Expanding from his previous duo and trio outings, keyboardist and composer Vijay Iyer commands a sextet of exciting and forward thinking musicians including Graham Haynes on cornet, flugelhorn and electronics, Steve Lehman on alto saxophone, Mark Shim on tenor saxophone, Stephan Crump on bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums. "Poles" begins the album with some reflective piano, before the full band bounds up, kicking things into gear. The horns lead the way forward at a strong clip, playing with a profound angular momentum that propels the band onward including a taut saxophone solos, with the band tightly in sync, clearing the way for a declamatory brass feature which slows the tempo. "Far From Over" has percussive piano leading a rhythmic foundation which supports the strong multi-horn theme. Haynes more rounded sound is nicely juxtaposed by the sharp tones of the saxophonists, making for invigorating front line playing. Iyer's light but very fast touch is firm yet flowing, providing a perfect counterweight to the horns. The full band comes together as a seriously powerful unit, driving to the finish line. There is an openness to "Down to the Wire" with rippling piano, bass and drums gradually gathering pace and evolving to a vibrant improvisation. The horns don't enter until nearly the three minute mark, after the piano trio has built some excellent tension and they are met by vigorous and powerful horn statements. There is a forceful collective improvisation that is very impressive, with a fine drum solo folded in. "Into Action" develops a strong rhythmic foundation and a string of potent horn statements into a deep and moving performance. There is an engaging exchange of musical ideas, as strong and percussive piano with melds with the bass and drums for a more impressionistic bent and a soft controlled landing. They roar out of the gate on "Good On the Ground" with a punchy and exciting rhythmic feel constructing a steaming and powerful performance that pulls back to offers an opening for a particularly for an epic tenor saxophone solo from Shim, dovetailing into a colorful exchange for piano, bass and drums, and another sparkling Sorey solo. This was a superb state of the art modern jazz album, with every aspect hitting the marks from the compositions and arrangements through to the ensemble playing and solos, it is a brilliant and spirited performance.
Far From Over - amazon.com
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