Mehldau On Brilliant Form

From The Telegraph Brad Meldhau on brilliant form at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, plus all the best jazz and folk of 2017 By: Ivan Hewett Brad Mehldau is an aristocrat among jazz pianists. He doesn’t stoop to dazzling finger-work to seize our attention, or reach into the piano’s innards to make odd sounds (a practice that seems to be...

Posted May 24th, 2017

Inspirational Original Compositions

From Financial Times Brad Mehldau Trio, Barbican, London By: Mike Hobbart Inspirational original compositions made up the bulk of this set from the influential pianist’s trio. Brad Mehldau’s first piano-trio releases set pithy reconstructions of Thelonious Monk alongside elegiac readings of Beatles classics, and made the work of Radiohead and Nick Drake acceptable material for the jazz repertoire. But at...

Posted May 24th, 2017

Searching, Storytelling Jazz At Its Finest

From The Guardian Brad Mehldau Trio review – searching, storytelling jazz at its finest By: John Fordham Barbican, London Mehldau is one of the contemporary form’s great improvisers, and with Jeff Ballard and Larry Grenadier he made unexpected but riveting connections. South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker maintain that if two scenes in a show can’t be linked...

Posted May 23rd, 2017

Mehldau Interview: The Art Of The Trio

From The Yorkshire Post Music interview: Brad Mehldau on the art of the trio and more With: Duncan Seaman Few musicians have made quite the same impact on the course of contemporary jazz as Brad Mehldau. Over the course of 25 years, the pianist from Jacksonville, Florida, has established himself as a player, composer and arranger of exceptional talent, with...

Posted May 12th, 2017

Bach celebrated in glorious baroque concerts

From The San Diego Union-Tribune Review: Bach celebrated in glorious baroque concerts By: Christian Hertzog It’s been a great week for local early music fans. They’re enjoying an unprecedented four-concert festival, “Sounds of the Baroque,” involving three San Diego organizations. The first three concerts were a Bachapalooza… …Thursday’s solo recital by Mehldau illustrated Bach’s influence today. Mehldau proved a fine...

Posted Mar 14th, 2017

Jazz FM Award Nomination for Brad Mehldau

Congratulations to Brad Mehldau on his nomination for Jazz FM’s International Jazz Artist Award! For the full list of nominees click here

Posted Mar 1st, 2017

Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau on A Prairie Home Companion

From Nonesuch Watch: Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau Perform “Scarlet Town” on “A Prairie Home Companion” Mandolinist Chris Thile, the new host of the beloved public radio show A Prairie Home Companion, welcomed label mate pianist Brad Mehldau to the show as a special guest this past weekend. They performed two songs from their new, self-titled debut duo album: Mehldau’s...

Posted Feb 14th, 2017

Congratulations to IMN's ECHO Jazz Nominees!

Congratulations to this year’s ECHO Jazz nominees! Most especially to these artists from the IMN family: ENSEMBLE INTERNATIONAL Joshua Redman/Brad Mehldau Duo (Nearness) INSTRUMENTALIST/IN INTERNATIONAL PIANO/KEYBOARDS Brad Mehldau (Nearness) INSTRUMENTALIST/ IN INTERNATIONAL SAXOPHON/WOODWINDS Joshua Redman (Nearness) INSTRUMENTALIST/IN INTERNATIONAL GITARRE John Scofield (Country For Old Men) For the full list of nominees click here

Posted Feb 10th, 2017

Slate's Best Jazz Albums of 2016

From Slate The Best Jazz Albums of 2016 By: Fred Kaplan Everyone knows that music has charms to soothe a savage breast, but few have read the rest of William Congreve’s line, which claims it can also “soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak,” and so, in these times of breast-beating savagery, heads full of stones, and tangles in desperate...

Posted Dec 19th, 2016

LA Times' Best Jazz of 2016

From The Los Angeles Times Best of 2016: Jeff Parker, Jack DeJohnette and Mary Halvorson continue pressing jazz forward By: Chris Barton After a fractious election year that saw misogyny and bigotry woven into the political discourse, some took comfort in the hope for art becoming energized in the years ahead with the fire of resistance. Some of the most...

Posted Dec 16th, 2016

Watch: Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau Perform on "CBS This Morning: Saturday"

From Nonesuch Watch: Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau Perform on “CBS This Morning: Saturday” Mandolinist/singer Chris Thile and pianist Brad Mehldau were guests on CBS This Morning Saturday this past weekend. The Nonesuch Records label mates stopped by the CBS studios for a Saturday Sessions performance of three songs from their forthcoming debut duo album, Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau:...

Posted Dec 12th, 2016

Best Jazz of '16: Nearness and Blues and Ballads

From PopMatters The Best Jazz of 2016 By: Will Layman BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO BLUES AND BALLADS (NONESUCH) Blues and Ballads is from one of the best and most longstanding contemporary trios, that of Brad Mehldau. They cover two Paul McCartney tunes, a Charlie Parker blues, and four old standards, leaving expressive space at the center of every performance. This is...

Posted Dec 6th, 2016

Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau Release Duo Album

From Nonesuch Mandolinist/Singer Chris Thile and Pianist Brad Mehldau Release Duo Album on Nonesuch, January 27 Nonesuch Records labelmates mandolinist/singer Chris Thile and pianist Brad Mehldau, longtime admirers of each other’s work, first toured as a duo in 2013. At the end of 2015, they played a two-night stand at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom before going into the studio...

Posted Nov 16th, 2016

"A dazzling display" at London Jazz Fest

From The Guardian London jazz festival review – a dazzling display all across the musical spectrum By: John Fordham Two of jazz’s best virtuosi improvising at the speed of thought… …Redman and Mehldau startled even their seasoned fans at the Barbican on Saturday night. After Mehldau’s catchily rocking Always August, and truculent tenor sax blurts and radiant falsetto sounds from...

Posted Nov 13th, 2016

Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau a breathtaking duo

From The Age Melbourne Festival review: Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau a breathtaking duo By: Jessica Nicholas It’s been 25 years since Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau​ first crossed musical paths. Since then, those paths have diverged and converged many times, leading both artists on to glittering individual careers. And while opportunities for the pair to reunite are relatively rare...

Posted Oct 25th, 2016

How Redman and Mehldau became dynamic duo

From The Los Angeles Daily News How Redman and Mehldau became dynamic duo By: Erik Pedersen Since they began releasing albums in the 1990s, jazz musicians Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau have played in seemingly every kind of musical permutation you can imagine, from jazz groups to jam bands and orchestras or all alone. But when the two longtime collaborators...

Posted Sep 29th, 2016

Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau CD reviewed

From The Ottawa Citizen Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau CD reviewed By: Peter Hum The next time you see Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau, check if the two elite jazz musicians have signs of special antennae implanted in their skulls. Based on their duo playing on their new album, Nearness, you would think that the two forty-somethings use some kind...

Posted Sep 25th, 2016

Joshua Redman & Brad Mehldau: Nearness

From Relix Joshua Redman & Brad Mehldau: Nearness By: Jeff Tamarkin Saxophonist Joshua Redman and pianist Brad Mehldau have worked sporadically on each other’s group projects since the ‘90s, but Nearness is their first duo release. Now, they will need to make a habit of returning to this format often—their chemistry has never been more pronounced. Recorded live during several...

Posted Sep 16th, 2016

'Nearness' -- Jazz Standards for a Modern Age

From The Wall Street Journal ‘Nearness’ by Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman Review: Jazz Standards for a Modern Age The new recording by pianist Brad Mehldau and saxophonist Joshua Redman defines what jazz sounds like today. By: Martin Johnson In the mid-20th century, jazz went through several seismic shifts: the emergence of bebop in the ’40s, the arrival of free...

Posted Sep 13th, 2016

Brad Mehldau Trio: Blues and Ballads review – old songs made ingeniously new

From The Guardian Brad Mehldau Trio: Blues and Ballads review – old songs made ingeniously new By: John Fordham American piano master Brad Mehldau has played both Bach and electronic funk in the UK recently, but this is a return to acoustic jazz with his long-running trio (Larry Grenadier on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums) and a tracklist of...

