Compassion

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.” The album was produced by Manfred Eicher and Vijay Iyer.

Side 1
1     Compassion
2     Arch
3     Overjoyed
Side 2
4     Maelstrom
5     Prelude: Orison
6     Tempest
Side 3
7     Panegyric
8     Nonaah
9     Where I Am
Side 4
10     Ghostrumental
11     It Goes
12     Free Spirits / Drummer’s Song

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