Vijay Iyer Trio: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Vijay Iyer is probably best known as a pianist and bandleader in the African-American creative improvisational tradition - most say "jazz" for short - though he's also several other things in music. He's a composer of chamber, large ensemble and mixed-media works; a Harvard professor; a student of Indian classical music; a father and New York City resident. Committed as he is to multiplicity, there's one place you can see many of his interests distilled at once: the trio he's led for nearly a dozen years.
The long-standing relationship he's forged with Stephan Crump (bass) and Marcus Gilmore (drums) accommodates all sorts of risk and translates into reward. The three play daring games of rhythmic interaction. They take Iyer's pieces designed for strings or big band and reduce without losing vitality. They do John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk, Flying Lotus and M.I.A.
The morning after a gig in Washington, D.C., the trio got up to visit NPR headquarters before a noon train back to New York. (There was a lot of espresso involved.) In one continuous performance, Iyer, Crump and Gilmore treated us to a few pieces from Iyer's deep catalog, including two from the new album Break Stuff - ending on the scintillating "Hood," inspired by pioneering Detroit techno DJ Robert Hood. After the blaze of the main set, they played a calm and pretty theme dedicated to the late poet and activist Amiri Baraka - it originally came Iyer's suite for string quartet and piano Time, Place, Action. There's excitement, daring, overload, and speed in Vijay Iyer's music, but, as we were reminded: Just like anyone else, he looks for beauty too.--PATRICK JARENWATTANANON
For more from the Vijay Iyer Trio, check out its performance for Jazz Night In America on Wednesday, May 6, and archived afterward.
Set List
"Diptych"
"Time, Place, Action - Excerpt 1 (Libra)"
"Questions Of Agency"
"Hood"
"Time, Place, Action - Excerpt 2 (For Amiri Baraka)
Credits
Producers: Bob Boilen, Colin Marshall; Audio Engineer: Brian Jarboe; Videographers: Colin Marshall, Morgan McCloy, Maggie Starbard; Assistant Producer: Olivia Merrion; photo by Olivia Merrion/NPR

[@chipstern1]

Been hearing Marcus Gilmore, totally enraptured, since I witnessed him sitting in with his grandfather's band at The Blue Note as a puppy...very mature, very cool, no superfluous teenage flash, totally in touch with the music--an old soul. Once, years later, at a Birdland gig in NYC with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, I told his mother "I'm not possessive--I'm willing to share him." Marcus has always been special, and has continued to grow by leaps and bounds. Last I heard, he was preparing to study with tabla master Zakir Hussain. I mean...GOD BLESS.

[@jibsmokestack1]

You can hear the influence of Andrew Hill in Vijay’s music!

[@Daddytang67]

Marcus is killing it. These kinds of rhythms are insane to play.

[@FossilFishy]

Whoo. You know, sometimes I can fool myself. I can think "If I didn't have this day job I could do that." Not here, this is astounding musicianship. Love it.

[@Nuxunumo]

Marcus casually deciding to play left-handed. The bar has been set folks.

[@pabloordas3775]

+James Sudimak It looks more like left-footed, as he is playing right handed and swapped the BD and the HH... but agree, the bar has been set :)

[@SenorRohas]

I thought the image was flipped at first. Shit blew my mind for a second. ....Still does. lol

[@jeanjaille4225]

what is life without a little challenge? ahahah the guy is so good

[@k4ir0s]

Is Marcus still with them?

[@joekelner3520]

messin with my head.

[@bclaus0]

That hihat sounds golden

[@BluStrat22]

Thanks, Claus! I recorded it... really honored you liked it

[@AdnanAlsannaa]

Working at NPR must be amazing!!

[@pacificbudz]

I usually am not a fan of this type of music but for some reason it draws me in.

[@bobinsb]

That reminds me of the Duke quote, "there are only two types of music.......good music and bad music :-) You know good music when you hear it.

[@Chingster22]

i don't know shit about music theory, but even a layman like myself can sense the speciality being happened here by this trio as a (mostly) visual artist, my best understanding is to relate this as willem de kooning for your ears. while not always aesthetically pleasing, there's a sense of something powerful in the use of their medium--the artist's liberation, the artist's intuition, and perhaps an initiation of challenge...

[@janetrobinson7143]

P"&;~[¿]£°

[@TakeKareMusic]

+Chingster22 :-)

[@CaptainJazz262]

respect, bro

[@petercheney8316]

Well drawn analogy.

[@pjcerto1074]

Art speaks to the heart. Well said, bro.

