Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh & Tyshawn Sorey - Compassion

Release Date:	17/02/2024
Format:	2LP
Label:	ECM
Catalogue Number:	5835143/ 5567498

Pianist-composer Vijay Iyer follows his 2021 ECM disc Uneasy - the first to showcase his trio featuring bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Tyshawn Sorey - with Compassion, another album in league with these two gifted partners.

The New York Times captured the special qualities of this group, pointing to the trio's flair for playing "with a lithe range of motion and resplendent clarity...while stoking a kind of writhing internal tension. Crucial to that balance is their ability to connect with each other almost telepathically." Compassion, Iyer's eighth release as a leader for ECM, continues his drive to explore fresh territory while also referencing his forebears along the way, two of them long associated with the label.

The album includes a powerful interpretation of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed," which Iyer selected as an indirect homage to the late Chick Corea. Another tip of the hat comes with "Nonaah," a whirlwind of a piece by avant-garde sage Roscoe Mitchell, a key mentor for the pianist. Then there are Iyer's own melodically alluring, rhythmically invigorating compositions, ranging from the pensive title track to the hook-laced highlights "Tempest" and "Ghostrumental."

Vijay Iyer: piano
Linda May Han Oh: double bass
Tyshawn Sorey: drums

Tracklist

Compassion 
Arch 
Overjoyed 
Maelstrom 
Prelude: Orison 
Tempest 
Panegyric 
Nonaah 
Where I Am 
Ghostrumental 
It Goes 
Free Spirits
Drummer's Song