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Vijay Iyer (piano, arranger, producer) together with Stephan Crump (bass) and Marcus Gilmore (drums) usually play as a quartet with (like Iyer), first generation American born to Indian parents, the saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa. But this album, exclusive to the ACT label, (the people that brought you Vince Mendoza & The Metropole Orchestra El Viento to name just one from their impressive back catalogue) is in the classic jazz trio format. In my view, the jazz trio is highly overrated and I’d normally steer clear, but with the prospect of some interesting cover versions (as if Robert Glasper led the way on In My Element and his new album Double Booked) I was intrigued to hear if they’ve tweaked the dynamics further.

And I’m pleased to report that this is a special album. Even if the reason that six of the ten tracks are cover versions was that, as a touring group/trio, much of their set material has already been released (so top marks for not trying to flog the horse).

So pride of place goes to the choice of the M.I.A.’s breakthrough hit ‘Galang’ (the UK one anyway in 2003 and not her global break thorough, ‘Paper Planes’). Odd to think that when it came out, it was marketed as grime! As a jazz trio track, it’s certainly not grime; more broken beat meets Keith Jarrett. I loved the original but this ‘trio riot’ version is just that - perhaps the only track that could have done with a short solo in the middle before bangin’ off again.

And whilst on the subject, the jazz trio template often suffers from is the yawns of lengthy and aimless solo interludes, but not on this album. The solo is effectively abolished, as the three musicians know each other so well, they mesh almost as if they play as one; just check out the back to back tracks of ‘Big Brother’ (Wonder) and ‘Dogon A.D.’ (Hemphill).

And that’s even true for ‘Somewhere’, taken from Bernstein/Sondheim’s West Side Story as they’ve re-assembled the full blown musical blow out; I’m no fan of the musical(s) as a genre but what this trio have done brought a new view of the track with an under statement of the melody. More impressive is the cover of Andrew Hill’s ‘Smoke Stack’. Hill was a pianist/composer who was part of the Blue Note 60s set and Smoke Stack was the title of his debut solo album in 1963 (also recommend are a couple more of Hill’s mid 60s Blue Note albums, Point Of Departure and Compulsion) and, if you like, on a time-jazz pianist line, he is an inter-mediatory between Monk and Iyer - did you spot the drum solo?

At this point, it might be worth noting that before Iyer took up the pianist stool with Steve Coleman in the mid 90s, he studied mathematics at Yale an UC Berkeley. So along with his Indian roots, this guy has a different take on music; even a geeky outlook? Even for a jazz artist in New York, how cool is it to have played with, the likes of Roscoe Mitchell (Art Ensemble Of Chicago), John Zorn and Mike Ladd (who with Iyer, their album In What Language? was voted the No. 1 album of 2004 by Jazzwise magazine) amongst many more. Of the Iyer composed tracks, apart from the busy title track, they provide the dark to the light of the cover versions.

And back on the subject of cover versions, saving the best ‘till last, Rodney Foster’s jazz-funk classic ‘Mystic Brew’ is unmistakable and the coolest thing I’ve heard all year! Needed on 12” without a doubt.

If you’re new to the jazz trio, his is a brilliant introduction and if you think you’ve heard it all, this is an album that with re-invigorate the jazz juices; Historicity is “versioning” at its best.

Reviewed: Vijay Iyer Trio - Historicity (ACT) Cat. No. ACT 9489-2 Release date: 7th September 2009 Notes: Cover art: Model For Memory, 2008 by permission of the artist and Deutsche Guggenheim.
Tracklisting:
1 Historicity (7:50)
2 Somewhere (6:57)
3 Galang (Trio Riot Version) (2:41)
4 Helix (4:00)
5 Smoke Stack (8:09)
6 Big Brother (4:48)
7 Dogon A.D. (9:20)
8 Mystic Brew (Trixation Version) (4:46)
9 Tridents 2010 (9:10)
10 Segment For Sentiment #2 (4:03)

Links:
www.vijay-iyer.com
www.myspace.com/vijayiyer
European Tour
Oct 16 2009 Pôle Sud / Vijay Iyer Trio Strasbourg
Oct 18 2009 Kasteel XIII Leut / Vijay Iyer Trio Maasmechelen
Oct 21 2009 Unterfahrt / Vijay Iyer Trio Munich
Oct 23 2009 Umeå Jazz Festival / Vijay Iyer Trio Umeå
Oct 25 2009 Cormons Jazz Festival / Vijay Iyer Trio with Rudresh Mahanthappa
Oct 30 2009 Orchestra Hall / Vijay Iyer Trio (double bill w/ Holland/Rubalcaba/Potter/Harland)
Chicago, Illinois
Nov 5 2009 Berlin Jazz Festival / Vijay Iyer Trio
Nov 6 - 8 2009 Jazz Standard / Vijay Iyer Trio (sets 7:30, 9:30, 11:30)
New York, New York
Nov 15 2009 London Jazz Festival / solo concert
Nov 20 2009 Madrid Jazz Festival / Wadada Leo Smith Golden Quartet
Dec 28 2009 Bimhuis / solo concert Amsterdam
Dec 29 2009 Paradox / Festival Stranger Than Paranoia / Solo concert, Tilburg
www.andrewhilljazz.com
www.myspace.com/mia
www.myspace.com/mikeladd
actmusic.com