Vijay Iyer made a remarkable impact with his piano trio album Historicity last autumn. He follows it with a solo piano album that sparkles with originality. Following months of criss crossing the Atlantic playing at clubs, concert halls and festivals all over north America and Europe, and as Solo is released, Iyer talks to Stuart Nicholson

There’s a buzz surrounding pianist Vijay Iyer and it’s getting contagious. Some are even claiming that this is his decade, in much the same way the 1990s belonged to Brad Mehldau. Hyperbole? Well, since his last album Historicity on the ACT label was one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the millennial decade, it’s hard to dismiss such claims. And now, his latest release Solo for the same record company looks certain to create similar acclaim. All of which Iyer seems to take in his stride. Any success that has come his way, he says, has been the result of hard work and dedication and, he adds, the joy of doing something he really enjoys.

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