Posted Jul 22nd, 2016

No one does with as much subtle excellence as Brad Mehldau (Pop Matters)

from popmatters.com Blues and Ballads By: Will Layman Brad Mehldau might be a bit overlooked these days, with the field of jazz pianists who are taking the music into the future so rich and crowded. Robert Glasper brings hip hop to the acoustic jazz piano, Jason Moran fractures the art while bringing it back together, and Vijay Iyer seems to...

Posted Jul 13th, 2016

Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau Reunite on "Nearness

from nonesuch.com Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau Reunite on “Nearness,” New Album Due September 9 on Nonesuch Nonesuch Records releases saxophonist Joshua Redman and pianist Brad Mehldau’s Nearness, the longtime friends’ and collaborators’ first duo album, on September 9, 2016. Nearness, a selection of duets recorded live during their recent European tour, is available for pre-order now at iTunes and...

Posted Jun 28th, 2016

All About Jazz Review: Brad Mehldau Trio: Blues And Ballads

from allaboutjazz.com Brad Mehldau Trio: Blues And Ballads By: DAN MCCLENAGHAN Call Brad Mehldau’s Blues and Ballads the pianist’s “Every Man Set.” There has been, from the beginning of Mehldau’s career, a sense of the cerebral in his approach, with its classical music influences and his deep technical virtuosity. Throw the sometimes dense and erudite writing for selected liner notes...

Posted Jun 23rd, 2016

Guardian (UK): Blues and Ballads review – extraordinarily inventive

from theguardian.com Brad Mehldau Trio: Blues and Ballads review – extraordinarily inventive By: Dave Gelly A deceptively sweet-sounding set which, once you cotton on to the pianist’s way of treating a few mainly well-known tunes, is absolutely absorbing. Instead of the usual jazz method of improvising on a tune over and over again, known as “playing choruses”, he plays the...

Posted Jun 8th, 2016

Financial Times (UK) Gives Blues and Ballads 5 stars

from thetimes.co.uk Jazz: The Brad Mehldau Trio: Blues and Ballads By: Chris Pearson What, no Radiohead? Brad Mehldau is adept at bending almost any music to the will of the jazz tradition, whether it’s alternative rock or, as heard at the Wigmore Hall last December, establishment baroque. Yet this album has his most traditional song selection yet: four jazz standards,...

Posted Jun 8th, 2016

Review: John Scofield, Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana Debut as an All-Star Trio

from nytimes.com Review: John Scofield, Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana Debut as an All-Star Trio By: Nate Chinen The new-groove super trio making its world premiere at the Blue Note this week — John Scofield on guitars, Brad Mehldau on keyboards, Mark Guiliana on drums — plants its flag at the convergence of ruggedness and finesse. Just past the midpoint...

Posted Jun 7th, 2016

Jazz: The Brad Mehldau Trio: Blues and Ballads

from thetimes.co.uk Jazz: The Brad Mehldau Trio: Blues and Ballads What, no Radiohead? Brad Mehldau is adept at bending almost any music to the will of the jazz tradition, whether it’s alternative rock or, as heard at the Wigmore Hall last December, establishment baroque. Yet this album has his most traditional song selection yet: four jazz standards, a Beatles ballad...

Posted Jun 1st, 2016

BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO RETURNS WITH "BLUES AND BALLADS," DUE JUNE 3 ON NONESUCH

Brad Mehldau Trio Returns with “Blues and Ballads,” Due June 3 on Nonesuch Nonesuch Records releases the Brad Mehldau Trio’s Blues and Ballads, the trio’s first new release since 2012’s Where Do You Start, on June 3, 2016. Blues and Ballads comprises interpretations of songs by other composers, this time with the focus on blues and ballads implied by the...

Posted Mar 30th, 2016

10 Years Solo Featured in Jazz Life (JP)

Posted Jan 28th, 2016

Financial Times (UK), Brad Mehldau at Wigmore Hall "Remarkable"

from www.ft.com Brad Mehldau, Wigmore Hall, London — ‘Remarkable’ By: Mike Hobart As the Wigmore Hall’s grand piano reverberated with rumbling arpeggios, rippling ostinatos and dense, resonant chords, it was easy to imagine that an orchestra was at work. But there is more than grandeur to Brad Mehldau’s solo performances, and for two consecutive nights the US pianist delivered pomp...

Posted Jan 7th, 2016

Brad Mehldau Presented with the Wigmore Medal

Posted Jan 4th, 2016

Independent.ie Reviews Brad Mehldau at National Concert Hall

From independent.ie Review: Maestro goes Bach to future By Ed Power “Brad Mehldau achieved recognition beyond jazz and classical circles by incorporating into his playing snatches of contemporary artists such as Massive Attack and Radiohead. However, his latest performance looks to the past rather than drawing on the present, with the pianist delivering a meditation on JS Bach’s signature work...

Posted Dec 19th, 2015

The Arts Desk Reviews Brad Mehldau at Wigmore Hall

From theartsdesk.com Brad Mehldau, Wigmore Hall By Thomas Rees “Contemporary jazz is a world full of magpies – artists who flit between genres and build glittering nests of disparate musical influences. Rock up to a so-called jazz night today and the repertoire can come from anywhere, you’re as likely to hear Jimi Hendrix or J. Dilla as Jerome Kern, and...

Posted Dec 19th, 2015

The Guardian Reviews Brad Mehldau at Wigmore Hall

From theguardian.com Brad Mehldau review – a balance of space and intensity perfectly struck By John Fordham “Over the two decades since his star ascended, American pianist Brad Mehldau has been cutting a path – often introspective, virtuosic and indifferent to populist antics – that could have led him to jazz’s crowded unsung-genius shelf. But as conversations between jazz, classical...

Posted Dec 18th, 2015

Artsjournal.com recommends 10 Years Solo Live

from artsjournal.com Monday Recommendation: Brad Mehldau Doug Ramsay Mehldau assembled this five-hour account of his solo piano mastery from tapes of concerts he played from 2004 to 2014. Applying the power of his technique and the nuances of his harmonic thinking, he explores his own compositions and music by a dizzying variety of others, among them Johannes Brahms, Thelonious Monk,...

Posted Dec 10th, 2015

Critical Acclaim for 10 Years Solo Live

From nonesuch.com Brad Mehldau’s “10 Years Solo Live” International Critical Acclaim Continues “Brad Mehldau’s 10 Years Solo Live was released on Nonesuch Records as an eight-LP box set, four-CD set, and digitally to critical acclaim earlier this fall. The set is culled from live recordings made over a decade of the pianist’s European solo concerts. The critical response continues to...

Posted Dec 4th, 2015

NPR Reviews Brad Mehldau's "Ten Years Solo Live"

From npr.org Music Review: ‘Ten Years Solo Live,’ Brad Mehldau By Tom Moon “Mehldau does these overhauls on standards and jazz classics like John Coltrane’s “Countdown” and pop anthems of the ’90s like the Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony.” Here’s the moment after he’s been pounding out the chord progression for a while when he decides it’s time to stretch out. The...

Posted Nov 16th, 2015

The Irish Times Reviews Brad Mehldau's "10 Years Solo Live"

From irishtimes.com Brad Mehldau – 10 Years Solo Live By Cormac Larkin “The selections are spread over four CDs (or eight LPs for the vinyly inclined) that each unfold like complete concerts. And though understandably, Mehldau has selected only performances that he thinks bear repeated listening, there is a remarkable consistency – not necessarily in the repertoire, which ranges freely...

Posted Nov 12th, 2015

Mojo Magazine (NL): "Some of the most beautiful piano playing you'll ever hear."

Posted Oct 30th, 2015

A must-read review of Brad Mehldau's ‘10 Years Solo Live' from The New York Times!

From The New York Times By Nate Chinen Brad Mehldau Evolves in ‘10 Years Solo Live,’ a New Boxed Set Somewhere around the midpoint of “10 Years Solo Live,” his elegant, imposing new boxed set, the pianist Brad Mehldau settles into a song as if it were a vintage leather club chair. The track is “Holland,” by the indie troubadour...

Posted Oct 22nd, 2015

Brad Mehldau's '10 Years Solo Live': A 5-hour listen and wanting more.

