Title: Compassion Artist: Vijay Iyer Label: Ecm Records Product Type: VINYL LP UPC: 602458351439 Genre: Jazz Release Date: 2024-03-15 Number of Discs: 2
Pianist-composer Vijay Iyer follows his 2021 ECM disc Uneasy - the first to showcase his trio featuring bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Tyshawn Sorey - with Compassion, another album in league with these two gifted partners. The New York Times captured the special qualities of this group, pointing to the trio's flair for playing "with a lithe range of motion and resplendent clarity... while stoking a kind of writhing internal tension. Crucial to that balance is their ability to connect with each other almost telepathically." Compassion, Iyer's eighth release as a leader for ECM, continues his drive to explore fresh territory while also referencing his forebears along the way, two of them long associated with the label. The album includes a lyrical homage to Chick Corea via the late pianist's valedictory interpretation of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed." Another tip of the hat comes with "Nonaah," a whirlwind of a piece by avant-garde sage Roscoe Mitchell, a key mentor for the pianist. Then there are Iyer's own melodically alluring, rhythmically invigorating compositions, ranging from the pensive title track to the hook-laced highlights "Tempest" and "Ghostrumental."
Tracks: 1.1 Compassion 1.2 Arch 1.3 Overjoyed 1.4 Maelstrom 1.5 Prelude: Orison 1.6 Tempest 1.7 Panegyric 1.8 Nonaah 1.9 Where I Am 1.10 Ghostrumental 1.11 It Goes 1.12 Free Spirits / Drummer's Song
