Vijay Iyer (The History of Jazz Music).
(: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OoA5f2qvQU ). Bio by Rocco Stilo: New York-based Vijay Srinivas Raghunathan, aka Vijay Iyer, is one of the most interesting jazz pianists of the latest 15 years. Also violinist and composer, he doesn't despise classical and even rock music, particularly with his trios. He debuted in 1995 with Memorophilia, an Asian Improv live-studio recording on which he collected 9 pieces, in a 10-players lineup with altoist Steve Coleman, celloist Kash Killion and trombonist George Lewis, among others. Architextures, his 1998 follow-up (recorded in august 1996), was a 6-tracks album by an octet: Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto sax), Aaron Stewart (tenor sax), Eric Crystal (tenor and soprano sax), Liberty Ellman (guitar), bassists Jeff Brock and Charles' grandson Kevin Ellington Mingus, and Brad Hargreaves (drums). Panoptic Modes, recorded in june 2000 and re-released in 2010 by PI, was a quartet with the pianist accompanied by altoist Rudresh Mahanthappa, bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Derrek Phillips. The group replicated recording in february 2003 Blood Sutra, released by Artists House. Your Life Flashes (recorded in march 2002) was the debut of trio project Fieldwork, featuring the pianist with saxophonist Aaron Stewart and drummer Elliot Kavee. Fieldwork recorded then in september 2004 Simulated Progress, with Steve Lehman on sopranino instead of Aaron Stewart, and the 2008' Door, recorded in three years, with Tyshawn Sorey instead of Kavee. After his collaboration to the Rudresh Mahanthappa's Mother Tongue, recorded in june 2004, in november 2004 Vijay Iyer recorded as leader Reimagining, a trio collaboration with bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore. In What Language?(recorded in may and june 2003) was a duo collaboration with poet/hip-hop vocalist and keyboardist Mike Ladd, with Stephan Crump (bass), Dana Leong (cello, trombone, flugelbone), guitarist Liberty Ellman and altoist Rudresh Mahanthappa among others. The duo replicated with Savoy Jazz 2007' Still Life With Commentator, an oratorio from original theatrical version conceived and directed by Ibrahim Quraishi. Raw Materials (recorded in october 2005) was instead a duo collaboration with altoist Rudresh Mahanthappa. Tragicomic, recorded between september and october 2007, was another quartet with the same Reimagining's lineup. With Historicity, recorded between november 2008 and march 2009, the pianist debuted for ACT as a trio, again with drummer Marcus Gilmore and bassist Stephan Crump. Solo, recorded in may 2010, featured 12 solo piano pieces (with Ellington and Monk's covers). Tirtha, again for ACT, is the latest release: a trio project with virtuoso performer of South Indian classical music Prasanna (guitar, voice) and North-American Nitin Mitta (tabla), that premiered these Iyar's compositions in november 2007, recording them in august 2008.
Iyer, with bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore recorded Accelerando (august 2011), containing five originals.
Vijay Iyer collaborated with poet and electronic musician Mike Ladd for the ambitious Holding It Down - The Veterans’ Dreams Project (june 2012), that also features Decaul (poetry), Lynn Hill (poetry), Guillermo Brown (vocals, auxiliary electronics), Liberty Ellman (guitar), Okkyung Lee (cello), Kassa Overall (percussion) and Latasha Nevada Diggs (vocals, live electronic processing).
Mutations (september 2013) was a collaboration with the string quartet of Miranda Cuckson and Michi Wiancko on violin, Kyle Armbrust on viola and Kivie Cahn-Lipman on cello mainly devoted to the namesake suite in ten movements.
Trio 3's sixth album Wiring (august 2013) featured Olive Lake (alto sax), Reggie Workman (bass) and Andrew Cyrille (drums).
Vijay Iyer composed the soundtrack of a Prashant Bhargava film, Radhe Radhe: Rites of Holi.
Vijay Iyer's trio with Stephan Crump (double bass) and Marcus Gilmore (drums) debuted on Break Stuff (june 2014). (:http://www.scaruffi.com/jazz/iyer.html ).