Vijay Iyer recently won the JJA Jazz Award for Musician Of The Year.
We're happy to pass along news that pianist Vijay Iyer will be releasing his first solo recording later this summer. Solo comes out Aug. 31, 2010 on ACT Music.
Like on his trio record Historicity, a consensus pick among many jazz critics for 2009's best album, Iyer takes on both covers and his own compositions. Out of 11 songs, five are originals; here's also music here from Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington and Steve Coleman. "Darn That Dream" made the cut, and a song associated with Michael Jackson starts the record.
Here's a taste — it's called "One For Blount," and it's the last track on Solo. It's a blues, but not quite like any blues we can recall. As for the inspiration, as Iyer points out in the liner notes, Sun Ra was once known as Herman "Sonny" Blount:
"One For Blount," from Vijay Iyer, Solo (ACT Music). Vijay Iyer, piano. Belmont, Calif: Recorded May 16-17, 2010 by Cookie Marenco.
Cover art: Untitled ("Blue Void"), 1992 by Anish Kapoor.
Track List:
- Human Nature (Steve Porcaro/John Bettis)
- Epistrophy (Thelonious Monk/Kenny Clarke)
- Darn That Dream (Jimmy Van Heusen/Eddie DeLange)
- Black & Tan Fantasy (Bubber Miley/Edward K. "Duke" Ellington)
- Prelude: Heartpiece (Vijay Iyer)
- Autoscopy (Vijay Iyer)
- Patterns (Vijay Iyer)
- Desiring (Vijay Iyer)
- Games (Steve Coleman)
- Fleurette Africaine (Edward K. "Duke" Ellington)
- One For Blount (Vijay Iyer)
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