Mutations (Vijay Iyer album)

Mutations
Studio album by Vijay Iyer
Released	March 4, 2014
Recorded	September 2013
Studio	Avatar, New York City
Genre	Jazz
Length	60:13
Label	ECM 2372
Producer	Manfred Eicher
Vijay Iyer chronology
Holding It Down: The Veterans' Dreams Project (2013) Mutations (2014) Radhe Radhe: Rites of Holi (2014)

Mutations is a studio album by jazz pianist Vijay Iyer recorded in September 2013 and released on ECM the following year. The titular suite features a string quartet consisting of violinists Michi Wiancko and Miranda Cuckson, violist Kyle Armbrust, and cellist Kivie Cahn-Lipman. ^[1]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
All About Jazz	[3]
The Guardian	[4]
Financial Times	[5]
RTÉ.ie	[6]
Exclaim!	7/10 [7]
Tom Hull	A– [8]

The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4½ stars out of 5, stating "Mutations rewards with well-considered, inspired performances." ^[2]

Writing for All About Jazz, John Kelman said "Mutations is a landmark recording from an artist who, while already possessing an admirable discography, has clearly been limited to more decidedly jazz-oriented concerns. Representing a significant musical shift, if Mutations is but the first sign of the greater freedom ECM plans to afford Iyer, the only vaticinator of what's to follow will surely be its complete and utter unpredictability." ^[3]

The Guardian review by John Fordham awarded the album 4 stars noting "It's thoughtful, typically original, and unexpectedly very exciting." ^[4] Rob Shepherd, writing for PostGenre, noted "Vijay Iyer’s first for ECM is also arguably his best [to date]. While his previous releases showcased a supremely talented pianist, it appears that signing with the Munich based label opened a number of doors creatively for him." ^[9]

Not all reviews were as enthusiastic, with JazzTimes stating that "Mutations is a major disappointment. The problem is Iyer's writing for strings. There is a 10-part suite for string quartet, piano and electronics. The suite is stunningly devoid of the aesthetic and emotional content that makes most people listen to music. Qualities such as lyric discovery, melodic fulfillment and rhythmic engagement are absent." ^[10]

Track listing

All compositions by Vijay Iyer

1. "Spellbound and Sacrosanct, Cowrie Shells and the Shimmering Sea" - 7:39
2. "Vuln, Part 2" - 4:34
3. "Mutation 1: Air" - 4:12
4. "Mutation 2: Rise" - 2:44
5. "Mutation 3: Canon" - 5:47
6. "Mutation 4: Chain" - 5:25
7. "Mutation 5: Automata" - 6:32
8. "Mutation 6: Waves" - 3:00
9. "Mutation 7: Kernel" - 5:59
10. "Mutation 8: Clade" - 1:34
11. "Mutation 9: Descent" - 5:17
12. "Mutation 10: Time" - 4:00
13. "When We're Gone" - 3:30

Personnel

• Vijay Iyer – piano, electronics
• Michi Wiancko, Miranda Cuckson – violin (tracks 3-12)
• Kyle Armbrust – viola (tracks 3-12)
• Kivie Cahn-Lipman – cello (tracks 3-12)

References

1. ECM discography accessed September 15, 2014
2. Jurek, Thom. "Mutations - Vijay Iyer". Allmusic.com. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
3. Kelman, John (March 10, 2014). "Vijay Iyer: Mutations". allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
4. Fordham, John (March 7, 2014). "Vijay Iyer: Mutations review – Thoughtful, original and exciting jazz". theguardian.com. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
5. Hobart, Mike (March 14, 2014). "Vijay Iyer: Mutations". Financial Times . ft.com. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
6. Kehoe, Paddy (May 14, 2014). "Vijay Iyer Mutations". RTE. RTÉ.ie . Retrieved June 7, 2018.
7. Hall, Glen (February 28, 2014). "Vijay Iyer Mutations". Exclaim! . exclaim.ca. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
8. Hull, Tom. "Tom Hull: Grade List: Vijay Iyer". tomhull.com . Retrieved July 30, 2020.
9. "Rob Shepherd's Favorite Jazz Albums: 2009-2019". December 25, 2019.
10. Conrad, T., JazzTimes Review, March 2014