From The New York Times By Martin Johnson ‘10 Years Solo Live’ Review Jazz in the 21st century has been dominated by pianists, and it’s easy to hear why. The virtuosos on this instrument can move effortlessly from supporting to lead roles, and—in an era where rhythmic diversity is vital—the piano can be a percussion instrument. In her 1977 book...

Posted Oct 20th, 2015

Mehldau's solo eight-LP release "formidable"

From The Guardian Brad Mehldau: 10 Years Solo Live review – virtuosity and ingenuity in five hours of solo piano In the late 1990s, Brad Mehldau began turning his refined attention to the exacting art Keith Jarrett had dominated for so long: unaccompanied acoustic-piano improvisation. This set – released now as an eight-LP vinyl set, and on CD next month...

Posted Oct 15th, 2015

The Guardian Reviews Brad Mehldau's "10 Years Solo Live"

“In the late 1990s, Brad Mehldau began turning his refined attention to the exacting art Keith Jarrett had dominated for so long: unaccompanied acoustic-piano improvisation. This set – released now as an eight-LP vinyl set, and on CD next month – features five hours of live solo Mehldau, a torrent of remodelled Beatles songs, Thelonious Monk tunes, jazz standards and...

Posted Oct 15th, 2015

WNYC Feature's Brad Mehldau's "10YearsSoloLive"

From wnyc.org New Releases, September 2015 “Hear Brad Mehldau’s arrangement of the Massive Attack song, Teardrop, from a comprehensive collection of concert recordings, “10YearsSoloLive,” due out later this fall.” To read the full article click here

Posted Sep 30th, 2015

10 Years Solo Live Featured BBC Radio

Two notable UK radio shows featured tracks from Brad Mehldau’s 10 Years Solo Live over the weekend. Listen to both shows at the links below BBC Radio 3 – Jazz Line-Up presented by Claire Martin on Sep 19 featured ‘God Only Knows’: To listen click here [segment at 1 hr 16 mins] BBC Radio 6 Music – Stuart Maconie’s Freak...

Posted Sep 21st, 2015

Jazzwise Magazine Features 10 Years Solo Live

from jazzwisemagazine.com *BRAD MEHLDAU RELEASES 10 YEARS SOLO LIVE 8-LP VINYL BOX SET * Celebrated and influential US pianist Brad Mehldau is set to release a huge 8-LP vinyl box set, 10 Years Solo Live, comprising of live solo piano performances drawn from the last decade, on Nonesuch Records on 16 October. Compiled from 19 performances in the last decade...

Posted Aug 13th, 2015

Nonesuch Releases Brad Mehldau’s 10 Years Solo Live 8-LP Vinyl Box Set October 16

From Nonesuch Decade of live recordings from European concerts curated into 4 thematic 4-side sets: Dark/Light, The Concert, Intermezzo/Rückblick, and E Minor/E Major [He] has forged a singular style that has not only enhanced jazz’s musical vocabulary but modernised it too … beautiful and direct ….” —Mojo “Brad Mehldau is the doyen of contemporary jazz pianists, an improviser whose instinctive,...

Posted Aug 12th, 2015

Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny, Joshua Redman Nominated for ECHO Jazz Awards

From Nonesuch Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny, Joshua Redman Nominated for ECHO Jazz Awards The ECHO Jazz 2015 Award nominations have been announced by the German Recording Academy, and among the nominees are three Nonesuch Records artists and their latest albums: Brad Mehldau, who is up for International Instrumentalist of the Year, Piano/Keyboards, for his album with drummer Mark Guiliana, *Mehliana:...

Posted Feb 19th, 2015

Mehliana - All About Jazz - Best of 2014

From allaboutjazz By John Kelman John Kelman’s Best Releases of 2014 2014 was another challenging year, with a personal health matter that began in early summer (thankfully finally diagnosed, non-life threatening and now being treated, though still waiting for signs of improvement) slowing down both travel and the usual breakneck writing in a significant way. Since the rule of this...

Posted Dec 17th, 2014

Brad Mehldau and trio bring a reverent hush to World Café Live

From The Philadelphia Inquirer Brad Mehldau and trio bring a reverent hush to World Café Live By: Shaun Brady World Café Live isn’t an inherently quiet space. Even when conversations at the bar are at a minimum, the clinking of glasses and silverware and the ordering of drinks tend to create a background din for lower-volume performances. But the packed...

Posted Dec 15th, 2014

Relaxed obsession flows from Brad Mehldau Trio

From The Boston Globe By Jon Garelick Brad Mehldau Trio at Berklee shows ensemble at its best Wynton Marsalis has said that the defining characteristic of jazz is “relaxed intensity.” The pianist and composer Brad Mehldau somewhat fits that description, although with Mehldau it’s more like “relaxed obsessive.” Both sides of the equation were on display in a World Music...

Posted Dec 14th, 2014

Brad Mehldau Trio at Berklee shows ensemble at its best

From The Boston Globe Brad Mehldau Trio at Berklee shows ensemble at its best By: Jon Garelick Wynton Marsalis has said that the defining characteristic of jazz is “relaxed intensity.” The pianist and composer Brad Mehldau somewhat fits that description, although with Mehldau it’s more like “relaxed obsessive.” Both sides of the equation were on display in a World Music...

Posted Dec 14th, 2014

Bad Plus with Brad Mehldau to play at Valley Performing Arts Center

from latimes.com Bad Plus with Brad Mehldau to play at Valley Performing Arts Center A meeting of two forces pushing the jazz tradition forward, this double bill of the Bad Plus with Brad Mehldau offers a vivid snapshot of the capabilities of the piano trio. Backed by a rhythm section of Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard, Mehldau memorably has looked...

Posted Dec 4th, 2014

MEHLIANA makes Jazzwise 20 top releases in 2014

Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana’s Mehliana #9 on Jazzwise year-end albums list

Posted Dec 2nd, 2014

"Mehliana" Wins Edison International Jazz Award

From Nonesuch Brad Mehldau & Mark Guiliana’s “Mehliana: Taming the Dragon” Wins Edison Jazz Award Congratulations to Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana, whose album, Mehliana: Taming the Dragon, has won the Edison Award for Best International Jazz Album. It is the debut album from the electric duo, featuring Mehldau on Fender Rhodes and synthesizers and Guiliana on drums and effects....

Posted Nov 6th, 2014

Shapeshifter, Brad Mehldau, goes beyond boundaries

From Irish Examiner Shapeshifter, Brad Mehldau, goes beyond boundaries By: Ed Power Acclaimed jazz pianist Brad Mehldau talks to Ed Power about his influences, pop music, purists and all that jazz. If you know one thing about jazz pianist Brad Mehldau it’s that he is partial to Radiohead. Four Grammy nominations and a succession of paradigm-redefining albums have made him...

Posted Nov 4th, 2014

BBC Radio 3’s Geoffrey Smith’s Jazz features a special edition devoted to Brad Mehldau

from bbc.co.uk From the Beatles and Radiohead to Gershwin. Monk and Brahms, pianist Brad Mehldau’s repertoire knows no bounds in inspiration and virtuosity. Geoffrey Smith celebrates a contemporary keyboard great on the night of his 44th birthday. To listen click here

Posted Aug 22nd, 2014

Festival International De Jazz De Montreal 2014

From All About Jazz Festival International De Jazz De Montreal 2014 By John Kelman June 26-July 6, 2014 There simply isn’t a festival in the world like the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. Where else in the world can you find a city where, with a population of well over 1.5 million people, six square blocks are closed down...

Posted Jul 8th, 2014

Explorations, Barbican, review: 'riveting'

from telegraph.co.uk Explorations, Barbican, review: ‘riveting’ By: Ivan Hewett It struck that familiar note of boundaries being blurred, which was part of the series’ appeal. But that quality can slip into a self-indulgent stretching of ideas, where music-making gives way to mere “atmosphere”. That was my problem with the selections from Timo Andres’s Shy and Mighty for two pianos, played...