[@percyheat]

Amazing !!!! I've heard Brad Meldhau , Albert Iler , Keith Jarrett , oh God !! Such a beautiful tunes...Brilliant !!

[@Hugohhhgg]

Y’all killed it, they gotta come back for a pt2!!

[@popcornisfromcorn]

i keep returning to this video and its been at least 2 years. thank you. great performance all around

[@cillianfinn1093]

Every damn time I get lured onto this channel it's another amazing experience of fantastic music :D

[@valeriethompson1166]

Agreed!

[@suegha]

This isn't jazz, it's beyond jazz, it's mad and wonderful, it's full of virtue and poise, it's wonderful. It transcends the norm, it creates its own genre, I love it!

[@sobermoney3573]

It is jazz, just not dumbed down corporate jazz that can easily get a recording contract on Blue Note!

[@suegha]

@@sobermoney3573 Thanks for the reply, it brought me back to this amazing Tiny Desk once again!

[@patwhite8955]

First saw Vijay at the Newport Jazz Fest2014 in RI...I have been following him ever since. #KeepJazzAlive #KeeptheMusicPlaying

[@sobermoney3573]

No, this is simply the extremely talented and brilliant piano voice of Vijay Iyer and his trio. All great jazz musicians display the “collective unconscious” (Jung) stylings of all past innovators.

[@tulrob]

Finally some artists to bring ECM back.from the abyss....really nice....

[@dsachsenheimer]

Mr Gilmore, you are something else entirely!!!

[@MrAlcides1611]

Great performance! This guy is fantastic!

[@SAMUCACHIODINI]

very good!! something truthfully new!

[@adrianstrickland7600]

God damn, some of these transitions feel so good

[@TonyGellaDrums]

Out of this world.. daammn

[@BeeskieMICA]

Is Gilmore just lowkey switch-hitting and playing a left-handed kit?!?!?!

[@tulsiraakh6671]

It's raining here thanks vijay(epitome of poetry) for your this and coming contribution!

[@tulsiraakh6671]

so much refreshing!!

[@Victory..I]

Vijay Iyer here as well..

[@2021-g6v]

I love this. Respect to all of them. But gotta admit that I admire the drummer the most, lol.

[@akarshrastogi3682]

Vijay Iyer: - Indian parents - Piano self taught by ear, age 3 - 15 years training - Yale Maths+Physics - Berkeley Music PhD - Harvard Professor - 3 times Grammy nominee - Jazz Artist of the Year 5 times

[@paxwallacejazz]

This is so much better than the last time I heard him

[@plvarnier]

There is much musical liberty here. So indeed sometimes it might doesn't work (and that could maybe explain all this hate in the comment section) but some other times it's really just so groovy and powerful. That's the game, that said you have an entire right to dislike it.

[@ThePaul303]

I have no idea about Jazz, but this stuff it lit!

[@acid-mask]

This is Monk... This is your Monk on math...

[@pierluigiromagnoli162]

... and Herbie Nichols and Andrew Hill. The black answer ti Tristano pianismo.

[@p.r.h.7283]

Huh

[@skzeeman007]

Looks like you had some old monk

[@HermanoMotheo]

"All musicians are subconsciously mathematicians." Monk.

[@bobinsb]

Wow.......this is the first time I have heard this trio. Wow.

[@3340steve]

I dont know what Vijay is doing here but the music is good...first theme the trio play reminds me of Monk (brilliant corners)....i am amused that so many people left annoyed and puzzled messages...it took the musicians their whole lives to get to this, you think you are going to understand it all ?

[@russellesimonetta9071]

Very advant guard. But not out to be out! Very interesting! Markus just relaxes and noodles!

[@AdnanAlsannaa]

Amazing!!

[@NeKo487]

How the fuck are they so smooth?

[@paulwalker1676]

amazing

[@alzirarosa453]

Amazing performance!!!

[@Beifer_]

two stacked augmented triads nice

[@tulsiraakh6671]

very subtle composition champion aka magnificent!!

[@sheppiesheep]

Yeah.

[@THESLOWDEATHHOOKS]

smart music for smart people. Thanks for the great upload! Very impressive talent right here.

[@JoeIzzo]

Vijay Iyer Trio Stephan Crump (bass) and Marcus Gilmore (drums)

[@Fabelnegros]

thanks Tiny Desk !

[@shnootch]

beautiful.

[@pedroherkenhoff3827]

Great!

[@ArtBusker]

Yesss !!!! Muy bueno ! no lo conocía "

[@ofpoprecords]

Radical

[@amandaleopold1687]

Love

[@peasantsoul]

Great work, sir!

