IYER and Manthappa are real American Indians - the US-born children of south Asian parents - and while they certainly make musical reference to their ancestry, this is far more than just ragainflected jazz. The pianist and saxophonist are amongst the leading members of a new generation of musicians who are taking the jazz tradition and laying it open to the infiltration of other similarly sophisticated musical forms, whether they be Asian, African, European or American. An enthralling tour de force of duo playing, which manages to be both highly challenging and eminently listenable.

Cormal Larkin