Vijay Iyer
Pianist, keyboardist, improvisor, composer
photo by Bob Hsiang, 1996
photo by Bob Hsiang, 1996
... BRACINGLY EXPRESSIONIST JAZZ... FULL OF PULSATING BLUES...VIJAY IYER is a forceful, rhythmic pianist in the Duke Ellington-Thelonious Monk-Cecil Taylor tradition and an accomplished composer and bandleader whose music pays homage to his culturally rich South Asian heritage. The son of Indian immigrants, Iyer draws from South Asian and African-American traditions to create highly original, subtle, powerful music in the jazz tradition. At the age of 27, he has gained recognition from audiences, musicians, and critics alike as a world-class creative artist, an outspoken young South Asian American voice, and an important force in the music world.
- The New York Times... ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING JAZZ PIANISTS AROUND...
Armed with one of the most creative and compelling musical imaginations on the Bay Area's new jazz scene, as well as a piano technique that allows him to realize his concepts with power and grace...
- East Bay Express, Berkeley, CaliforniaPIANO MARVEL...
- NOW Magazine, TorontoKEYBOARD VISIONARY...
One of the finest young musicians working in the Bay Area... Vijay Iyer is an inventive, challenging musician who manages to be thoughtful and soulful at the same time.
- San Francisco Bay Guardian
Iyer has performed in Toronto, New York, Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, India, Senegal, Mexico, and all over western Europe, and performs frequently in the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Area. He has led numerous small and large ensembles, which are featured on Iyer's two CDs of original music, Memorophilia (1995) and Architextures (1998), both on Asian Improv Records (AIR). (AIR is an artist-run, self-sufficient Asian-American creative music label, reachable at ASIAIMPROV@aol.com .)
In addition to showcasing Iyer's unique piano style, these recordings feature special guest musicians Steve Coleman, George Lewis, Francis Wong, Kash Killion, Liberty Ellman, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Aaron Stewart, Brad Hargreaves, Eric Crystal, Jeff Bilmes, Jeff Brock, and Elliot Humberto Kavee. Cadence magazine editor Bob Rusch listed Memorophilia as one of the ten best albums of 1996. The San Francisco Bay Guardian recently described Iyer's ability to combine his multiplicity of influences as "genius."
Iyer has collaborated extensively in performances, tours, and recording projects with the legendary alto saxophonist and M-Base pioneer Steve Coleman. He also plays with Midnight Voices, a ground-breaking hip-hop band and theater troupe, and with drummer E. W. Wainwright's African Roots of Jazz. In addition Iyer has collaborated with a diverse assortment of world-renowned artists, such as George Lewis, James Newton, Francis Wong, Miya Masaoka, John Tchicai, Amiri Baraka, ROVA Saxophone Quartet, Wadada Leo Smith, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Kash Killion, India Cooke, Mark Izu, Peter Apfelbaum, Liberty Ellman, Anthony Brown, and Cecil Taylor. All of Iyer's creative alliances reflect his commitment to collective, revolutionary work that reflects the realities of his diverse community.
In addition to his performing career, Iyer frequently gives workshops and speaks on panels devoted to issues facing people of color, such as arts and activism, alternative careers for Asian Americans, South Asian influences in jazz, and the expression and elaboration of identity through creative music. As a performer and scholar, Iyer is the recipient of grants from the California Arts Council, Arts International, and the University of California.
Interviews with Vijay Iyer
by Ann Yoshinaga (12/95) and Kenichi Nishio (3/96)
Yet another interview with Vijay Iyer
by A. Shuman (4/97)
Re-Imagining South Asian Diasporic Culture (10/97)
Soundbombing: Vijay Iyer and the Politics of Jazz (5/98)
an interview by Oliver Wang