Posted May 23rd, 2014

Brad Mehldau Trio at the Vanguard one the 10 Best Jazz Shows in NYC This Month

from blogs.villagevoice.com The 10 Best Jazz Shows in NYC This Month An unstoppable force on piano since his emergence in the mid-‘90s, Brad Mehldau has raised the bar for instrumentalists across the board, collaborating with the likes of Jon Brion, Pat Metheny, Chris Thile and most recently drummer Mark Guiliana on the electronic jazz feast Taming the Dragon (Nonesuch). At...

Posted May 1st, 2014

Irish Times Review: Mehliana: Taming the Dragon

from irishtimes.com Brad Mehldau & Mark Guiliana: Mehliana: Taming the Dragon By: Cormac Larkin Brad Mehldau doesn’t do predictable. The celebrated American pianist’s output to date has been mainly in the traditional trio format. Within it, though, he has always been mercurial and inventive, both in terms of what constitutes a suitable basis for improvisation (anything from Brahms to Gershwin...

Posted Mar 14th, 2014

All About Jazz Review: Mehliana - Taming the Dragon

from allaboutjazz.com Brad Mehldau / Mark Guiliana: Mehliana – Taming The Dragon By: John Kelman First impressions shouldn’t necessarily be the lasting ones. Despite, according to the press sheet, having played together for several years, über-pianist Brad Mehldau and drummer Mark Guiliana only began touring as Mehliana in 2013, and one of the heavily electronic duo’s early performances at the...

Posted Mar 12th, 2014

Mehliana: Taming the Dragon

Nonesuch Records releases the debut album from the electric duo of Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana, Mehliana: Taming the Dragon, on January 21, 2014. The two have been performing for several years, including a brief US tour this fall and an ongoing European tour, with Mehldau playing Fender Rhodes and synthesizers and Guiliana on drums and effects, as they are...

Posted Feb 25th, 2014

Brad Mehldau/ Mark Guiliana/ Mehliana: Taming the Dragon

from theguardian.com Brad Mehldau/ Mark Guiliana/ Mehliana: Taming the Dragon – review By: John Fordham Brad Mehldau, master of slow-burning, classically inflected acoustic piano improv, gets down and dirty with Mehliana, the electronics duo he shares with jazz, hip-hop and drum’n‘bass percussionist Mark Guiliana. Mehldau mostly plays old-school synths and Fender Rhodes keys, spinning melodic fragments into distant spaces to...

Posted Feb 21st, 2014

Jazz stars returning to San Diego

from utsandiego.com Jazz stars returning to San Diego By: George Vega Mehldau, likely the leading jazz pianist to emerge in the past 20 years, appears to be a likely successor to Keith Jarrett – less stylistically than as a keyboard master who can enthrall audiences whether playing with a band or sans any accompanists. He is also one of the...

Posted Feb 17th, 2014

"You Can't Go Back" Featured on BBC

Brad Mehldau & Mark Guiliana’s tune “You Can’t Go Back Now,” off their forthcoming Nonesuch Records album, Mehliana: Taming the Dragon, was featured on Mary Anne Hobbs’ BBC Radio 6 Music Recommends show. Listen to it here, starting at 22:20. To listen click here

Posted Feb 10th, 2014

A Duo Face Off While Staying on the Same Page

nytimes.com A Duo Face Off While Staying on the Same Page By: Nate Chinen Brad Mehldau, the casually graceful post-bop pianist, and Mark Guiliana, the gracefully casual deep-groove drummer, faced each other across the stage at the Highline Ballroom on Wednesday night, as if to give shape to the idea of back-and-forth exchange. Things didn’t shake out that neatly or...

Posted Jan 24th, 2014

Mehliana - Dreaming Of Dragons

from jazzwisemagazine.com Mehliana – Dreaming Of Dragons* If jazz artists covering Radiohead songs has become something of a cliché today, then so has pianists being compared to Brad Mehldau, such is the influence he’s had on reshaping the art of the trio. His new electrified duo project, Mehliana, is therefore going to come as a shock to devotees of his...

Posted Jan 23rd, 2014

Watch: Brad Mehldau, Mark Guiliana Perform "Just Call Me Nige"

from nonesuch.com Watch: Brad Mehldau, Mark Guiliana Perform “Just Call Me Nige” from Forthcoming Album, “Mehliana: Taming the Dragon” Mehliana: Taming the Dragon, the debut album from the electric duo of Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana, is due out from Nonesuch Records on February 25, 2014. Mehldau and Guiliana have been performing for several years, with Mehldau playing Fender Rhodes...

Posted Jan 15th, 2014

Brad Mehldau at The National Concert Hall, Dublin

from allaboutjazz.com Brad Mehldau at The National Concert Hall, Dublin By: Ian Patterson The National Concert Hall of Dublin is a long way from the bars and clubs of Greenwich Village, New York, where pianist Brad Mehldau cut his teeth in the early 1990s. Originally built for the Dublin International Exhibition of 1865 this impressive edifice is the home of...

Posted Dec 4th, 2013

Is jazz dead? It smells just fine to Brad Mehldau

from irishtimes.com Is jazz dead? It smells just fine to Brad Mehldau By: Jim Caroll The ballad of Brad Mehldau is one with many verses. Over the years, this gifted player has spent time in action on many fronts. There was the early spell as the able foil for Joshua Redman, before he decided to recruit his own trio and...

Posted Dec 2nd, 2013

With Mark Guiliana, Mehldau was funky and electric

from theguardian.com Brad Mehldau/Wadada Leo Smith – review By: John Fordham Some of his audience began heckling the American piano star Brad Mehldau (“Play some piano! Play a solo!”) during his untypically funky electric set with drummer Mark Guiliana. As the duo Mehliana, the pair were stirring the new brew of improv, 1970s dance-funk, and drum’n‘bass with which they’ve enthused...

Posted Nov 25th, 2013

El intérprete de la emoción del jazz

ccaa.elpais.com El intérprete de la emoción del jazz By: Chema Garcia Martinez Para el crítico e historiador Ted Gioia, “pocos músicos de jazz han reunido en los últimos años una obra más apasionante e innovadora”. Brad Mehldau (Florida, 1970) ofrece mañana domingo su único concierto en suelo español a piano solo, dentro del ciclo Jazz en el Auditorio Nacional (20.00,...

Posted Nov 11th, 2013

Brad Kicks Off Mehliana Tour with Drummer Mark Guiliana; Preview Exclusive New Album Track Here

Following his tour with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra earlier this month, Brad kicks off a ten-day US tour in a new electric duo with drummer Mark Guiliana called Mehliana. The configuration presents Brad performing on Fender Rhodes and an arsenal of vintage synthesizers while Mark accompanies on drums and effects. To celebrate the tour, Nonesuch is offering an early listen to...

Posted Oct 16th, 2013

U.S. premiere of "Variations for Piano and Orchestra on a Melancholy Theme"

WORCESTER — Music Worcester kicked off its 2013-14 season in grand style last Friday night at Mechanics Hall with a concert that featured several firsts, including the Worcester debut of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the U.S. premiere of pianist Brad Mehldau’s “Variations for Piano and Orchestra on a Melancholy Theme,” and the first public performance by the chamber orchestra of...

Posted Oct 7th, 2013

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and jazz pianist open Music Worcester season

from telegram.com Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and jazz pianist open Music Worcester season By: Richard Duckett The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with American jazz pianist and composer Brad Mehldau will open the Music Worcester’s 2013-14 season (and the 154th Worcester Music Festival) at Mechanics Hall at 8 p.m. Friday on a “melancholy” note. Don’t worry, however, because the occasion will be a...

Posted Oct 3rd, 2013

The hottest jazz gigs of autumn 2013: from Mehldau to Marsden

from theguardian.com The hottest jazz gigs of autumn 2013: from Mehldau to Marsden By: John Fordham and Robin Denselow The singer, composer and bassist Esperanza Spalding has broken out of the jazz loop with more pop-oriented music, but she comes to the 2013 LJF as a virtuoso double bassist, part of a trio with the pianist Geri Allen and drummer...

Posted Sep 3rd, 2013

Lincoln Center NYC welcomes Brad Mehldau

From Classicalite Lincoln Center NYC welcomes Brad Mehldau By:O’Jay Burgess Jazz enthusiast can look for pianist Brad Mehldau performances Oct. 5 and Oct. 6 at the Lincoln Center in the Allen Room starting at 7:30 p.m “I really like Mehldau. A lot of people do. There is something mysterious when he plays. He’s one of the few musicians that the...

