One of the things you have to see at this yearâs Earshot Jazz Festival is the Vijay Iyer Trioâs performance at Benaroya Hall. Vijay Iyer is not only one of the most talented pianists of our momentâhe is also one of the smartest. His education in music and theory is deep, but heâs not above experimenting with pop tunes (such as Michael Jacksonâs âHuman Natureâ) or exploring sample-based and boom-heavy regions of hiphop (he has worked with Das Racist). Iyerâs intellect is at once modern and profoundly traditional. (Benaroya Hall, 200 University St, www.earshot.org, 7:30 pm, $22, all ages)