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Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn: The Transitory Poems
ByAlthough there are no songs dedicated to Roscoe Mitchell here, his influence looms large. Both Iyer and Taborn were members of Mitchell's Note Factory and can be heard on Song For My Sister (ECM, 2002) and Far Side (ECM, 2010). Their experience negotiating Mitchell's compositions and his penchant for full-tilt group improvisation must have been excellent training for these duos. Plus, both musicians seem to enjoy each other's music, performing as a duo on multiple occasions.
"Sensorium" dances, gambols, and skips right-handed (make that 'hands-ed') through sparkling notes that rain down as an intermittent shower. The four hands and 176 keys mixing into a sort of Fibonacci sequence of numbers created to explain that shower. Since the players are co-creating (instead of competing) here, the listener's ability to identify either player is virtually impossible. Both are dedicated to the architecture of the sound. They pull emotions from "S.H.A.R.D.S." and also manipulate tempo. The crowning pieces here are Iyer and Taborn's dedications to Abrams "Clear Mountain," Taylor "Luminous Brewing," and Allen "Meshwork/Libation/When Kabuya Dances." Each piece is improvised although, without such knowledge, all seem composed.
Track Listing
Life Line (seven tensions); Sensorium; Kairos; S.H.A.R.D.S.; Shakedown; Clear Monolith; Luminous Brew; Meshwork_Libation (When Kabuka Dances).
Personnel
Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn
band / ensemble / orchestraVijay Iyer: piano; Craig Taborn: piano.
Album information
Title: The Transitory Poems | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: ECM Records
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About Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
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