Pianist Vijay Iyer has been working with his team of Stephan Crump/b and Marcus Gilmore/dr for over a decade now, and this latest disc is definitively their strongest. Why? Well, Iyer himself has coalesced his style into an identifiable sound and language, and he works with his teammates like the front line of a volleyball squad, knowing when to set up and when to spike. Most of the tunes are originals, with some wonderful quiet introspection and contemplation on “Starlings” by all three members, but on other tunes there’s an attractive tension between assertive agitation and lyrical restraint.
There’s a restless undercurrent from bass and drums on material such as “Chorale” that provides oil to Iyer’s water of delicacy with the ivories; similar is “Taking Flight” which has active work by Gilmore being held back by Iyer’s restraint. “Hood” has Iyer and Gilmore rustling together in a canter with Crump’s bass nimbly providing moderation, while the bass on “Diptych” is the yin to Gilmore’s and Iyer’s assertive yang that leans over without falling overboard. The team takes an interesting read of John Coltrane’s with Gilmore getting quite kinetically aggressive, while “Mystery Woman” builds up to a dramatic climax and conclusion. Iyer goes it alone on a creative, thoughtful and explorative read of Billy Strayhorn’s “Blood Count” which also shows how much this important pianist has grown over the years. The promise is being fulfilled before our very ears.
ECM Records