| Mutations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| 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 | ||||
| ||||
Mutations is a studio album by American jazz pianist Vijay Iyer recorded in September 2013 and released on ECM the following year. The titular suite features a string quartet consisting violinists Michi Wiancko and Miranda Cuckson, violist Kyle Armbrust, and cellist Kivie Cahn-Lipman. [1]
| 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]
All compositions by Vijay Iyer
Vijay Iyer is an American composer, pianist, bandleader, producer and writer based in New York City. The New York Times has called him a "social conscience, multimedia collaborator, system builder, rhapsodist, historical thinker and multicultural gateway". Iyer received a 2013 MacArthur Fellowship, a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a United States Artists Fellowship, a Grammy nomination, and the Alpert Award in the Arts. He was voted Jazz Artist of the Year in the DownBeat magazine international critics' polls in 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2018. In 2014, he received a lifetime appointment as the Franklin D. and Florence Rosenblatt Professor of the Arts at Harvard University, where he was jointly appointed in the Department of Music and the Department of African and African American Studies.
Jumping the Creek is an album by jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd recorded in January 2004 and released on ECM April the following year. The quartet features rhythm section Geri Allen, Robert Hurst and Eric Harland.
I Have the Room Above Her is an album by jazz drummer Paul Motian recorded in April 2004 released on ECM January the following year. The trio features guitarist Bill Frisell and tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, their first release since At the Village Vanguard in 1995.
Class Trip is an album by American jazz guitarist John Abercrombie recorded in February 2003 and released by ECM on April 26th, 2004. The quartet features violinist Mark Feldman and rhythm section Marc Johnson and Joey Baron.
Hagar's Song is an album by saxophonist Charles Lloyd and pianist Jason Moran recorded in April 2012 and released on ECM February the following year.
Snakeoil is an album by the American composer and saxophonist Tim Berne released on the ECM label in 2012.
Mágico: Carta de Amor is a live album by saxophonist Jan Garbarek, guitarist Egberto Gismonti and bassist Charlie Haden recorded in 1981 and released on ECM three decades later in 2012. The album follows the trio's first two recordings Magico (1979) and Folk Songs (1981).
Extended Circle is an album by the Tord Gustavsen Quartet recorded in June 2013 and released on ECM January the following year. The quartet features saxophonist Tore Brunborg and rhythm section Mats Eilertsen and Jarle Vespestad.
Rava on the Dance Floor is a live album by Italian jazz trumpeter and composer Enrico Rava with Parco della Musica Jazz Lab, performing songs by Michael Jackson recorded in Italy in 2011 and released on the ECM label.
Accelerando is a studio album by Indian-American pianist Vijay Iyer recorded in 2011 and released on the ACT label in 2012.
One Is the Other is an album by the Billy Hart Quartet recorded in April and May 2013 and released on ECM March the following year. The quartet features saxophonist Mark Turner, pianist Ethan Iverson, and bassist Ben Street.
Break Stuff is an album by the Vijay Iyer Trio recorded in June 2014 and released on ECM February the following year. The trio features rhythm section Stephan Crump and Marcus Gilmore.
Three Views is a 3CD compilation album by trumpeter Dave Douglas which combines three volumes originally released as music downloads on Greenleaf Music's Portable Series in 2011 and features Douglas' Brass Ecstasy, a Quintet with Ravi Coltrane and Vijay Iyer, and the So Percussion Ensemble.
Tirtha is an album by pianist Vijay Iyer with Prasanna and Nitin Mitta recorded in 2008 and released on the ACT label in 2011.
Up and Coming is a studio album by the John Abercrombie Quartet recorded in April and May 2016 and released on ECM January the following year—the final studio by Abercrombie, who died in 2017. The quintet features rhythm section Marc Copland, Drew Gress, and Joey Baron.
A Cosmic Rhythm with Each Stroke is an album by trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and pianist Vijay Iyer which was released in March 2016 on ECM Records.
Imaginary Cities is a studio album by the Chris Potter Underground Orchestra recorded in December 2013 and released on ECM in January 2015, Potter's second album for the label. The ensembles features the return of his "Underground Quartet"—consisting rhythm section Craig Taborn, Adam Rogers, and Nate Smith—alongside vibraphonist Steve Nelson, bassist Scott Colley, bass guitarist Fima Ephron, and a string quartet.
Radhe Radhe: Rites of Holi is a studio album by American jazz musician Vijay Iyer. It was released on November 7, 2014 under ECM Records as a soundtrack for Prashant Bhargava's experimental documentary film Radhe Radhe. The album was commissioned by Emil Kang, Executive Director of the Carolina Performing Arts as part of a wider series of works to celebrate the centenary of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring (1913).
Uneasy is an album by American pianist and composer Vijay Iyer recorded in December 2019 and released on ECM in April 2021. The trio features rhythm section Linda May Han Oh and Tyshawn Sorey.
Travel Guide is an album by guitarists Ralph Towner, Wolfgang Muthspiel, and Slava Grigoryan recorded in Switzerland in August 2012 and released on ECM September the following year.
