Vijay Iyer: Panoptic Modes

Avant Jazz / Free Improvisation / Avant-Garde
premiera polska: 13.05.2013
kontynent: Ameryka Północna
kraj: USA
opakowanie: Jewelcaseowe etui
opis:
Editor's info:
Pi Recordings is proud to re-issue Grammy Award-nominated pianist Vijay Iyer’s “Panoptic Modes.” Originally released on the Red Giant label in 2001, it was his third CD as a leader and the one that first launch him to prominence with rave reviews from The Village Voice and The New Yorker, both of which named it to their best albums of the year lists. Featuring Rudresh Mahanthappa on alto saxophone, Stephan Crump on bass, and Derrek Phillips on drums, Panoptic Modes is the CD on which Iyer’s artistic focus and vision really coalesced, giving an early hint of the talents of an artist who has since become one of the most important in jazz.

wybrane recenzje/selected reviews:
(. . .) His harmonic and formal concepts are as challenging as ever, yet his exceedingly difficult writing is rendered oddly accessible by the unperturbed facility of his band (. . .)
Allmusic.com

(. . .) a music so rhythmically gripping and harmonically provocative that one hardly can wait to hear what outlandish ideathese players will hit upon next (. . .) ‘Panoptic Modes’ offers a sensuousness of sound and vividness of performances thatwill seduce even the casual listener (. . .)
Los Angeles Times

(. . .) What a combination. Vijay Iyer’s music contains the adventurousness and dramatic tension that you’d expect from avant-garde jazz; as well as a light, rhythmic swing, for those of us who live in the mainstream. His third album is accessible to one and all (. . .)
All About Jazz


(. . .) His touch is stirring, even emphatic… This band glows with purpose (. . .)
Village Voice

All About Jazz:
Although Vijay Iyer has a Ph.D. in music and cognitive science, his dazzling new CD, Panoptic Modes , shows the New York-based pianist more focused on spiritual concerns than purely intellectual ones.
Melding Vedic chant and South Indian rhythms with the more obvious influences of Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell, Iyer creates a unique and vibrant sound, but one that's highly accessible and solidly within the progressive end of the jazz spectrum. The most direct comparison that comes to mind is Randy Weston (high praise indeed) for his deeply spiritual bent, openness to diverse musical traditions and a strong indebtedness to Monk's piano and compositional technique. That debt to Monk is made clear in "Circular Argument," a trio piece dedicated to the bebop master.

Iyer's main foil is alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, whose lively improvisations lead the quartet into some dizzying stratospheres. Drummer Derrek Phillips and bassist Stephan Crump also do an outstanding job keeping this challenging music flowing.

Several of Iyer's 11 orginal pieces here are meditations on specific spiritual or political themes - like "Numbers" (for Mumia), dedicated to Mumia abu-Jamal, and "One Thousand and One," a plaintive tune offered as a "plea for peace." How the music and the messages relate is probably best explained by the artist himself - which he does, briefly, in the album's liner notes. Suffice it to say this is a young musician of serious intent and significant accomplishment whose interests extend far beyond the keyboard. It will be fascinating to see where his journey leads.
By JOEL ROBERTS

All About Jazz:
What a combination. Vijay Iyer's music contains the adventurousness and dramatic tension that you'd expect from avant-garde jazz; as well as a light, rhythmic swing, for those of us who live in the mainstream. His third album is accessible to one and all. They're his originals, and they're interpreted by a stellar quartet. By limiting the ensemble to four members, Iyer ensures that each voice can be understood by the listener. Traditional Indian scales, changing meters, and romantic elements from the classical library each contribute. An empathetic quartet interprets each piece in its proper spirit. Iyer explains his motive for each composition in detail at the label's web site.

The leader's piano takes on a swirling appearance that emphasizes changes in harmony and rhythm. Deep bass tones from the piano and a steady rhythmic pulse from the bassist combine for a solid foundation. Derrek Phillips' drum kit gets a workout from every corner of its configuration. After all, a large variety of percussion textures are required to express what Iyer has laid out. The cornerstone of the ensemble is Rudresh Mahanthappa, with his agile alto saxophone technique. Light and buoyant, his tone reflects the nature of a music that is designed to communicate significant meaning. And the music does. "Invocation," the first track from this recommended album, is available from start to finish through www.vijay-iyer.com.
By JIM SANTELLA

muzycy:
Vijay Iyer: piano
Rudresh Mahanthappa: alto saxophone
Stephan Crump: acoustic bass
Derrek Phillips: drums

utwory:
1. Revolutions
2. Inertia
3. Song for Midwood
4. Infogee's Cakewalk
5. The Big Almost
6. Cardio
7. Experience
8. Composites
9. Phalanx
10. Imagine (John Lennon)

nagrano: Recorded June 9, 2000 at The Studio/Current Sounds, NYC

more info: www.pirecordings.com