ECM Records Vijay Iyer Sextet: Far From Over

2017

Vijay Iyer Piano, Fender Rhodes
Stephan Crump Double Bass
Tyshawn Sorey Drums
Steve Lehman Alto Saxophone
Mark Shim Tenor Saxophone
Graham Haynes Cornet, Flugelhorn, Electronics

An object lesson in music for the heart, the head and the feet, ‘Far from Over’ often sounds like vivacious folk music or displaced blues, reflects the hipness of Miles Davis’s 1960s postbop bands and 70s electronic ones or the contemporaneity of slow-burn Bad Plus buildups, and yet is consistently spine-tingling in improvisations that sound simultaneously inside and outside the harmonies. […] As a contemporary jazz set, ‘Far from Over’ has just about everything.
John Fordham, The Guardian

If you're looking for the shape of jazz to come, here it is...the sturdiness of its design and the passion of its execution make [Far From Over] 2017's jazz album to beat.
Hank Shteamer, Rolling Stone

‘Far From Over’ is ambitious, varied, and thrilling. If you are tempted to see it as a more conventional ‘jazz’ record from someone who has worked in many different forms, I suppose that’s okay. […] Like Hancock’s Mwandishi group, this sextet exploits key assets: a brilliant, orchestral drummer, a sly and expressive brass player, cutting saxophonists, and a leader and pianist whose compositions are both challenging and memorable. ‘Nope’ makes the connection most emphatically—a gorgeous funk tune that is as greasy and hip as any of today’s Robert Glasper tracks but has more historic weight. The twinned saxophones, jousting over the groove, bring to mind the early Steve Coleman M-Base recordings. Iyer’s ghostly Fender Rhodes playing within the rhythm section is the hook to the Mwandishi group.
Will Layman, Popmatters

The 10-track, nearly hour-long album offers one of the bandleader’s strongest and most varied programs—one in which feverish ensemble writing hangs together with groove-oriented tracks and sparer experimental textures. […] The union of players and material inspires a new synthesis: the sound of Iyer consolidating strengths and discovering some new ones as he settles into the vibe created by his most potent band yet.
Seth Colter Walls, Pitchfork

‘Far From Over’ is a splendid showcase for Iyer as pianist and composer, and there is plenty of space for the other sextet members to shine as well. A fine addition to his discography, and an excellent place for new listeners to start.
Mark Sullivan, All About Jazz