Mutations

It’s hard to keep up with the multifaceted Vijay Iyer. The pianist leads his jazz trio and does solo shows; he’s also a busy collaborator and writes commissions. Here, the MacArthur Fellow and newly minted Harvard professor is joined by a string quartet for a suite in which 10 coexisting cells and fragments are linked together genetically or by symbiosis under a general theme of change. Change and mutation are prime directives for any jazz musician, and Iyer (who has a Ph.D. in the cognitive science of music) creates situations where listeners can hear the instruments (with subtle electronics appearing three pieces) sometimes bouncing off of each other or sometimes resonating. Some parts are dissonant (“Mutation I: Air”), some are quite tranquil (“Mutation X: Time”), and some sound more classical ("Mutation III: Canon”). Those looking for something jazzier should check out the three solo pieces also included, particularly “Spellbound and Sacrosanct.” Mutations is Iyer's debut for ECM, a label with a long tradition of blending jazz, classical, and experimental music, and this fits right in with that vision.