Posted Jul 24th, 2013

Brad Mehldau Trio wins ECHO Jazz Award!

On May 23rd in Hamburg at the winners of the annual ECHO Jazz Awards (Germany) were announced. The Brad Mehldau Trio won Best International Ensemble for their album Where Do You Start. You can see the full list of award winners here

Posted May 28th, 2013

Brad Mehldau's "Imaginative Drive"

From The Los Angeles Times Review: Brad Mehldau, the Bad Plus push jazz further ahead at UCLA By: Chris Barton The night began with Mehldau and his graceful rhythm section of longtime bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard, who took over for Jorge Rossy in 2005. The trio locked into the rich, toe-tapping swing of Sam Rivers’ “Beatrice,” which...

Posted May 6th, 2013

Bobby McFerrin, Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau break barriers at Symphony Center

from chicagotribune.com Bobby McFerrin, Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau break barriers at Symphony Center By: Howard Reich Two other genre-benders collaborated Friday night at Symphony Center, even if, in retrospect, they seemed like specialists compared to the voraciously eclectic McFerrin. At first glance, mandolinist Chris Thile and pianist Brad Mehldau would not appear to have a great deal in common....

Posted Apr 19th, 2013

Brad Mehldau, Chris Thile are two of a kind

Brad Mehldau, Chris Thile are two of a kind Strictly speaking, mandolinist Chris Thile is a bluegrass musician and pianist Brad Mehldau is a jazz musician. But genre categories disappeared when the two met at Berklee Performance Center Sunday night for a sold-out World Music/CRASHarts concert, the fifth show in a nine-city tour. In fact, genre distinction is something that...

Posted Apr 15th, 2013

Brad Mehldau and Chris Thile team up for elegant, beautiful music

Brad Mehldau and Chris Thile team up for elegant, beautiful music By: Michael J West Brad Mehldau and Chris Thile both play music in which technical virtuosity is front and center. The former is a jazz pianist, easily the most influential of his generation; the latter, an innovator of the bluegrass mandolin who won a MacArthur “genius” award last year....

Posted Apr 13th, 2013

For Thile and Mehldau, a meeting of musical minds

For Thile and Mehldau, a meeting of musical minds By: Jeremy D. Goodwin If you squint hard and look from the proper angle, there are only a few degrees of musical separation between Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau. They both excel in full-band scenarios as well as solo. They’re both virtuosic instrumentalists who venture into unfamiliar contexts. They both cover...

Posted Apr 12th, 2013

Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau bond through mutual musical appreciation

Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau bond through mutual musical appreciation By: Wayne Bledsoe Chris Thile once titled an album “Not All Who Wander Are Lost” after a poem by J.R.R. Tolkien. It could easily describe his life as a musician. Thile was known as a mandolin prodigy before he was a teen and became a star as part of the...

Posted Apr 12th, 2013

Thile + Melhdau = Bluegrass + Jazz + Excitement

Thile + Melhdau = Bluegrass + Jazz + Excitement There may be no better Boston venue than the Berklee Performance Center for this Sunday’s Chris Thile/Brad Mehldau matchup, presented by World Music. Both musicians established themselves very young, like the school’s students, and both have drawn young listeners to genres not necessarily favored by the iPod generation –bluegrass and improv...

Posted Apr 12th, 2013

Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau, "Tireless musical explorers "

Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau – Bowery Ballroom (New York, NY) There are few pleasures in life that compare to encountering music that liberates us from our expectations. Tireless musical explorers Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau have set out on a collaborative journey that promises to take us into uncharted territory. Each a genius in their own right and each...

Posted Apr 12th, 2013

Bluegrass and Jazz, Meeting in More Than the Middle

from nytimes.com Bluegrass and Jazz, Meeting in More Than the Middle By: Nate Chinen Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau come from different worlds but the same species, and whatever feels unlikely about their pairing is eclipsed by what feels perfectly natural. Mr. Thile, the mandolinist and singer with Punch Brothers, is a progressive-bluegrass pacesetter; Mr. Mehldau is the most influential...

Posted Apr 10th, 2013

Mehliana bring on the baroque-electronica

from jazzwisemagazine.com Jazz breaking news: Mehliana bring on the baroque-electronica By:Mike Flyn Last December sample-busting cult producer DJ Shadow was told to curtail his latest, boundary pushing set at the Mansion Nightclub, Miami, for being “too future.” It was perhaps indicative of what happens when artists try to break out of their perceived stylistic box, only to be met with...

Posted Mar 12th, 2013

Mehliana"...created a series of unfolding, rhythmically compelling vignettes"

from ft.com Brad Mehldau & Mark Guiliana, Village Underground, London By: Mike Hobart Brad Mehldau’s recent projects range from solo piano recitals to orchestral showcases, but it is a series of intimate, genre-blending duets that have proved to be the most intriguing. These include opera with mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, bluegrass with mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile and chamber music...

Posted Mar 12th, 2013

Watch Elliott Smith, Jon Brion and Brad Mehldau in a lost TV pilot

Back in 2000, the L.A. producer/musical gadfly Jon Brion pitched a TV pilot to VH1. “The Jon Brion Show” was pegged as a kind of neo-variety show with guest musicians (a familiar format to anyone who knows his Largo roundtables). Director Paul Thomas Anderson even lent his hand to the pilot. The network declined to pick it up, but Anderson...

Posted Jan 18th, 2013

"Where Do You Start" Wins Academie Du Jazz's Album of the Year

from academiedujazz.com On January 15, 2013 the Academie Du Jazz held it’s annual awards ceremony. Brad Mehldau’s latest release Where Do You Start was awarded Best Album of the Year. To see the full list of winners and nominees click here

Posted Jan 16th, 2013

"Ode" on Ian Patterson's Best Releases of 2012

from allaboutjazz.com Ian Patterson’s Best Releases of 2012 By: Ian Patterson Seven years separate Ode from this trio’s last studio recording, the outstanding Day is Done (Nonesuch, 2005), which has come to mark a before-and-after in Brad Mehldau’s trajectory. Previously, the pianist had recorded in a traditional trio setting with few exceptions. Since Day is Done, however, Mehldau’s projects have...

Posted Jan 2nd, 2013

"Ode" Wins Hungarian Gramofon Award

gramofon.hu Brad Mehldau’s album Ode has won the 2012 Hungarian Gramofon Awards for International Jazz CD of the Year. This year’s awards ceremony, followed as always by a jazz concert, was held on 10 December, at 8 pm at the new venue of Budapest Jazz Club. With this year’s concert Gramofon paid homage to the late István Regős, passed away...

Posted Dec 18th, 2012

Pauly Morley's New Series: Where Do You Start

From sinfinimusic.com You have to start somewhere, even when you’ve started a few times before. Let’s start with the latest Brad Mehldau album, which is called, as if he knew what I was thinking, Where Do You Start. Mehldau is a good place to start in general, if you are interested in: a) where jazz might be right now; b)...

Posted Dec 5th, 2012

LIVE REVIEW: Brad Mehldau Trio, "...unique and musically exciting"

from jazzwisemagazine.com Brad Mehldau Trio – Barbican, London Jazz Festival 2012 By: Esther Hayden “Please switch off your mobile phones so you listen and don’t get distracted,” this was the first sound you heard walking into the Barbican on Wednesday evening. The second was the urgent rustling of pockets and bags while people scrabbled for the most essential item that...

Posted Nov 26th, 2012

Live Review: "...an utter virtuoso""

jazzjournal.co.uk Review: Brad Mehldau at LJF 2012 By: Sam Braysher Returning to the Barbican Hall for the first time since a 2010 visit with his orchestral Highway Rider project, pianist Brad Mehldau embraced the trio format for which he is best known. With long-standing bandmates Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard on double bass and drums respectively, the American pianist gave...

