Vijay Iyer is an icon of contemporary jazz. What the experimental pianist plays is heard, discussed and celebrated. As a composer, Iyer also has experience in working with classical orchestras. But at the center of his musical work is his trio. On his homepage, pianist and composer Iyer describes all his projects, the only one for which he only strings together press reviews, of course all hymnal, is the trio. It is currently the most outstanding of its kind and filled with an irritating individual artistic excellence in an almost lavish way. Stunned, the New York Times stated: "It's as if this band wants to both seduce and unsettle us by taking away everything from us except the ability to think and see for ourselves." The American with Indian roots was not only awarded the MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the "Genius Prize". He was also the first to win in no less than five categories in the critics' choice of "Down Beat", the most important jazz magazine in the world, in one year. The man is simply an event!

Link to audio sample