Search - Vijay Iyer :: Panoptic Modes

Strong brew

N. Dorward | Toronto, ON Canada | 03/08/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"More evidence, if any were needed, that the dark, tenebrous piano playing of Powell, Monk, Waldron & Andrew Hill is still with us; this album is in many ways comparable to Jason Moran's work on Blue Note. Iyer isn't the technician that Moran is, nor has he got the interest in more fleet players like Jaki Byard, but he has a very clear idea of what he's doing. His band here is very good, with the excellent alto player, Rudresh Mahanthappa, splitting the difference between modern players like Osby & Steve Coleman, & the high drama of great 1960s voices like Coltrane & Sam Rivers. With the drummer often recalling Elvin Jones with his barrages of triplets, & Iyer drawing on Tyner's thunderous chording, this album indeed does borrow importantly from Coltrane's legacy--inevitable I suppose given that Iyer draws extensively on Indian music here, a major influence on Coltrane. I hear you groan--"yet _another_ album indebted to Coltrane!"--& yet this comes off as highly original & independent of vision. The album is somewhat too unrelieved in impact--there are some delicate moments, but basically it's full-tilt from the opening (the first track, "Invocation", doubles in volume after the relatively contained intro, & had me diving for the volume knob); & yet I find it an enormously promising disc which suggests Iyer's got the potential to be a very special player. Do try: don't expect a comfortable hour of music, but _do_ expect something that engages the ears & mind."

Well, here is a ten!

Big Chief | Laguna Niguel, CA | 03/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I heard Blood Sutra first, and ended up loving it. So I thought I'd go back and check out this one, Panoptic Modes, and it quickly became a favorite, and cemented my respect for Vijay and Rudresh. This is art that I had not expected. At one point, during the very first listen, I screamed in my car, not really believing that they were actually doing this. It was very moving, and continues to be. For me, I sense an honesty and love that really kicks things up a notch.



I guess that there is a chance that this sort of sound just isn't your thing, sure. I've got plenty of friends that I know would not really connect. But damn, for a jazz lover with an open ear, this is stuff that must be heard. I'm very much looking forward to following these fine artists.

"

Excellent

Big Chief | 07/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I took a chance by buying this CD based on a bunch of reviews here and there on the Internet. This is the most unique and refreshing Jazz album I have heard in a long time. I'm hoping that I can catch this band live...cause every person in this quartet plays with precision and emotion..."