The world-renowned alto saxophonist and composer Steve Coleman has drafted Iyer into two of his five current projects. One of these, the ten-member ensemble known as the Mystic Rhythm Society, recorded some live performances in Paris in 1995. Recently released on compact disc under the title Myths, Modes, and Means (Groovetown/BMG), the recording has received accolades all across Europe.
Iyer has also performed in the U.S. and abroad with the great trombonist and computer musician George Lewis. In addition, he has collaborated with a diverse catalog of musicians, from avant-garde luminaries Cecil Taylor, John Tchicai, and ROVA Saxophone Quartet, to cross-cultural innovators such as Miya Masaoka and Peter Apfelbaum, to hip-hop and funk projects like Midnight Voices.
Over the last few years, Iyer has contributed prodigiously to the field of creative music as a leader of his own groups, playing original music that draws from the African-American, South Indian, and West African musical traditions. He has been featured as a leader in prominent Bay Area musical events, including the 1993 Oakland Chinatown Street Fair, the 1995 Asian-American Jazz Festival in San Francisco, and the 1995 Eddie Moore Jazz Festival in Oakland.
Not a moment too soon, Iyer's music has finally been documented, and it can be heard on the brilliant new compact disc,Memorophilia, on the Asian Improv Records label. The album features his three current working ensembles. The Vijay Iyer Trio (Iyer, piano; Jeff Brock, acoustic bass; Brad Hargreaves, drums) is a tightly interacting, dynamic unit showcasing Iyer's piano playing and his vivid, rhythmically strong compositions. Sitting in with the trio on two of its five cuts is contemporary saxophone genius Steve Coleman. One additional track displays the groove-oriented fireworks of Poisonous Prophets (Iyer, piano; Liberty Ellman, guitar; Jeff Bilmes, electric bass; Elliot Humberto Kavee, drums). Two more pieces involve the mature improvisational artistry of Spirit Complex (special guest George Lewis, trombone; Francis Wong, tenor saxophone; Kash Killion, cello; Iyer, piano; Kavee, drums). Rounding out the album is a solo piano piece that attempts to synthesize all of these musical directions. Though stylistically diverse, the album displays a cohesiveness that comes about through Iyer's unique pianistic voice and compositional logic.
Vijay Iyer
Asian Improv Records AIR 0023
On 1, 7: The Vijay Iyer Trio (Iyer, piano; Jeff Brock, acoustic bass; Brad Hargreaves, drums) with special guest Steve Coleman, alto saxophone.
On 2, 3, 8: The Vijay Iyer Trio.
On 4, 9: Spirit Complex (Iyer, piano; Francis Wong, tenor saxophone; Kash Killion, 'cello; Elliot Humberto Kavee, drums).
On 5: Poisonous Prophets (Iyer, piano; Liberty Ellman, guitar; Jeff Bilmes, electric bass; Elliot Humberto Kavee, drums).
Steve Coleman appears courtesy of RCA Records.