Posted Nov 19th, 2012

Orpheus on Tour with Brad Mehldau

Posted Nov 7th, 2012

Brad Mehldau Nominated for JazzFM's "International Artist of the Year"

UK’s Jazz FM announced the nominees for it’s 2013 Jazz FM Awards. Among those nominated was Brad Mehldau for International Artist of the Year Jazz FM is an exclusive new event in the music industry’s calendar to celebrate the work of jazz musicians, composers and contributors from across the globe. As well as recognising the legends of the genre with...

Posted Oct 29th, 2012

Interview: Brad Mehldau Discusses His Past and Future

From The Hartford Courant Brad Mehldau To Give Solo Concert In Asylum Hill By: Owen McNally Whenever Brad Mehldau, an internationally acclaimed pianist who grew up in West Hartford, comes home again to play in Connecticut, his performance is invariably one of the premier jazz events of the year. Mehldau, an artist whose imaginative, elegant work has, among other triumphs,...

Posted Oct 24th, 2012

"Where Do You Start" Has Strong Debut on Europe's Pop Charts

“Where Do You Start” has made strong national pop album chart debuts in both Italy and France – #91 and #99 respectively. It has also debuted at #141 in the national combined Belgian pop album charts (#119 in the Flemish chart; #171 in the Wallonian chart). Click here to read recent review from Radio France

Posted Oct 15th, 2012

Acclaim for Where Do You Start

‘The title is an apt one if you’re a newcomer to the pianist’s bulging catalogue (18 albums as a leader). In fact this set, largely of covers from across the decades, is as good a place to start as any if you want to imbibe his special brand of reflective lyricism and the subtle interplay of his current trio. While...

Posted Sep 27th, 2012

Where Do You Start

Nonesuch releases the Brad Mehldau Trio*’s Where Do You Start, a companion disc to this spring’s critically acclaimed Ode, on September 18, 2012. Whereas Ode featured 11 songs composed by Mehldau, Where Do You Start comprises the Trio’s interpretations of ten tunes by other composers, along with one Mehldau original. See below for the complete track list. Ode was widely...

Posted Sep 18th, 2012

REVIEW: The Independent (UK) - Where Do You Start

from independent.co.uk By: Phil Johnson There’s not a duff track or dull moment in this 75 minutes of studio material, recorded half in 2008 and half last year. Tunes by Nick Drake, Elvis Costello and Sufjan Stevens rub shoulders with hard bop and bossa nova, the rock standard “Hey Joe” and Johnny Mandel’s wonderful title track. And then there’s one...

Posted Sep 17th, 2012

Review: Guardian - Where Do You Start

from guardian.co.uk By: John Fordham American pianist Brad Mehldau has explored many styles and partnerships since his emergence in the early 1990s, but most of his recordings have been for an acoustic trio – drummer Jeff Ballard joined bassist Larry Grenadier from 2005 – and the lineup always feels like home for him.Last spring, they recorded an all-original album, Ode....

Posted Sep 14th, 2012

REVIEW: BBC - Mehldau is Entering a New Prime Phase in His Career

from bbc.co.uk By: Martin Longley This is a very swift follow-up to Ode, released only six months earlier. Pianist Mehldau must be making up for lost time, as the present trio has not been as prolifically documented as its previous line-up. Whereas Ode concentrated on originals, Where Do You Start revives the old Mehldau approach of covering songs from across...

Posted Sep 12th, 2012

Review: All About Jazz - Where Do You Start

from allaboutjazz.com By: John Kelman Hot on the heels of Brad Mehldau’s Ode (Nonesuch, 2012)—the pianist’s first all-original set with his current trio—comes Where Do You Start, culled from the same recording sessions but, with the exception of one Mehldau tune, all cover material. This isn’t the first time Mehldau has split a particularly fruitful session down the same compositional...

Posted Sep 11th, 2012

LIVE REVIEW: Brad Mehldau Trio - Broad Stage - 5/21/12

from http://blogs.laweekly.com Brad Mehldau Trio – Broad Stage – 5/21/12 By:Sean J. O’Connell Brad Mehldau’s most recent album, Ode, is a return to the trio format that helped make him one of the most prominent jazz pianists of the last twenty years. His delicate touch, contemporary repertoire and impeccable cohorts helped to usher in what he defined over a series...

Posted May 23rd, 2012

LIVE REVIEW: Brad Mehldau Trio at Kuumbwa Jazz Center was a lesson in jazz mastery

from mercurynews.com Review: Brad Mehldau Trio at Kuumbwa Jazz Center was a lesson in jazz mastery By: Richard Scheinin Brad Mehldau’s parents must have had the best record collection. Like a genre-hopping connoisseur of vintage LPs, Mehldau, 41, flowed through one choice tune after the next during his trio’s first show Wednesday in Santa Cruz: “Hey Joe” (made famous by...

Posted May 18th, 2012

Mehldau Trio's Sold Out Show

from sandiegoreader.com Mehldau Trio’s Sold Out Show By: Robert Bush The Athenaeum Jazz at the Neurosciences Institute series continued last night with a bang: the long-awaited return of the Brad Mehldau Trio, a concert that had been sold-out virtually since its announcement a few months back. For a jazz lover, it was actually kind of a thrill to stand in...

Posted May 17th, 2012

Brad Mehldau Turns Ivory Into Gold

from sfexaminer.com Brad Mehldau turns ivory into gold By:Jason Victor Serinus Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau, 41, is held in such high esteem that when his forthcoming gig was announced at a recent SFJazz concert, a sizeable number of audience members began to applaud. Known for his improvisatory genius — which informs not only original compositions, but also renditions of jazz...

Posted May 14th, 2012

Enter the "Brad Mehldau Trio - Ode" Giveaway at All About Jazz!

from allaboutjazz.com All About Jazz members are invited to enter the Nonesuch Records “Brad Mehldau Trio – Ode“ giveaway contest starting today. We’ll select FIVE winners at the conclusion of the contest on May 28th. To learn more about the contest click here

Posted May 2nd, 2012

Mehldau, Redman stretch limits, limitations of a duo

From The Boston Globe By: Steve Greenlee This is why you do not leave before the house lights come up. After saxophonist Joshua Redman and pianist Brad Mehldau finished their (planned) encore, as many as a quarter of the people at Saturday night’s sold-out show at Berklee Performance Center began leaving, presumably to beat the crowd out of the auditorium...

Posted Apr 30th, 2012

"Ode", AAJ Review

allaboutjazz.com By:Doug Collette he very first notes of the Brad Mehldau Trio’s Ode sound rich, lyrical and full of energy. This may come as a surprise to those unfamiliar with the pianist’s work, but loyal followers of Mehldau know he brings an unusual intensity to his work, particularly his solo projects and the collaborations with his trio (currently bassist Larry...

Posted Apr 30th, 2012

LIVE REVIEW: Mehldau and Redman at the Symphony Center

from timeoutchicago.com Mehldau and Redman at the Symphony Center | Review By: Chris Bentley It’s no small feat to keep jazz fresh in a symphony hall. Pianist Brad Mehldau and saxophonist Joshua Redman pulled it off Friday at the Symphony Center with a dignified energy befitting two of the most acclaimed jazz musicians to come out of the 1990s. “This...

Posted Apr 18th, 2012

Review: New Jazz Recordings Showcase Talents of Brad Mehldau

from nydailynews.com New jazz recordings showcase talents of Brad Mehldau, Kenny Garrett and more Harmonica aces Toots Thielemans and Gregoire Maret shine on latest releases By: Greg Thomas As with the nucleus of a cell, virtuoso pianist Brad Mehldau is the control center of his trio. Yet that control is fluid and democratic, giving bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff...

Posted Apr 5th, 2012

Redman, Mehldau Explore Possibilities of Sax-Piano Duo

from stltoday.com Redman, Mehldau explore possibilities of sax-piano duo By: Calvin Wilson Two of the most esteemed artists in jazz, saxophonist Joshua Redman and pianist Brad Mehldau have often worked together since both began to get noticed in the 1990s. Early in his career, Mehldau spent time in Redman’s quartet and played on the saxophonist’s terrific 1994 album, “MoodSwing.” Redman...

