 The first time I heard Vijay Iyer performing Thelonious Monk's "Epistrophy" -- the second track on his new album Solo -- I almost fell out of my chair. The improvisation builds and builds with so much intensity and emotion that it left my jaw on the ground. And his take on Duke Ellington's "Fleurette Africaine" is stunningly gorgeous. Those were the two songs that jumped out at me the first time through the record, mostly due to my familiarity with the compositions and because Vijay's take on them are so immense. I'm still wrapping my head around the rest of the record, letting it slowly seep in, as there's a ton of great ideas from one of today's finest pianist on his first solo record. Here's Vijay sharing his thoughts on the making of Solo - which comes out next week:
The first time I heard Vijay Iyer performing Thelonious Monk's "Epistrophy" -- the second track on his new album Solo -- I almost fell out of my chair. The improvisation builds and builds with so much intensity and emotion that it left my jaw on the ground. And his take on Duke Ellington's "Fleurette Africaine" is stunningly gorgeous. Those were the two songs that jumped out at me the first time through the record, mostly due to my familiarity with the compositions and because Vijay's take on them are so immense. I'm still wrapping my head around the rest of the record, letting it slowly seep in, as there's a ton of great ideas from one of today's finest pianist on his first solo record. Here's Vijay sharing his thoughts on the making of Solo - which comes out next week:
        
            related articles
Blog: Best Songs of 2012: Vijay Iyer - "The Star of a Story"
Features: Best Songs of 2012
Shows: Rez Abbasi's Invocation
Blog: Video: Vijay Iyer Trio at Jazz Baltica 2011
Features: The Sound of Discovery: Conversation with Vijay Iyer
                
                
                
More on: Vijay Iyer, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington
		
  
  
    Blog: Best Songs of 2012: Vijay Iyer - "The Star of a Story"
Features: Best Songs of 2012
Shows: Rez Abbasi's Invocation
Blog: Video: Vijay Iyer Trio at Jazz Baltica 2011
Features: The Sound of Discovery: Conversation with Vijay Iyer
More on: Vijay Iyer, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington
	
		new to state of mind
Shows: moe.
Shows: Yonder Mountain String Band
Shows: Grand Point North 2014
Shows: Catskill Chill 2014
Shows: moe.down 15
Shows: Gov't Mule
Shows: Umphrey's McGee
Shows: Newport Folk Festival 2014
Shows: Widespread Panic
Albums: Phish - Fuego
		
		
	
	
	Shows: moe.
Shows: Yonder Mountain String Band
Shows: Grand Point North 2014
Shows: Catskill Chill 2014
Shows: moe.down 15
Shows: Gov't Mule
Shows: Umphrey's McGee
Shows: Newport Folk Festival 2014
Shows: Widespread Panic
Albums: Phish - Fuego
		            
            random awesomeness
Features: Conversation with Zac Lasher of U-Melt
Shows: Camp Bisco 10
Shows: Phish
Albums: Jeff Beck - Live and Exclusive from the Grammy Museum
Blog: John Mayer - A Lesson in Songwriting
Features: Conversation with Karl Denson
Shows: Gov't Mule + Soulive
Albums: Marco Benevento - Me Not Me
Shows: Shpongle + Phutureprimitive
Shows: American Babies
            
	
		
	
Features: Conversation with Zac Lasher of U-Melt
Shows: Camp Bisco 10
Shows: Phish
Albums: Jeff Beck - Live and Exclusive from the Grammy Museum
Blog: John Mayer - A Lesson in Songwriting
Features: Conversation with Karl Denson
Shows: Gov't Mule + Soulive
Albums: Marco Benevento - Me Not Me
Shows: Shpongle + Phutureprimitive
Shows: American Babies



