Henry Threadgill, Vijay Iyer & Dafnis Prieto: Fifteen (LP)

Fifteen" is the first album by the trio consisting of saxophonist and flutist Henry Threadgill, pianist Vijay Iyer, and drummer Dafnis Prieto. The album’s title refers to the number of years the trio has been performing together—initially as part of a series of benefit concerts for the New York club “Jazz Gallery” (where they have been playing regularly ever since) and later throughout the U.S. and internationally. The album features three compositions by Threadgill and Iyer, as well as two by Prieto. The track “I Wanted A Map,” written by Iyer, is available starting today, accompanied by a video filmed during the recording sessions. Threadgill, Iyer, and Prieto are among the most celebrated composers and performers of our time. Their collaborative project, informally known as “The Trio,” began in 2012 when Rio Sakairi of the Jazz Gallery brought the three renowned musicians together for a benefit event. Despite their pre-existing musical connections, they all sensed a special spark in the mysterious dynamics of this musical encounter. In the years that followed, they continued to develop the project; each musician acts both as a composer and as a creative soloist, bringing his own unique background and strong personality to the group dynamic. Their shared approach as composers gives the ensemble a special, ever-changing quality. The artists are not only captivating performers but also visionary creators and thinkers. Threadgill describes it this way: “Every time we come together for a performance, it feels completely new.... We have three composers here. Every time the music changes, it opens up a different world because it draws from a different source—shaped by each of us and our different approaches to composition.”