[@RayasNegroOvejas]

"Hood" is like Steve Reich

[@popcornisfromcorn]

PJ yeah, and the description says it was inspired by Robert Hood! It's so amazing to hear the synchrony in that triangle.

[@TakeKareMusic]

Omg that transition from 8:22-8:37....Soooo good!!! Omfg and 14:36.....Wow.

[@Matysek88]

my jam

[@udomatthiasdrums5322]

cool stuff love it!!

[@nishantsharma16]

GoGo Penguin at the desk would be something

[@ns81]

Thelonious monk is smiling

[@jp6741]

Almost getting vein melter vibes at 15:30

[@josejimenezgonzalez4886]

Buenisimos

[@sorayadresler2586]

Muito bom!

[@tulsiraakh6671]

the bar has been literally set!!

[@DELJARE]

I don't understand very much when it comes to theory, and I'm not a musician myself. Maybe that's why I don't get it? Can someone enlighten me? I would love to understand why this is considered great.

[@ThomasBrophy]

Jared Taylor The spontaneous rhythmic syncopation, complex harmonic relationships, the creative interplay, the sensitivity and certainty of performance, and the evident joy.

[@JamesOden]

Jared Taylor I don't approach it with theory at all. I just listen and let it take me places. Sometimes I even hear responses that I would make if I were joining them. To me it sounds at times like the sounds of a forest or a busy city street. As a musician I hear very articulate sounds, that I know are hard to pull off so masterfully, however its really just how it makes me feel that in my opinion makes it so great. That said I have spent years listening to music from all over the world, and many times on first listen the music was foreign to me even jarring, but after continuing to listen slowly the language of the music would unfold as articulate musical utterances. Which is a long way of saying that if at first you don't understand, listen listen again because your experience is likely more like someone hearing a foreign language spoken for the first time than anything else.

[@DELJARE]

Thanks for the responses guys! I think it makes sense that I might not understand it, like a foreign language like James mentioned. I'll definitely listen to those other groups and try to expand my jazz horizons.

[@ericfricke4512]

Jared Taylor It grooves! And gets your brain thinking!

[@jasworld4671]

fuck this math music (marcus gilmore the drummer is the shit though.. but vijay is whack) listen to some Miles Davis, some Coltrane or some Monk that is the real shit

[@shortstorywriter]

Check out Vijay Ayer's story on PBS' Articulate With Jim Cotter - Life's Work S5Ep21 for more.

[@fedjadjadja]

hello jazz community of youtube

[@ablikdabouf]

Marcus gilmore is a lefty with his feet now?

[@brianconnolly8246]

ablikdabouf First thing I noticed too.. maybe he wanted to play open handed to have the muted floor tom and cymbals more accessible when the right hand was on the hi-hat.. or he got too comfortable with his old set up wanted to experiment with a set up that would force him to approach things in a new innovative way.. maybe to practice ambidexterity? maybe just for shits and i'm thinking too much about it? lol maybe all or none of these reasons, but i wonder if he has thoughts on it

[@Savantjazzcollective]

Brian Connolly seems like he is developing his left side by doing this, he has obviously been practicing this way for some time. I notice he still plays right hand on ride though, so not a total transformation.

[@drumman9021]

ablikdabouf He is lefty, but leads with the right hand, like me.. i understand where he comes from, well, sort of, you just learn to play different stuff, he's level is far beyond,

[@arrjee9474]

I don't hear any kik though ... Do you?

[@troybraganza5104]

Vijay in the jazz world? and Michael in the pop world

[@wyndymequine9206]

"monk on math"- great observation.....same model of piano I sit at.....mine would be happy to have that sound coming out of it.........

[@alfbarroso]

Am I crazy or did mr Iyer quoted “Rede”(Hermeto Pascoal) at 2:42?

[@phl8426]

super, but what is the name of this jazz ? thank's for your responses

[@pibroch]

Creative jazz

[@Edfireman1]

Jazz. Needs no further definition.

[@shri777]

mr. precision

[@alfbarroso]

Description for “free music” updated.

[@agiosioannis5207]

Wait... is Marcus playing left handed??

[@coalbee]

…right?! I can’t tell if his kit is setup left footed as well…🥁🔨

[@PJTheCurryGod]

bro i feel like he just switched his hi hats to the right just to flex his independence ??? 🤣🤣🤣 love this dude so much. a true artist. in my head ive always imagined jazz drumming like painting the music and marcus is like the illest painter to me idk@@coalbee

[@sucutash]

mmmmm! Hood: The sweet sound of 979797...

