Vijay Iyer / Linda May Han Oh / Tyshawn Sorey – Uneasy (2021 ECM Germany 2LP Vinyl)

Released in 2021 on ECM Records (ECM 2692), Uneasy marks the first trio recording from Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh and Tyshawn Sorey, three of the most forward-thinking voices in contemporary jazz. Recorded in December 2019 under the direction of Manfred Eicher, it’s an album of quiet intensity and elastic interplay, where every note feels both deliberate and instinctive.

Iyer’s piano writing shifts between angular rhythm and open lyricism, while Linda May Han Oh’s bass lines give the music depth and pulse without ever locking it down. Tyshawn Sorey’s drumming moves like weather, constantly in motion but never forced. Together, they create music that feels alert to the world’s chaos and still finds grace within it.

The trio explores a mix of originals and reimagined works: Children of Flint and Combat Breathing are direct in their emotional gravity, Touba and Configurations pulse with complex swing, while Uneasy and Entrustment carry a meditative calm. Even Night and Day feels transformed, recast through fractured time and delicate touch.

Pressed in Germany on double 180-gram vinyl, this ECM edition brings the label’s signature clarity and space to the trio’s intricate textures. Uneasy isn’t just a showcase of virtuosity; it’s a statement of empathy and awareness, proof that modern avant-garde jazz can still sound human and alive.