Pianist, composer, and professor Vijay Iyer revisits earlier works from his catalog in a trio setting, with two outstanding musicians and collaborators, the drummer and composer Tyshawn Sorey, and bassist Linda May Han Oh. From Iyer’s latest, Uneasy, hear “Touba,” an instrumental version of the spoken word piece “Plastic Bag” done originally with Mike Ladd. Then, listen to music featuring Tyshawn Sorey as pianist, in collaboration with Iranian-American sax player, composer, and professor Hafez Modirzadeh. From Facets, where jazz and Persian classical music come together, listen for retuned piano, intended to create the sounds of the Persian scales, as performed by Tyshawn Sorey.

Then there’s music from composer, arranger, and pocket trumpeter Laura Watts (formerly Laura Kahle) with drummer-husband Jeff “Tain” Watts (Wynton Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane, McCoy Tyner.) Hear selections from their recent Protest Songs – a record of piano duets, including a piece called “Rojava,” an area in northern Syria where people are fighting for equality and autonomy, and “Paint the Streets,” which is dedicated to the protests against racial injustice in America 2020.

Also, sample music for upright piano and cello from Swedish-Iranian pianist, composer, and sound artist Shida Shahabi, and cellist Linnea Olsson, (whom Shida calls "the best cellist I know in Sweden”). Plus, an epic work for solo piano, adapting both The Kinks and The Verve, by Grammy Award winning jazz pianist Brad Mehldau, and more. - Caryn Havlik

Program #4484, Piano solo, Duos, Trios  (First Aired 4/14/2021)

ARTIST: Brad Mehldau
WORK: Bittersweet Symphony | Waterloo Sunset [1:00]
RECORDING: Ten Years Solo Live
SOURCE: Nonesuch Records
INFO: nonesuch.com

ARTIST: Vijay Iyer, Tyshawn Sorey, Linda May Han Oh
WORK: Touba [7:17]
RECORDING: Uneasy
SOURCE: ECM 2692 
INFO: ecmrecords.com

ARTIST: Tyshawn Sorey
WORK: Hafez Modirzadeh: Facet 39 Mato Paha [5:05]
RECORDING: Hafez Modirzadeh - Facets
SOURCE: Pi Recordings
INFO: hafezmodirzadeh.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Laura Watts, Jeff "Tain" Watts 
WORK: Rojava [3:07]
RECORDING: Protest Songs
SOURCE/INFO: laurawattsmusic.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Brad Mehldau
WORK: Bittersweet Symphony | Waterloo Sunset [15:50]
RECORDING: Ten Years Solo Live
SOURCE: Nonesuch Records
INFO: nonesuch.com

ARTIST: Quest Ensemble
WORK: Pizz Trance [5:01]
RECORDING:  The Other Side
SOURCE: PFT Records
INFO: qensemble.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Laura Watts, Jeff "Tain" Watts 
WORK: Paint the Streets [2:58]
RECORDING: Protest Songs
SOURCE/INFO: laurawattsmusic.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Shida Shahabi
WORK: All in Circles [3:57]
RECORDING: Shifts
SOURCE: FatCat / 130701
INFO: https://shida-shahabi.bandcamp.com/album/shifts

ARTIST: Laura Watts, Jeff "Tain" Watts 
WORK: Oceans [3:22]
RECORDING: Protest Songs
SOURCE/INFO: laurawattsmusic.bandcamp.com