Tragicomic

2008’s *Tragicomic* gives the listener a good idea of the breadth of pianist and composer Vijay Iyer\'s activities. Four tracks are from the suite, *Tragicomic*, which was commissioned by Chamber Music America, and a couple of cuts are from his score to Rachel Dickstein and Ripe Time’s theater/dance piece, *Betrothed*. He covers Bud Powell’s “Comin’ Up” and plays solo on the Mickey Leonard standard, “I’m All Smiles.” One piece is attributed to Iyer and his telepathic band — alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, bassist Stephan Crump, and drummer Marcus Gilmore — and there are three other Iyer originals. The musicians draw from several sources, with bop, John Coltrane, Indian music, Latin touches and other elements coming into play. The edgy “Macaca Please” sounds like a seamless fusion of Indian music and angular jazz-rock, while Iyer’s solo version of “I’m All Smiles” displays an unusual touch at the keyboard. *Tragicomic* closes strongly with “Becoming,” a piece for piano trio that evokes the spiritual and oceanic sound of *A Love Supreme*-period Coltrane.

The ability to approach both composition and improvisation in such a cerebral manner is a unique quality of the composer/pianist Vijay Iyer. His music encapsulates a vast knowledge of form and a tremendous imagination. Iyer's new CD, Tragicomic, documents his recent progress in the fields of composition and improvisation, backed by his favorite musical companions in a number of settings (trio & quartet). Iyer is accompanied by an amazing group of musicians on Tragicomic: alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore.

Vijay Iyer and alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa blend their Indian heritage with the influence of their New York jazz experience in this striking session, where they're joined by bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore.