Awards & Recognition Flow In for Composer/Pianist Vijay Iyer The Pianist & Composer Sweeps 60th Annual Down Beat International Critics Poll Winning

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2012 Down Beat International Critics Poll, Composer, doris duke charitable foundation, Downbeat.com, entertainment, Jazz Journalists Association, Pianist, Vijay Iyer

An Unprecedented FIVE Categories in the Same Year Chosen As A Member of Inaugural Class of Doris Duke Artists Wins Pianist of the Year at 2012 Jazz Journalist Awards

CLICK COVER IMAGE TO VIEW THE ISSUE

In an unprecedented series of wins, jazz pianist/composer Vijay Iyer has been honored in five categories of the 2012 Down Beat International Critics Poll, including Jazz Artist of the Year, Jazz Album of the Year (for Accelerando), Jazz Group of the Year (for the Vijay Iyer Trio), Pianist of the Year and Rising Star Composer. No other artist in the 60-year history of the magazine’s poll has ever taken five titles simultaneously. Iyer appears on the cover of Down Beat’s August 2012 Critics Poll issue.

Vijay Iyer Trio’s Accelerando (Out March 13): NPR First Listen, NPR Song of the Day, All Things Considered, JazzTimes Cover, U.S. Tour Dates & More

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Marcus Gilmore, Stephan Crump, Vijay Iyer

Early Praise for The Vijay Iyer Trio’s Accelerando
(ACT Music, March 13)
Album Features Covers of Michael Jackson,
Flying Lotus, Heatwave, Henry Threadgill,
Duke Ellington & Herbie Nichols

Vijay Iyer - Jazz Times

Album to be Featured as NPR First Listen (March 6 to 13), NPR Song of The Day, NPR’s All Things Considered, January Cover of JazzTimes Magazine & Much More

Iyer Tours US in March & April with Trio, As Solo Pianist & With Collaborative South Asian Trio, Tirtha

“…a stunning album…” – Paste

“In musical terms, accelerando signifies a quickening of tempo, a gradual acceleration of pace…it’s a dead-on descriptor of the velocity at which Iyer’s career has traveled of late” – JazzTimes

“Vijay Iyer does the nearly impossible with his captivating makeover of Threadgill’s “Little Pocket Size Demons,” from Iyer’s forthcoming album Accelerando.” – NPR Song of the Day

Composer | Pianist Vijay Iyer Announced as 2012 Winner of the Prestigious Greenfield Prize

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Composer, Greenfield Foundation, Jazz, Piano, Vijay Iyer

Vijay Iyer

The Hermitage Artist Retreat and the Greenfield Foundation are proud to announce that Composer-Pianist Vijay Iyer is the winner of the $30,000 Greenfield Prize , awarded this year in the field of music. Iyer will receive the award at a special celebration dinner on April 1, 2012 in Sarasota, FL. Serving on the jury that selected Iyer were Linda Golding, past president of Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. music publishers and founder of The Reservoir; Jennifer Koh, solo violinist and prolific recitalist, and Limor Tomer, general manager of concerts and lectures at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Vijay Iyer – One of “Today’s Most Important Pianists,” According to The New Yorker – Releases a Visceral New Trio Album, Accelerando

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Composer, Jazz, Piano, Vijay Iyer

Iyer is The Cover Story of the February 2012 Issue of JazzTimes

Vijay Iyer Trio, Accelerando

Accelerando is the follow-up to the Vijay Iyer Trio’s Grammy-nominated Historicity – voted the No. 1 Jazz album of 2009 around the world, including in the Downbeat International Critics Poll, The Village Voice Jazz Critic’s Poll, The Los Angeles Times and by The New York Times

“Truly astonishing, the Vijay Iyer Trio makes challenging music sound immediately enjoyable.” – National Public Radio
“[a] pillar of contemporary jazz…dynamic and revelatory” – Village Voice
“…a stunning album…” – Paste

Rez Abbasi -][- Suno Suno [ENJA RECORDS, 2011]

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Guitar, Jazz, Rez Abbasi, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Vijay Iyer

Rez Abbasi, Suno Suno

Rez Abbasi -][- Suno Suno [ENJA RECORDS, 2011]

[Biography] – Born in Karachi, Pakistan, removed at the age of four to relocate to Southern California, schooled at the University of Southern California and the Manhattan School of Music in jazz and classical music, as well as a pilgrimage in India under the tutorial of master percussionist, Ustad Alla Rakha, Rez Abbasi is a vivid synthesis of all the above stated influences and genres.

Making New York home for the past 18 years, Abbasi has developed a unique sound both as a composer and an instrumentalist and is considered by many to be one of the foremost modern jazz guitar players the world over. He has honed his skills with performances through out Europe, Canada, the U.S., Mexico and India. He has performed and recorded with many jazz greats including, Grammy winner Ruth Brown, Peter Erskine, Kenny Werner, Barre Phillips, Tim Hagans, Marc Johnson, Billy Hart, Marvin ‘Smitty’ Smith, Gary Thomas, Rick Margitza, Dave Douglas, DD Jackson, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Tony Malaby, George Brooks, Pandit Ronu Majumdar, Pandit Kadri Gopalnath, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Marilyn Crispell, Greg Osby, Howard Levy and a host of others.

New JAZZ RELEASES for the Week of 3/8/2011

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Jazz, John Coltrane, Luis Conte, New Releases, Omar Sosa, Vijay Iyer

New JAZZ Releases (3/8/2011)

Greeting’s jazz enthusiasts, as always it’s a pleasure to return with more new music releases. With each visit, you’ll discover a montage of new jazz recordings featured at Amazon.com that encompasses a generous diet of nuances which includes a wealth of complex and distinctive styles, textures, melodies, and rhythms exalted by a host of definitive and creative voices in the world of jazz.

For more details, please visit Amazon.com for a complete list of this week latest jazz releases!

..:: SOURCE: Amazon.com ::..

On March 8 VIJAY IYER Releases Collaborative TIRTHA Album On ACT Music

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Indian Classical Music, Jazz, Nitin Mitta, Piano, Prasanna, Vijay Iyer

2011 GRAMMY NOMINEE & JJA MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR, VIJAY IYER
Introduces A New Band and Album
“Tirtha” on ACT Music
On March 8, 2011

Featuring Prasanna (guitar) & Nitin Mitta (tabla)

(Left to right Nitin Mitta, Vijay Iyer, Prasanna) Photo credit- Alan Nahigian

vijay iyer – prasanna – nitin mitta // TIRTHA

The Sanskrit word t?rtha (THEER-tha) literally means a ford, or a shallow place in a river that can be easily crossed over. Within a spiritual context, tirtha denotes a holy place near a body of water —somewhere where everyday struggles fall away, and where one passes easily into a deeper and more profound state of being. Aptly, Tirtha is now also the name of a phenomenal trio featuring three powerhouse musicians who at once honor and traverse the streams of tradition. It is also the name of their exciting new album on ACT Music.

2011 GRAMMY NOMINEE VIJAY IYER

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Jazz, Piano, Vijay Iyer

Introduces A New Band and Album
Tirtha on ACT Music
On March 8, 2011

Featuring Prasanna (guitar) & Nitin Mitta (tabla)

(Left to right Nitin Mitta, Vijay Iyer, Prasanna) Photo credit- Alan Nahigian

Vijay Iyer – Prasanna – Nitin Mitta // TIRTHA

The Sanskrit word t?rtha (THEER-tha) literally means a ford, or a shallow place in a river that can be easily crossed over. Within a spiritual context, tirtha denotes a holy place near a body of water —somewhere where everyday struggles fall away, and where one passes easily into a deeper and more profound state of being. Aptly, Tirtha is now also the name of a phenomenal trio featuring three powerhouse musicians who at once honor and traverse the streams of tradition. It is also the name of their exciting new album on ACT Music.

What are Your ‘FAVORITE JAZZ ALBUMS’ for 2010?

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Billy Childs, Esperanza Spalding, Gregory Porter, Jason Moran, Kenneth Whalum III, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Tia Fuller, Vijay Iyer

Cheers and seasons’ greetings my fellow jazz aficionados, “Happy Holidays“! As you know, this year end is rapidly coming to and end. Some may argue, but I must say this has been a very good year musically. With that said, I usually don’t put much thought into what album is the best or not. However, after receiving a few e-mails in reference to what I considered the “Top Jazz Albums for 2010?” I decided to scroll through the pages and withdraw some info from what’s been posted here and see what I can come up with.

Keep in mind, this list of albums are just some of my favorite recordings which by the way they’re not in a particular order. Just for the fun of it, be sure and post your favorite jazz albums in the comments section of this post.

-))- Esperanza Spalding, CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY
-))- Billy Childs Ensemble, IN MOVING PICTURES
-))- Tia Fuller, DECISIVE STEPS
-))- Maurice Brown, THE CYCLE OF LOVE
-))- Kurt Rosenwinkel and OJM, OUR SECRET WORLD
-))- Kenneth Whalum III, To Those Who Believe (Added: 2/3/11)
-))- Jason Moran, TEN
-))- Christian Scott, YESTERDAY YOU SAID TOMORROW
-))- Chucho Valdes and Afro Cuban Messengers, Chucho’s Steps (Added: 2/3/11)
-))- Gregory Porter, WATER
-))- Myron Walden In This World, WHAT WE SHARE
-))- Danilo Perez, Providencia (Added: 2/3/11)
-))- Suresh Singaratnam, LOST IN NEW YORK
-))- Buselli & Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, Mezzanine (Added: 2/3/11)
-))- Howard Wiley, 12 GATES TO THE CITY
-))- Kevin Eubanks, ZEN FOOD
-))- Brad Mehldau, HIGHWAY RIDER
-))- Manu Katché, THIRD ROUND
-))- Justin Janer, FOLLOWING THE SIGNS
-))- Stanley Clarke, THE STANLEY CLARKE BAND
-))- Vijay Iyer, SOLO

Check out these valuable resources below for their perspective of what the TOP JAZZ RECORDS for 2010 are …

Vijay Iyer TRIO -][- Historicity [Act Music & Vision]

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Jazz, Piano, Vijay Iyer

Vijay Iyer TRIO - HISTORICITY

Vijay Iyer TRIO-][- HISTORICITY – [Act Music & Vision, 2009] – Reviewed

From time to time, I particularly follow music by artist that approaches their instrument, composition and arrangements with tenacity and unbridled passion. In this case, I decided to re-visit “HISTORICITY” by pianist Vijay Iyer [TRIO]. With this, as in many of his projects, Iyer illustrates why he is one artist who surpasses the norm and does so brilliantly. Of course, this should not surprise anyone who’s heard this inventive and charismatic new generation bop-ologists prior to this recording.

For those who are unfamiliar with Vijay Iyer, his enormous soundscape is not easy to conceal, limit or envision him as being smooth or illusive. The remarkable thing about artist(s) of Vijay Iyer’s caliber is his uninhibited tapestry of melodies exudes with a corresponding blanket of organic textures and endless harmonics which in time unleashes the essence of who he is artistically. As each composition unfolds, they encapsulate his stunning performance and unraveled energy to illuminate his voice within the realm of each unstructured piece that resides on this phenomenal recording appropriately titled “Historicity.”