Posted Apr 2nd, 2012

REVIEW: All About Jazz, "Ode"

_from allboutjazz.com Brad Mehldau Trio: Ode (2012) By: John Kelman The Art of the Trio: Recordings 1996-2001 (Nonesuch, 2011) provided an opportunity to reassess Brad Mehldau’s rapid trajectory, though the trio that established him as one of the past two decades’ most important pianists was long gone. If Jorge Rossy’s replacement in 2005 seemed to open the trio up more,...

Posted Mar 21st, 2012

Ode

from nonesuch.com Brad Mehldau Trio Returns March 13 with “Ode,” Featuring 11 Original Mehldau Compositions; Pre-Order Now Nonesuch releases an album of original songs from the Brad Mehldau Trio—Ode—on March 13, 2012. The record, which is the first from the trio since 2008’s live Village Vanguard disc and the first studio trio recording since 2005’s Day Is Done, features 11...

Posted Mar 20th, 2012

British Acclaim for Ode

‘Ode shows Mehldau’s inventive powers are as fresh as ever. His talent for revealing the grandeur latent in modest ideas has never seemed so persuasive, and the interplay with Ballard and Grenadier is masterly.’ Daily Telegraph ‘A ceaseless stream of fresh ideas runs throughout this electrically energised session.’ BBC Music ‘Fluent, subtle and benchmark piano-trio jazz.’ Financial Times ‘Ode confirms...

Posted Mar 15th, 2012

REVIEW: Ode

from nytimes.com New Albums From VCMG, Brad Mehldau Trio and Henry Cole and the Afrobeat Colective By: Jon Pareles Brad Mehldau has often seemed like the ultimate introspective jazz musician, a pianist and composer whose ideas tend to spring from within. “Ode,” his fine new album, ostensibly draws inspiration from sources beyond himself: former collaborators, like the saxophonist Michael Brecker;...

Posted Mar 13th, 2012

REVIEW: Art of the Trio

from washingtonpost.com BRAD MEHLDAU Album review: “The Art of Trio Recordings: 1996-2001 By: Mike Joyce When Brad Mehldau unveiled the first of five “The Art of the Trio” albums in 1997 while in his mid-20s, doubtless some jazz elders were amused by his audacity. Or was it naivete? No matter. As it turned out, the music recorded by the classically...

Posted Jan 27th, 2012

LIVE REVIEW: Soaring Delight of Two Minds Playing As One

from theaustralian.com.au Soaring delight of two minds playing as one By: Lynden Barber To listen to two of the leading US musicians of their generation communicating on stage so miraculously is to wonder why the attractive format of piano and saxophone hasn’t been more commonplace in jazz. These are two of the tradition’s key instruments, and the duo format is...

Posted Jan 23rd, 2012

Acclaim for Art of the Trio Box Set

Independent On Sunday January 8, 2012 This box-set collects pianist Mehldau’s five albums with Larry Grenadier on bass and Jorge Rossy on drums, plus five unreleased Village Vanguard tracks. Ethan Iverson’s excellent sleevenotes hail Mehldau as the synthesis of 1980s traditionalism and 1960s experiment, while regarding the trio as a co-op of equals, which it surely wasn’t. But marvel at...

Posted Jan 11th, 2012

Brad Mehldau Trio Launches 6 Night Residency at Village Vanguard

nonesuch.com Brad Mehldau kicks off the New Year in style when he joins his Trio—featuring bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard—for a six-night residency at New York City’s famed Village Vanguard, starting tonight and running through Sunday, with two sets each night. “[T]his iteration of his pace-setting trio,” writes the New York Times music critic Nate Chinen in recommending...

Posted Jan 4th, 2012

REVIEW: Art of the Trio

from guardian.co.uk Brad Meldhau: The Art of the Trio Recordings 1996-2001 – review By: John Fordham When a classically trained young piano improviser called Brad Mehldau emerged in the mid-1990s, he quickly established a patient, subtle and richly contrapuntal approach that took jazz piano-trio improvisation to a new level. Warner Brothers then sensibly left this partnership with bassist Larry Grenadier...

Posted Dec 16th, 2011

Art of the Trio Box Set

Nonesuch Releases Brad Mehldau’s Art of the Trio Box Set December 6; Seven discs of Mehldau’s trio with Jorge Rossi and Larry Grenadier span four years Box includes five original Art of the Trio records plus one disc of unreleased material “This… trio makes dramatic music that leaps out of the subconscious; it can play with your feelings, too, giving...

Posted Dec 6th, 2011

Art of the Trio Box Set Out Now

Today marks the release of Brad Mehldau’s seven-disc box set The Art of the Trio Recordings: 1996–2001. The set includes the five original Art of the Trio albums (the fifth volume includes two CDs), released on Warner Bros. over a prolific four year period from 1997 to 2001; a seventh disc of previously unreleased material from shows at the Village...

Posted Dec 6th, 2011

REVIEW: The Art of the Trio: Recordings 1996-2001

from allboutjazz.com The Art of the Trio: Recordings 1996-2001 By: John Kelman It’s hard to believe that it’s only been fifteen years since Brad Mehldau emerged on the scene, so prevalent and influential has the pianist become since then. At the same time as he was gaining some significant attention for his work with saxophonist Joshua Redman on Moodswing (Warner...

Posted Nov 28th, 2011

Nonesuch to Release Brad Mehldau’s "Art of the Trio" Box Set December 6

Nonesuch to Release Brad Mehldau’s “Art of the Trio” Box Set December 6; Includes Original Records, Unreleased Material Nonesuch Records releases jazz pianist Brad Mehldau’s Art of the Trio Recordings: 1996–2001 on December 6, 2011. The set includes the five original Art of the Trio albums (the fifth volume includes two CDs), released on Warner Bros. over a prolific four...

Posted Oct 27th, 2011

Live in Marciac voted Downbeat's Readers Poll Album of the Year

The results of the 76th Annual DownBeat Readers Poll are in. Brad Mehldau’s Live in Marciac(Nonesuch) was named Jazz Album of the Year. Brad was also voted as piano player of the year To see the full list click here

Posted Oct 27th, 2011

LIVE REVIEW: Redman, Mehldau Take Freedom Seriously

_mcall.com Redman, Mehldau take freedom seriously at Williams Center By:Dave Howell On Thursday night, at Lafayette College’s Williams Center for the Arts in Easton, only two jazz artists were onstage. Brad Mehldau on grand piano and Joshua Redman on tenor and soprano sax have been playing together for 20 years. About the only time they had to talk or even...

Posted Oct 14th, 2011

Brad Mehldau Live on Jamie Cullum Tommorrow

Jamie Cullum showcases his love for all types of jazz, and music rooted in jazz, from its heritage to the future. This week, American Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau performs tunes from his albums Live In Marciac and Modern Music in a solo session at the BBC Maida Vale Studios. The show airs tomorrow at 7pm local time on BBC Radio...

Posted Oct 3rd, 2011

REVIEW: Brad Mehldau/Kevin Hays: Modern Music

from guardian.co.uk Brad Mehldau/Kevin Hays: Modern Music By: John Fordham As he showed at the Wigmore Hall in duet with mandolinist Chris Thile recently, the US piano star Brad Mehldau treats one-to-one musical encounters as invitations to creativity outside his comfort zone; chances to explore worlds between contemporary idioms of very different kinds. This piano duet reunites Mehldau with old...

Posted Sep 30th, 2011

Transcription Book for Mehldau's Elegiac Cycle Released

A complete transcription of Brad Mehldau’s record, Elegiac Cycle, has been released in France. Philippe André has transcribed the music faithfully, and provided in depth analysis, examining the thematic content and overall structure of the piece, many musical details, and placing the music in a wider context, examining literary influences, for example. Also included in the book is a recent...

Posted Sep 27th, 2011

LIVE REVIEW: Brad Mehldau and Chris Thile

from www.guardian.co.uk Brad Mehldau/Chris Thile By: John Fordham An obscure musical gag enquires: if a guitarist and a mandolinist fall off a cliff, who hits the deck first? The guitarist, of course; the mandolin player has to stop to tune up halfway down. Chris Thile, the mandolin genius from the million-selling Nickel Creek band certainly did a lot of tuning...

