Renowned jazz artist Vijay Iyer teaches and performs at Carleton

On January 17 and 18, renowned performer and teacher Vijay Iyer came to Carleton to impart his knowledge through a multitude of avenues. Iyer kicked off his time at Carleton with a public interview conducted by visiting academic Tony Chemero in the Weitz Center Cinema. Following the talk, Iyer held a masterclass with Carleton’s Jazz Ensemble and other jazz students in the Kracum Performance Hall. The following evening, the Vijay Iyer Trio — made up of Harish Raghavan on bass, Jeremy Dutton on percussion, and Iyer on the piano — performed to a packed auditorium in Kracum.

“It’s been nice to really spread my wings here,” said Iyer, reflecting on the many activities he was able to be a part of while at Carleton. “Usually [when I visit colleges] it’s more of a drive-by situation — kinda like Jesse James!”

The pinnacle of Iyer’s visit was the performance by the Vijay Iyer Trio. Walking onto the stage in a crisp black suit with the audience’s rapt attention, Iyer’s first words were surprisingly casual: “Um, how’s it going?” The crowd’s response, a soft laughter, eased the formality of the moment, setting the tone for the show to come. The set design also lent itself to a more casual mood than Iyer’s credentials may have led one to expect. A drumset, upright bass, and piano were set up on a large rug placed in the middle of the stage, reminiscent more of a living room than the setting for a world-renowned piano player. This approachable atmosphere echoed observations made by the Washington Post when its reviewer wrote, “it’s a sound that isn’t trying to impress you so much as involve you.” 

On stage, Iyer described his bandmates Raghavan and Dutton as the “leading lights of their generation in music today.” The trio played both new and old material — some so new it had not yet been released at the time. Iyer included songs from his latest album Compassion, which was released on February 2. 

The music began with the shimmering sound of the drummer softly padding on the cymbals, to be joined a couple measures later by piano notes delicately trickling in. As the instruments musically intertwined, increasing in volume and speed, they created a lively and upbeat sound. At times, one of the players would slow down while the rest continued playing energetically, resulting in a full, balanced sound. Throughout the performance, the trio changed beats and tempos often, ranging across a variety of moods — from lively, energetic, and fast to heavy, focused, and dark.

The first moment of silence came almost an hour into the show at 8:23 p.m. to vigorous applause. “I apologize for not telling you that we don’t really stop,” said Iyer. Rather than playing each song separately, the trio enjoys finding “trap doors from one song to another” when they perform.

“We surprise ourselves and each other with these transitions,” said Iyer. According to him, this way of playing ensures that “every show is different.” 

Most songs were therefore separated not by silence but by a slowing down of the music. The transitions between songs could be heard through waves of intensity as the music would quiet down to just one note, but never truly stop. Even as applause arose from the audience in these quieter moments, Iyer kept playing, hitting one note and then the next, the music coming slowly but consistently, like water dripping from a tap. This lull in energy, if not sound, offered space for the audience to catch their breath. These slower moments were brief, always leading quickly to the music building back up into a rich cacophony of sounds, like embers rearing to flare up into a roaring flame once again.

The physical movements of each player were as much a part of the performance as the music they created. All the musicians incorporated a lot of upper body movement into their performance. Head bobs would grow to incorporate their entire body — torso, arms, and head moving with the rhythm of the music as the sounds got more intense. During particularly energetic moments, the bassist would curl around his instrument, arms encircling the bass, seemingly trying to get as close as possible — to be one with it. At slower parts, the bassist’s arms seemed heavy as he barely brought his hand up to strum the strings of his instrument before letting his arm flop back down. His body emoted the slowness and heaviness of the music being produced in that moment. 

Iyer could often be seen with his eyes closed, head thrown back and arms fully extended to reach the keys. The bassist would react similarly to his instrument during particularly spirited portions of the performance, drawing back as if in response to the intensity of the music his instrument was creating. The performers could clearly feel the music, and the audience could, too. Audience members, young and old, were nodding and bopping along, riding the waves of sound and emotion. 

In his closing, Iyer thanked the audience: “You were a great audience… We are listening to you, and you sounded great. We can hear you listening and it touches us. Until we meet again, take care of each other. Thank you and goodnight.”

Iyer’s visit was made possible by the Ward Lucas Lectureship in the Arts, which was established by the friends and family of Ward Lucas. Before his passing in 1961, Lucas forged a strong relationship with Carleton and served on the College’s Board of Trustees for over 20 years. The “generous endowment” in his name brings “outstanding makers to Carleton,” said Steve Richardson ’86, Puzak Family Director of the Arts, in his introduction of Iyer’s performance. A defining aspect of the lectureship is bringing artists who have actual practice in the medium, not scholars who have engaged with the medium by studying it academically. As such, the lectureship sponsors “only individuals who have distinguished themselves in the actual practice of the art about which they are to speak.”

The Lucas Lecture Series rotates annually between participating departments (music, dance, art and art history, theater, and cinema and media studies). In the past, the lectureship has sponsored the visit of filmmakers, poets, playwrights, dancers, composers, choreographers, authors, musicians, novelists, and dance companies to Carleton. This year, the guest was selected by the Department of Music in collaboration with the Office of the Director of the Arts.