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Editorial Reviews
Review
2010 Grammy Finalist: Jazz Category -
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group --Grammy.com/nominees
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group --Grammy.com/nominees
Product Description
"A boundless and deeply important young star." -- LA Weekly
"One of the most exciting new voices in jazz." -- Boston Globe
"One of the scene's most original players." -- The Wire
"One of the most original and accomplished young pianists in years." -- Village Voice
"A formidable force ... startlingly effective and unflinchingly forward-looking." -- Chicago Tribune
"A total triumph from beginning to end." -- All About Jazz
"Unfailingly imaginative and significant." -- JazzTimes
"One of the most intellectually restless improvising musicians in the world these days." -- Chicago Reader
* Twice voted the #1 Rising Star Jazz Artist and Rising Star Composer in DownBeat's International Critics' Poll, Vijay Iyer is a largely self-taught creative musician grounded in the American jazz lexicon and drawing from a range of Western and non-Western traditions.
* His widely acclaimed recordings on innovative labels like Pi Recordings, Sunnyside, and Savoy Jazz include Panoptic Modes (2001), Blood Sutra (2003), Reimagining (2005), Tragicomic (2008), Your Life Flashes (2002), Simulated Progress (2005), Door (2008), Raw Materials (2006), and many more.
* Historicity is informed by the constant transformative relationship between past and present. "It's just a condition of being alive," Iyer says. "We're always shaped by history, even as we reach into the future."
* Independent promoter Matt Merewitz will handle print promotion.
* Ads with DownBeat. Vijay Iyer: piano Stephan Crump: bass Marcus Gilmore: drums
* Historicity
* Somewhere
* Galang [Trio Riot Version]
* Helix
* Smoke Stack
* Big Brother
* Dogon A.D.
* Mystic Brew
* Trident: 2010
* Segment For Sentiment #2
Customer Reviews
“ The moral of the story here is that Historicity requires patience and a A LOT of listening to really comprehend its musical depths. ”
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Historicity is the new trio album by the Vijay Iyer trio (Iyer on piano, Stephan Crump on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums.) It is also, in my estimation, the best new jazz release of 2009. The album features 10 tunes and includes covers of such diverse songwriters as Andrew Hill, Stevie Wonder and Julius Hemphill. There are also three originals by Iyer.
The playing on this CD is wonderful - angular, virtuosic, intelligent. This is piano trio music for the 21st century. Just listen for the traces of the beautiful melody in the density of sound that the group achieves on their fantastic cover of Leonard Bernstein's "Somewhere." The Hill number "Smokestack" is nearly as brilliant. I listen to dozens of jazz trio albums each year and while many (if not most) are enjoyable and musically competent, very few really having something new to say. Vijay Iyer's Historicity is one of those albums. Listen and hear for yourself.
The playing on this CD is wonderful - angular, virtuosic, intelligent. This is piano trio music for the 21st century. Just listen for the traces of the beautiful melody in the density of sound that the group achieves on their fantastic cover of Leonard Bernstein's "Somewhere." The Hill number "Smokestack" is nearly as brilliant. I listen to dozens of jazz trio albums each year and while many (if not most) are enjoyable and musically competent, very few really having something new to say. Vijay Iyer's Historicity is one of those albums. Listen and hear for yourself.
33 of 40 people found the following review helpful
By lee morgan
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The trio, rather than the larger group with Rudresh on tenor, is really the perfect format/foil for Vijay Iyer. This recording is simply stunning, whether youre a fan of extraordinary technique or pure improvisational chops. Just a cursory listen to how Vijay uses a standard like "Somewhere" as a vehicle for melodic and harmonic reinvention is worth the price of this recording. Among the covers here: Juluis Hemphill's Dogon AD and Smokestack which reveals the clear influence of Andrew Hill on Vijay. Simply stunning.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Overview:
When I first heard this was going to be a trio and Rudresh Mahanthappa was not going to be playing on the CD I thought this couldn't possibly be as good as Vijay's recent releases. Vijay and Rudresh have such chemistry ... how could the trio be better? Well it is. It is way better. I love Vijay's prior albums but this one is really special. Prior to this album I never really heard bassist Crump. There was too much else going on. On this format you can really here Marcus Gilmore on drums and Stephen Crump on bass, and they are really good. And Vijay can fill up space like you wouldn't believe. Having no other leads gives Vijay lots of room and he romps all over the place. Two other important things to note about this album: #1 it is very modern and reminds me a bit of E.S.T. #2 This is the first Vijay Iyer album where it truly is a modern postbop album and not a world music/jazz fusion album. There is a tinge of world accent on the remake of Trident, but besides that this could just as easily be a modern Scandanavian trio. While I love the world accent on the previous albums, it is impressive to see Vijay move past something that was successful onto some that is even better.
