Matthew Shipp to perform at the Loring Theater on February 4

Has the avant-garde pianist Matthew Shipp ever played in Minneapolis? Not in my memory. Only once before, in 1998 (thanks, Scott). When he makes his debut here returns on February 4, will he be at the Dakota or the Walker, the Cedar or the Artists' Quarter? No, at the house that hosted the comedy Triple Espresso...for twelve years.

Known then as the Music Box Theater, under new management since last June, now restored to its original name, the 90-year-old Loring Theater is bringing an eclectic mix of entertainment--cinema, theater, burlesque, variety acts, and music including jazz--to the Loring Park neighborhood. Last Saturday, Jan. 15, the Dave King Trucking Company played there. And here comes Matthew Shipp.

Dare we hope that that these two engagements--the inventive, Coltrane-meets-Nashville Trucking Company (who flew in Chris Speed) and the provocative, take-no-prisoners Shipp--signal a conscious effort, perhaps even a commitment, to program the edgy and exciting as opposed to the standard and safe?