Verisimilitude by Tyshawn Sorey

Composer/drummer Tyshawn Sorey is widely considered to be among the most important young artists at the intersection between composed and improvised music. The Wall Street Journal has called him “a composer of radical and seemingly boundless ideas” and Stereogum called his latest release, The Inner Spectrum of Variables “a genuine masterwork, something entirely new.” He is one of the most in-demand drummers on the modern jazz scene -- known for his impossibly virtuosic technique and his mind-boggling ability to effortlessly master even the most difficult written scores -- but is also one of a rare breed of jazz musicians who is pursuing composition as seriously as their playing. He received his Doctorate in Musical Arts in Composition from Columbia University in May, 2017 and will start in the fall as a tenure-track professor at Wesleyan University, where he will be taking the place of the recently retired Anthony Braxton.

Verisimilitude is Sorey’s continued effort to shatter the jazz piano trio tradition by extending the compositional influence to include the likes of Feldman, Debussy and Xenakis. The prior recorded work by this group, Alloy, combined formal classical composition and improvisation, and was described as “shadowy and elegant” by The New York Times. The new work utilizes a wider array of percussion effects, along with judicious use of electronic effects to explore a wider textural soundscape. Sorey daringly weaves together formal classical composition and improvisation, staking new musical ground in the process. Sorey is joined by pianist Cory Smythe, who is acclaimed classical violinist Hilary Hahn’s accompanist in addition to traveling widely in new music circles, including as a mainstay in The International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). Rounding out the trio is Chris Tordini, an in-demand bassist on jazz’s cutting-edge who regularly performs with Greg Osby, Claudia Quintet, Becca Stevens, and Matt Mitchell. Together, they share an egalitarian role in shaping the music and bring this work of intense beauty thrillingly to life.

Tyshawn Sorey is celebrated for his virtuosity and an extraordinary ability to blend composition and improvisation in his work. He has performed internationally with his own ensembles, as well as artists such as John Zorn, Vijay Iyer, Roscoe Mitchell, Muhal Richard Abrams, Wadada Leo Smith, Marilyn Crispell, Claire Chase, Jason Moran, Evan Parker, Anthony Braxton, Myra Melford and many others.

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