This is an entirely different evening than Thursday night’s concert at LACMA. Vijay Iyer & Teju Cole have teamed up to present an evening entitled Blind Spot. This concert takes place Saturday at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel and launches the 2018-2019 Cap UCLA season.
Teju Cole is an author, he’s the photography critic for the New York Times Magazine and he’s also a photographer. Pianist/Composer Vijay Iyer, has been named Jazz Artist of the Year three times by Downbeat Magazine (2018, 2015, 2012.)
Iyer & Cole have collaborated on Blind Spot. The project shares its name with the 2017 book Cole had published that pairs his photography with text. It examines society’s apathy to injustice and tragedy throughout history. Those photographs will be presented with Cole reading the text and it is all accompanied by a score written by Iyer.
Joining Iyer to perform the music are trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, mallet percussionist Patricia Brennan and cellist Tomeka Reid.
Before the concert begins, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an live mic event with the Get Lit Players. From 7:15 PM to 7:45 PM poets will respond to the question, “What is Your Blind Spot?”
Photo of Vijay Iyer by Lena Adasheva