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Brass And Ivory Tales
by Hrayr Attarian
Innovative saxophonist Ivo Perelman celebrates his 60th birthday with the release of a magnum opus, Brass And Ivory Tales. Recorded over a period of seven years, this nine-volume box set is impressive in both its depth and breath as it matches Perelman with a different piano master per disc. The improvised duets are usually the first documented meeting between the two musicians and the instant and rapidly evolving synergy is fresh and thrilling. Both remarkable and expected is Perelman's ability ...
Continue ReadingIvo Perelman: Brass And Ivory Tales
by Mark Corroto
Archeologists and cultural anthropologists theorize early humans had some form of music appreciation. They listened to the sounds wind made as it passed through trees. The breeze sounded different passing through oak than it did fir trees, and the sound was altered whether it was spring or fall. Then there were the bird songs, the first Lennon & McCartneys of the stone age. Early man replicated these melodies, with bones that could be whittled into horns or used to recreate ...
Continue ReadingThe Compelling Urgency of Now: Celebrating Peace, Justice and Improvised Music
by Dave Kaufman
Arts for Arts, the organization responsible for the Vision Festival, has put together a series of “Peace and Justice Celebration" concerts at the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center situated on the Lower Eastside of Manhattan in New York City. I was fortunate to attend a performance on October 15, 2021 which was the last in a series of seven October concerts. There was a small, but enthusiastic audience. The show was also live-streamed. The opening performance presented acclaimed ...
Continue ReadingVijay Iyer, Turnpike Diaries and Other New Releases
by Bob Osborne
2021 continues to be the year that delivers excellent new releases. The show includes selection of recent albums including the exceptional new one from Vijay Iyer. There is also a dip in the jazz archive for some music by Graham Collier with a band containing a who's-who of stars of the British Jazz Scene. Also featured another album from the remarkable Turnpike Diaries series from Tony Malaby. Playlist Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh, Tyshawn Sorey “Children Of ...
Continue ReadingVijay Iyer: Uneasy
by Scott Gudell
When Vijay Iyer signed to ECM Records in 2013, he joined a prestigious group of world-class musicians (including fellow pianist Keith Jarrett). With Uneasy, Iyer returns to familiar territory by leading a combo of bass, drums and piano. This album's trio can intuitively improvise and, with the revered pianist-composer at the helm, the music they present is intricate, complex and, at times, enticingly sparse. Longtime Iyer bassist Stephen Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore sit this one out. As ...
Continue ReadingVijay Iyer: Uneasy
by Mike Jurkovic
If we are watching it all unfold in real time, why not listen in the same way? So, like most things these dire days, Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh and Tyshawn Sorey start Uneasy on a slow burn that engulfs the listener into another realm beyond isolation, beyond our societies of one. As the best street music does, Uneasy presents a riot of ideas. Some are finely hewn, others mere hints. Some suggest joy and sorrow, others ...
Continue ReadingThe Diverse Musical Settings of Vijay Iyer - Solo, Duo, Trio & Sextet
by Russell Perry
The last decade was one of immense consequence and productivity for pianist/composer Vijay Iyer. In 2012 alone, in the DownBeat International Jazz Critics Poll he was voted Artist of the Year, Pianist of the Year, Small Group of the Year (the Vijay Iyer Trio), Album of the Year (Accelerando), and Rising Star Composer of the Year. Then in 2013, he received the McArthur Fellowship, often called the McArthur Genius Grant. He started the decade recording for Munich based ACT Music ...
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