Matthew Shipp (piano), Allen Lowe (alto sax), Newman Baker (drums), Kevin Ray (bass)

Firehouse 12 is pleased to present this collaborative quartet. With Willam Parker, pianist Matthew Shipp was on the very first improvised music bill at Firehouse 12 in May 2005. This group sees Shipp joined by Hamden's Allen Lowe and two frequent collaborators of Shipp's, bassist Kevin Ray and drummer Newman Taylor Baker (Gerald Cleaver is unable to perform on this date due to an unexpected family commitment). Expect searching, open spontaneous improvisation - this is an ensemble that thrives on the potential in creative improvised music.

Matthew Shipp worked and recorded vigorously from the late '80s onward, creating music in which free jazz and modern classical intertwined. He first became well known in the early '90s as the pianist in the David S. Ware Quartet, and soon began leading his own dates - most often including Ware bandmate and bassist William Parker - and recording a number of duets with a variety of musicians, from the legendary Roscoe Mitchell to violinist Mat Maneri. Through his range of live and recorded performances and unswerving individual development, Shipp has come to be regarded as a prolific and respected voice in creative music into the new millennium. 

Allen Lowe is a saxophonist, guitarist, mastering engineer and music historian. He has performed and recorded as a leader with David Murray, Doc Cheatham, Marc Ribot, Matthew Shipp, Don Byron, Julius Hemphill,, Nels Cline, Ken Peplowski, Nels Cline, JD Allen, Kalaparusha, Ursula Oppens, Roswell Rudd, James Brandon Lewis, Frank Lacy, and Jimmy Knepper. He has released at least 15 compact discs under his own name, and has five new works coming out in 2018.

While studying at the New School jazz program, Kevin Ray became a protege of renowned bassist Reggie Workman. Under Reggie’s tutelage, Kevin developed an affinity for adventurous artists such as The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Henry Threadgill, The World Saxophone Quartet, Andrew Cyrille, and others. Toward the end of the 1990s, he came into contact with one of his spiritual and musical mentors, Andrew Hill. "Andrew gave me the confidence to be truly serious about becoming a musician," Ray explains. For ten years he played regularly with Hill and continued to expand his horizons.Since 2012, he has been a member, along with Frank Lacy and Andrew Drury, of the collective trio 10³³ K.

Master percussionist, composer, vocalist and educator, Newman Taylor Baker is originally from Petersburg. He was born to a family of scholars. His paternal grandfather was the only former slave to receive a PhD from Yale University. Newman grew up on the campus of Virginia State College, where both of his parents taught. His passion for the drum and washboard has taken him around the world with his solo drum set project, Singin' Drums, and washboard explorations with his Washboard XT project. He has worked internationally with a diverse array of jazz masters including Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Henry Grimes, Kenny Barron, Henry Threadgill, Billy Bang, Leroy Jenkins, Diedre Murray, Ahmad Jamal, Lou Donaldson, Kevin Eubanks, Billy Harper, Sam Rivers, Charlie Rouse, and many more....