[@theultimategamer213]

do they just come up with this stuff on the spot or is it arranged somehow? i never understand how the forms in post bop type combos where they just seemingly all do different things for a long time where as a traditional bop group plays the head, solos, etc in an order. But here it just seems all random.

[@kylemccombmusic]

A lot of Vijay Iyer's music is written as a number of different repeating sections, and the musicians are signaled to transition to the next section by musical cues (usually a distinct series of four or five notes). Some of the sections are very long and/or intricate, some are very short and simple. There's a lot of freedom though, especially with the simpler parts of tunes. You can actually buy a book of his compositions if you're curious how they're notated. Lots of triads and odd time signatures.

[@Mahrushka]

В начале так легко, молодец, а потом просто изнасиловал и инструмент, и душу, и себя

[@lenslemonbenzem6907]

is this trio improvisation? stephan play is very cool like jimmy garrison n marcus also do but aggressive polymeter here is two awesome bottom mobs. n vijay is piano chimera for example chick mehldau keith zawinul herbie kuhn though so his play deforme especially rhythmic part. npr music san thanx a lot

[@saky228]

What sticks is Marcus using?

[@MrMaxSkorpion]

Anyone know what strings the bass player is using?

[@JorgeCanovas]

+MrMaxSkorpion I've seen those before.. I would have to ask a former colleague of mine from college. Essentially, they're nylon core, round wound, upright bass strings. They feel pretty good, but I heard they don't last too long.

[@Benfreidkin22]

Hood.

[@tartaringus]

i can 'hear' the limiter, great drums!

[@BluStrat22]

TARTARINGUS actually no limiter on the drums. A slight bit of compression on the overall mix, though! Glad you liked it!! 😊

[@dM-ij1we]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@troybraganza5104]

what are the similarities between Vijay lyer and Michael Jackson

[@CookeMaria-c4q]

81671 Alessandra Keys

[@mclekrell]

You think they do it just for the money?

[@k4ir0s]

I thought all jazz artists do it for the money? aha

[@e3tl]

I guess I'm just not smart enough to appreciate this!

[@jazzmartyrs]

No, you're smart enough to realize that this blows chunks.

[@jeanmedar]

Just continue to listen and eventually you’ll understand more of what it’s happening. Jazz is pure energy.

[@jazzmartyrs]

All these guys need is for someone to write them some music.

[@bulletfastspeed]

@@jazzmartyrs Nah man. It's definitely out, but it's really good. Ryhthmically complex, but it still grooves.

[@conysalvo]

I enjoyed the drums. The bass - ok if I hadn't seen him pulling faces. Piano - technically and rhythmically impressive, but no melodies for me. I was curious, but this is not doing it for me.

[@OS-yg9fr]

snoring

[@onesyphorus]

sometimes i wonder whether marcus is even a human 😂

[@alvarmalvar9953]

Мартиросян на клавишах

[@alejandropalenciaalvarez6738]

cul

[@enriquejose17]

Fred Armisen

[@santiago2496]

Soy peo

[@everythingsawesome]

Arpeggios, got it. Dissonant block chords and chopped rhythms, got it. But what's the story he's telling? What's the sound he's telling it with? There's neither, at least not in this performance. Don't give me your credentials. Give me your story and sound. Neither here. For sound like this, give me Matthew Shipp any day.

[@johnqpublic4662]

Pretentious…

[@nicolassimion6967]

well, I think these guys can play, but it sounds to me more like they are trying to be original...but just trying ! sorry ....

[@iamnothingwithoutmykush9818]

How is Jazz fully "African American"? What about my ancestors they were Jazz musicians from Europe and half of Jazz is European harmonies so you are discriminating.

[@ramzyred]

Ok, so this called music too?

[@ramzyred]

ramzyred Sorry , OK, so this IS called music too?

[@huxlee3947]

ramzyred if this is not music to you, my child, with contempt I laugh at your miserable existence.

[@ramzyred]

Hux Lee thank you, i love you to!

[@NeKo487]

ramzyred This is not only music, but complicated and advanced music. If you are referring to people calling rap groups like Migos not music, well they have literally nothing in common with what these guys are doing besides maybe playing the same notes once or twice on their synthesizers.

[@ramzyred]

Ok, so it has a name!

[@Rickriquinho]

I have heard worse musicians than him but he is very weak because he is lost in this free stuff that means almost nothing.

[@jimsykes6843]

Okay Ricardo let's see you do it

[@pierluigiromagnoli162]

Free? Here All Is organized!

[@akarshrastogi3682]

Vijay Iyer is a Harvard Music Proff, and was awarded Jazz Artist of the Year 5 times and was a Grammy nominee 3 times.