific-god terrible insipidly wretched nothing . oh my fucking god that is some atrocious shite — is he some kind of fucking asshole ? is he an entire and utter dilletante ? I might go into element about why every lower is stillborn –however why trouble –it doesn’t even deserve the eye of a critique it’s so dreadful . the man shouldn’t be a pianist -that is the start and the tip of it — what an unpleasant piano sound — lets not even discuss telling a narrative with concord —feels like he listens to a bunch of music will get a few gestures in his head –sits down in a stream of consciousness and will get at some gesture for a number of bars of one thing that he has not internalized -and barely is aware of on probably the most superficial stage after which he loses the thread–in fact there may be zero composition occurring within the improvisations –no language to talk of only a few cliches in his head that he can’t truly play the cliche however he hits and tries at it till he peters out rapidly — wow — he’s so horrible at enjoying concord –so many horn gamers that piano shouldn’t be their instrument play so significantly better — this sounds to me like pure fraud —- what an absence of respect for the self-discipline by somebody who in my view is an entire asshole for doing this — it’s miserable that this rubbish will get any consideration as a result of he has a reputation and fame — there may be nothing refreshing concerning the naivety of it –it’s simply downright dreadful and terrible–true fucking crap –insipidly wretched nothing –
To be truthful, André 3000 clarified within the EP announcement that he was enjoying with out the intention of releasing them. “These piano sketches are improvisations. To conjure them up, I unfold my fingers out on the keys and randomly however with goal transfer them round till I discover one thing that feels good or fascinating,” he wrote. “If it feels actually good I’ll attempt to repeat it. I can not identify which notes, keys or chords that I’m enjoying. I merely just like the sound and mechanics of piano enjoying. A few of my favourite piano music composers and gamers that encourage me are Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, Philip Glass, Stephen Sondheim, Joni Mitchell and Vince Guaraldi.”