Vijay Iyer & Jeremy Denk: 2013 MacArthur Geniuses

[colinmce]

No complaints here, big fans of both. Congrats especially to Mr Denk, a great performer and writer.

[jlhoots]

Both work for me too.

[paul secor]

Geniuses? Not in my world.

[colinmce]

Me either, but to be fair it's the nickname of a grant given to them by someone else.

[Blue Train]

Last I heard....Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, Andrew Cyrille, Hamid Drake, and @ least 20 other etcs were alive.

This thing is becoming more and more like the Grammys/Oscars.

Edited September 25, 2013 by Blue Train

[ejp626]

You can agree or not but the current steering committee certainly seems to be looking at this as an investment in the future, i.e. giving money to much younger artists who presumably are at an earlier point in their careers, rather than going to established artists and validating a career that is mostly behind them, a la the Nobel prizes.

[paul secor]

You can agree or not but the current steering committee certainly seems to be looking at this as an investment in the future, i.e. giving money to much younger artists who presumably are at an earlier point in their careers, rather than going to established artists and validating a career that is mostly behind them, a la the Nobel prizes.

Imo, Roscoe Mitchell has more music ahead of him - no matter how much longer he lives - than Vijay Iyer ever will. So I don't think that the "investment in the future" concept is necessarily valid.

Edited September 25, 2013 by paul secor

[ejp626]

You can agree or not but the current steering committee certainly seems to be looking at this as an investment in the future, i.e. giving money to much younger artists who presumably are at an earlier point in their careers, rather than going to established artists and validating a career that is mostly behind them, a la the Nobel prizes.

Imo, Roscoe Mitchell has more music ahead of him - no matter how much longer he lives - than Vijay Iyer ever will. So I don't think that the "investment in the future" concept is valid.

You don't but others don't see it that way. I am not very interested in Roscoe Mitchell's work and generally am intrigued by what Iyer is up to.

Certainly, the odds are that Vijay will be creating a lot longer than Roscoe at this point. It comes down to taste, and there is no point in getting too steamed over it.

[paul secor]

Not steamed at all. As a matter of fact, I'm feeling pretty mellow. I was just weighing in with my opinion.

[Blue Train]

You can agree or not but the current steering committee certainly seems to be looking at this as an investment in the future, i.e. giving money to much younger artists who presumably are at an earlier point in their careers, rather than going to established artists and validating a career that is mostly behind them, a la the Nobel prizes.

Actually, the Nobel for Literature is even more of a joke.

The scientific ones are not about validating a career. The people that win those....deserved them.

If he does what Vandermark did with his money....it @ least wouldn't be such a joke.

Edited September 25, 2013 by Blue Train

[kh1958]

There should be a template/form for awards threads.

A. X won _____ award. Well deserved.

B. Yes I agree wholeheartedly.

C. X sucks. The award should have gone to the great Z.

A. Z sucks.

D. Both X and Z suck.

E. I adore X and Z.

[ejp626]

There should be a template/form for awards threads.

A. X won _____ award. Well deserved.

B. Yes I agree wholeheartedly.

C. X sucks. The award should have gone to the great Z.

A. Z sucks.

D. Both X and Z suck.

E. I adore X and Z.

F. I completely disagree with the notion of ranking jazz musicians... nonetheless this is a scandal and Ω was robbed.

(Omega has way more cred than Z.)

[kh1958]

There should be a template/form for awards threads.

A. X won _____ award. Well deserved.

B. Yes I agree wholeheartedly.

C. X sucks. The award should have gone to the great Z.

A. Z sucks.

D. Both X and Z suck.

E. I adore X and Z.

F. I completely disagree with the notion of ranking jazz musicians... nonetheless this is a scandal and Ω was robbed.

(Omega has way more cred than Z.)

... q. Thread locked by moderators.

[AllenLowe]

Vijay is an amateur. Sorry, but it's reality.

Shipp, for just one example, is 10 times the pianist he is.

Edited September 25, 2013 by AllenLowe

[jlhoots]

As always this is all subjective.

At least "jazz" musicians are considered.

At least one of the posters has a "relationship" with someone else mentioned which renders his opinion of no value IMHO.

[AllenLowe]

I know Shipp. I know Braxton. I knew George Russell (briefly). I am able to detach my own musical judgements from my personal considerations. If I'm the one you are talking about.

[jlhoots]

I know Shipp. I know Braxton. I knew George Russell (briefly). I am able to detach my own musical judgements from my personal considerations. If I'm the one you are talking about.

I objected more to the amateur crack.

I once met Miles Davis.

[imeanyou]

Vijay is an amateur. Sorry, but it's reality.

Thanks all the same, but I'm quite happy constructing my own reality. Although I'm sure there will be occasions when your reality and my opinions coincide.

[mjazzg]

Vijay is an amateur. Sorry, but it's reality.

Shipp, for just one example, is 10 times the pianist he is.

what evidence for Iyer's amateur status? Seems to me he earns a living from his music wich puts him in mind on the professional side of the line.

Maybe your use of 'amateur' was perjorative in which case why not back it up with some evidence (not opinion) rather than leave it hanging there

[Larry Kart]

I have four albums with Iyer -- two as a leader or co-leader, two as a sideman with Rudresh Mahanthappa -- and Allen may be pleased to know that at times Iyer reminds me of Brubeck. OTOH, I don't hear amateurishness, just conceptual choices/emphases that after a while don't quite work for me -- or, better, don't do enough work over the course of a particular piece but instead more or less state and restate what I've already heard.

In that general vein --- combining jazz elements with elements from the subcontinent, if that is an accurate way to put it -- I prefer the work of Boulder, Co.-based altoist-composer Aakash Mittal, who I believe has studied with Mahanthappa and also is a friend of his. Mittal and his bandmates are more inclined to play with and off of the fairly elaborate rhythmic and melodic patterns they set up. The "clave" (to mix musics) is there and is felt, but it's not all that one hears.

Some Mittal info and clips:

http://www.aakashmittal.com/live/

I heard him live in Chicago about two months ago with his regular quartet and trumpeter Russ Johnson and was impressed. His most recent album "Ocean," featuring the same material from that gig but with Ron Miles on trumpet, is very good IMO.

[Steve Reynolds]

Iyer was quite good with Trio 3 a coupld of months back.

I've not listened much but I'm tempted to go see his large ensemble @ Montclair State on October 5th as he had the very good sense to have the *great* Mat Maneri in the band.

[Blue Train]

Saw him with Rudresh Mahanthappa and enjoyed it....though mostly with Mahanthappa. If you check the full list....it's like they're picking for the future with all of them....especially the fields I know, or have friends in.

Edited September 26, 2013 by Blue Train

[AllenLowe]

ok he's a pro; I take it back; but I find his work affected and stylistically cloying. Hope that's better.

[Hot Ptah]

ok he's a pro; I take it back; but I find his work affected and stylistically cloying. Hope that's better.

Courteous business-speak tends to smooth over relations between people. I find that not that many people can take a blunt statement these days. When one is made, it seems shocking. Now you have said something very negative in a way that people can more easily swallow it. I do this in my work about every three minutes, all day long.

[AllenLowe]

thanks; I think.