Vijay Iyer Trio: Vijay Iyer, piano Stephan Crump, bass Marcus Gilmore, drums

Rudresh Mahanthappa's Apex: Rudresh Mahanthappa, alto saxophone Bunky Green, alto saxophone featuring Craig Taborn, piano François Moutin, bass Damion Reid, drums

This double bill brings together two of today's most interesting jazz combos. Dubbed one of "today's most important pianists" by The New Yorker, Vijay Iyer is a singular talent – a forceful, rhythmically invigorating performer who weds a cutting-edge sensibility to a unique sense of compositional balance. An exceptional, forward-thinking composer, Iyer draws from African, Asian, and European musical lineages to create fresh, original music in the American creative tradition. His latest album, Historicity, received year-end acclaim as #1 Jazz/Pop Album of the Year (The New York Times) and #1 Jazz Album of the Year (National Public Radio and The Los Angeles Times). The second half of the program features alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa's Apex. Mahanthappa, who appeared with Danilo Perez in April 2010, is one of the most innovative young musicians and composers in jazz today. He incorporates the culture of his Indian ancestry and fuses myriad influences to create a truly groundbreaking artistic vision.