I suppose it's no longer breaking news that pianist Vijay Iyer is on his way to becoming one of the major jazz voices of his generation. Now in his mid 30s, he has fully consolidated his early influences (Steve Coleman with M-Base, pianists Andrew Hill and Jason Moran and various Indian musical forms) in order to come to a personal language that's immediately recognizable. Conceptually different from his cooperative trio Fieldwork (whose staggeringly good new album Door is also available on eMusic), Tragicomic is the most openhearted of Iyer's instrumental albums and, perhaps not coincidentally, the most unabashedly emotional.

Working with longtime collaborators Rudresh Mahanthappa on alto sax, bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore, the pianist combines his usual challenging compositions, like the politically savvy “Macaca Please,” with new works of surprising simplicity. On “Comin'Up,” Iyer seems to be slowly making his way through simple jazz chords the way a precocious child might. The result is a very moving, deliberate performance. Throughout the album, saxophonist Mahanthappa utilizes a bigger, reedier, Eastern-influenced tone than he has previously. He also frequently bends pitch. Mahanthappa doesn't have what would traditionally be heard as a “jazzy” sound; he's likely… read more »