Song Highlights:
Dogon A.D. - This track is a modern funky romp. Bassist Crump opens with the bow on the bass strings and gets down with it. This really reminds of of E.S.T. ...man i miss them. Dogon A.D. is an album by Julius Hemphill which was released in 1972. Vijay really dug deep in history to find this one. Thank you.
Mystic Brew - Vijay reworked a Ronnie Foster song here. Vijay does these killer staccato appegios that just rock. It's upbeat and pretty and magical.
Galang - very modern tune originaly written by Maya Arulpragasam. Sounds like an electronica sound adapted to jazz.
... All the songs are good. I could write more but you get the point. This is a real gem. Highest recommendation. Absoluely essential for Vijay Iyer fans. The other songs include 4 by Vijay Iyer (2 new, 2 remakes) 1 from West Side Story, 1 by Andrew Hill, and 1 by Stevie Wonder.
When I first heard this was going to be a trio and Rudresh Mahanthappa was not going to be playing on the CD I thought this couldn't possibly be as good as Vijay's recent releases. Vijay and Rudresh have such chemistry ... how could the trio be better? Well it is. It is way better. I love Vijay's prior albums but this one is really special. Prior to this album I never really heard bassist Crump. There was too much else going on. On this format you can really here Marcus Gilmore on drums and Stephen Crump on bass, and they are really good. And Vijay can fill up space like you wouldn't believe. Having no other leads gives Vijay lots of room and he romps all over the place. Two other important things to note about this album: #1 it is very modern and reminds me a bit of E.S.T. #2 This is the first Vijay Iyer album where it truly is a modern postbop album and not a world music/jazz fusion album. There is a tinge of world accent on the remake of Trident, but besides that this could just as easily be a modern Scandanavian trio. While I love the world accent on the previous albums, it is impressive to see Vijay move past something that was successful onto some that is even better.
Song Highlights:
Dogon A.D. - This track is a modern funky romp. Bassist Crump opens with the bow on the bass strings and gets down with it. This really reminds of of E.S.T. ...man i miss them. Dogon A.D. is an album by Julius Hemphill which was released in 1972. Vijay really dug deep in history to find this one. Thank you.
Mystic Brew - Vijay reworked a Ronnie Foster song here. Vijay does these killer staccato appegios that just rock. It's upbeat and pretty and magical.
Galang - very modern tune originaly written by Maya Arulpragasam. Sounds like an electronica sound adapted to jazz.
... All the songs are good. I could write more but you get the point. This is a real gem. Highest recommendation. Absoluely essential for Vijay Iyer fans. The other songs include 4 by Vijay Iyer (2 new, 2 remakes) 1 from West Side Story, 1 by Andrew Hill, and 1 by Stevie Wonder.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vijay Iyer - Historicity
Historicity is without a doubt one of the most unique piano trio albums to come along in quite some time. Read more
Published 15 months ago by BK
2.0 out of 5 stars
OK... but a bit boring
I really wanted to like this album, but I feel that it suffers from the same condition that permeates much of contemporary jazz these day: a lack of strong melodic ideas. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Joel Karwatsky
5.0 out of 5 stars
Super album !!
Having seen the Historicity concert on tour, i knew pretty much what to expect in creativity and quality. Great piano poly-rhythmic skills on the part of Vijay Iyer... Read more
Published on April 14, 2011 by John M. Gardner
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great even for those who aren't into most Jazz
I've never quite understood most Jazz, but that doesn't seem to matter with Vijay Iyer. He creates some of the best music to listen to in all situations, background music, driving... Read more
Published on January 17, 2011 by Angry Wombat
3.0 out of 5 stars
brainy....good, but not great
I bought the hype on this and am again disappointed-when will I learn and
stop listening to the critics! Read more
stop listening to the critics! Read more
Published on December 3, 2010 by TREV
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vijay Iyer
I expected a departure from the normal small group piano performance. And, yes, it is a different piano interpretation. Read more
Published on November 20, 2010 by F. Hatt
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best jazz releases of the last few years
For the version of Somewhere alone, this is essential listening for modern jazz enthusiasts. And for bookish types with a credit card and much free time.
Published on May 31, 2010 by Todd M. Steed
4.0 out of 5 stars
As good as everyone says it is
"Historicity" is Vijay Iyer's trio album, and it got excellent reviews throughout 2009. I think it's as good as everyone says. Read more
Published on April 3, 2010 by Anthony Cooper
5.0 out of 5 stars
Peerless wonder
If somebody wrote a review that simply said, "This is not only the best jazz album of 2009 by miles but also one of the most thrilling, most imaginative trio albums ever committed... Read more
Published on March 11, 2010 by Boxodreams
