Contemporary Jazz pianist and composer Vijay Iyer has a BA in math and physics from Yale and a Masters in physics from UC Berkely. But as he relates here, music came first. Iyer started playing the violin at age 3 and after a few detours came to his senses in his early twenties. In this wide-ranging interview Iyer discusses the politics of his music, the post 9/11 moment, and meeting the unknown.

Iyer has collaborated with many artists, including Steve Coleman, Amiri Baraka, Dead Prez, Will Power, Suphala, and Burnt Sugar. He was voted rising star jazz artist and composer in the Downbeat magazine international Critics Poll in both 2006 and 2007. His latest cds, Tragicomic and Doors are out now. Check them out here.