Posted Sep 22nd, 2011

On Common Ground: The Pairing of Piano Men

from www.nytimes.com Excerpt From: On Common Ground: The Pairing of Piano Men By: Nate Chinen “Modern Music” (Nonesuch), featuring Brad Mehldau and Kevin Hays, is a less joyous album, perhaps because it carries the burden of an agenda. It’s also the greater achievement. Mr. Mehldau and Mr. Hays, both in their early 40s, don’t have to work to find common...

Posted Sep 19th, 2011

Brad Mehldau and the essence of music

from guardian.co.uk Blank expressions: Brad Mehldau and the essence of music By: Brad Mehldau Music often seems to suggest an emotion or a state of being – we reach a consensus, for example, that one piece of music expresses carefree youth, while another expresses world-weary wisdom. But is music properly expressing anything? Here’s Stravinsky on the subject in 1936, from...

Posted Sep 16th, 2011

Mehldau makes Triskel ‘homecoming’ of sorts

corkindependent.com Mehldau makes Triskel ‘homecoming’ of sorts By: Brian Hayes Curtin A real treat is in store for music fans this week with the appearance of world-renowned jazz pianist Brad Mehldau at the Triskel. The virtuoso last played in Cork two years ago, but his appearance at the Triskel owes more to a personal connection he feels for the centre,...

Posted Sep 8th, 2011

Modern Music

Nonesuch to Release Collaboration Between Pianists Brad Mehldau & Kevin Hays, Composer/Arranger Patrick Zimmerli, “Modern Music” Nonesuch Records releases Modern Music, a collaboration between pianists Brad Mehldau and Kevin Hays and composer/arranger Patrick Zimmerli, on September 20, 2011. The album features pieces written by each of the three musicians as well as works by Steve Reich, Ornette Coleman, and Philip...

Posted Aug 2nd, 2011

Redman, Mehldau Simply Excellent

From the Ottawa Citizen Redman, Mehldau simply excellent By Doug Fischer Ah, at last. Jazz. Sure, the Ottawa jazz festival’s first few days featured a few fine jazz shows – Kurt Elling, Brian Browne, Tania Gill – but it wasn’t until Day 5, the midway point, for a concert to reveal the full, unbridled beauty of the genre. Performing the...

Posted Jun 28th, 2011

Brad Mehldau Knows Where He's Going, But Finds Freedom In The Journey

From the Montreal Gazette Brad Mehldau knows where he’s going, but finds freedom in the journey By Adam Kinner Listen to the first few moments of Brad Mehldau’s most recent solo record, Live in Marciac, and you’ll hear a striking rhythmic figure, barrelling impossibly fast down the keyboard. It’s an impressive passage – one that leaves many pianists with their...

Posted Jun 27th, 2011

Album review: Lee Konitz, Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian's “Live at Birdland”

From Los Angeles Times Album review: Lee Konitz, Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian’s “Live at Birdland” By Chris Barton Recorded in December 2009, this live album is a chance to get an earful of one of those special club combinations that bubble to the surface on the jazz scene from time to time. Haden, Konitz and Mehldau have...

Posted Jun 7th, 2011

REVIEW Lee Konitz/Brad Mehldau: Live at Birdland

From The Guardian Lee Konitz/Brad Mehldau: Live at Birdland – review By John Fordham When pianist Mehldau, sax legend Konitz and bassist Charlie Haden got together on a 1997 Blue Note session, it not only showed how sympathetic to improvising on familiar songs all three were, but it also helped put the then little-known Mehldau on the map. They reconvene...

Posted May 13th, 2011

Brad Mehldau Bridges a Jazz Divide

From Minnesota Public Radio Brad Mehldau Bridges a Jazz Divide By David Cazares We all live to our own soundtrack. From the politics we follow, to the books we read and the music we listen to, many of us seem to be pursuing a singular course, sticking to what’s comfortable. Breaking the boundaries that we impose on ourselves and listening...

Posted Mar 24th, 2011

REVIEW Brad Mehldau: Live in Marciac - Guardian

From www.guardian.co.uk Brad Mehldau: Live in Marciac – review By John Fordham Not only has Brad Mehldau given sustenance to his more traditionally jazz-rooted fans with this live solo-piano album (after an eclectic 2010 that saw the classical-strings collaboration Highway Rider and the Love Songs duet with mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter), he’s countered the objection that he can be...

Posted Mar 11th, 2011

Brad Mehldau on the Cover of DownBeat

From DownBeat The March 2011 issue of DownBeat features pianist Brad Mehldau on the cover. Other artists highlighted in this issue include trumpeter/ composer Terence Blanchard, saxophonist/ producer Bob Belden, bassist/bandleader Charles Mingus, pianist Kenny Werner and vocalist Roberta Gambarini. More info here

Posted Mar 10th, 2011

REVIEW Brad Mehldau: Live in Marciac - All About Jazz

From All About Jazz Brad Mehldau: Live in Marciac By John Kelman If there’s any (relatively) young pianist ready to take the torch from Keith Jarrett when it comes to solo performance, it’s Brad Mehldau. In the space of (again, relatively) a few short years, from his mid-1990s emergence with saxophonist Joshua Redman through his early—and, some might suggest, rather...

Posted Mar 8th, 2011

Pianists, Yes, but a Jazz Singer and Deep Metal, Too

From the New York Times Pianists, Yes, but a Jazz Singer and Deep Metal, Too By Nate Chinen BRAD MEHLDAU is a jazz pianist enamored of many kinds of music, as his recent albums make clear. “Live in Marciac,” his new album and concert film on Nonesuch (two CDs, one DVD), chronicles a recent solo piano concert, with his originals...

Posted Mar 1st, 2011

Brad Mehldau on the Classical/Jazz Divide

From The Thread Brad Mehldau on the Classical/Jazz Divide By Darren Mueller It’s an understatement to say that jazz pianist Brad Mehldau has eclectic musical interests. He’s collaborated with opera star Renée Fleming (Love Sublime), performed with John Mayer, recorded his own far-reaching compositions on albums like Places, Largo, and Highway Rider, and arranged jazz trio versions of pop songs...

Posted Feb 24th, 2011

Live in Marciac

From Nonesuch Records Brad Mehldau’s “Live in Marciac” Out Now; “A Triumph of Imagination,” Exclaims the Independent Brad Mehldau’s Live in Marciac, a double CD and DVD live album, is out today on Nonesuch. The new release captures a solo performance by Mehldau at the 2006 Jazz in Marciac festival in France and includes original tunes by Mehldau as well...

Posted Feb 22nd, 2011

Brad Mehldau on the Art of Solo Piano

From the Huffington Post Interview With Brad Mehldau on the Art of Solo Piano By Joseph Vella Virtuosic pianist Brad Melhdau first made his mark in the jazz world in 1995 with his debut recording Introducing Brad Mehldau and then in the classical arena in 2006 with his release Love Sublime with vocalist Renee Fleming. Mehldau is a dazzling and...

Posted Feb 16th, 2011

LIVE REVIEW Highway Rider at Walt Disney Concert Hall

From the Los Angeles Times Music review: Brad Mehldau’s ‘Highway Rider’ at Walt Disney Concert Hall By Chris Barton Maybe we need another term to describe the project Brad Mehldau brought to Disney Hall on Friday night. Teaming the jazz pianist with nearly the same chamber orchestra that helped bring his ambitious 2010 double-album “Highway Rider” to life, the project...

Posted Jan 24th, 2011

Renee Fleming Performs Brad Mehldau

The world renowned soprano Renée Fleming will perform a selection of Brad Mehldau’s songs at Carnegie Hall on January 11th. She originally premiered them there with Brad in 2005, and they went on to record them on their duo record for Nonesuch that appeared in 2006, “Love Sublime.” For more info click here

Posted Jan 4th, 2011

Allaboutjazz.com's Best Live Shows of 2010

Allboutjazz.com’s John Keltman compiled a list of his top 25 jazz show’s of 2010, number 1 on the list was Brad Mehldau. Also making his top 25 are Joshua Redman and John Scofield. To see the full list click here

Posted Dec 17th, 2010

Brad Mehldau's "Highway Rider" Among Jazzwise Top 10 Albums of 2010

From Nonesuch Brad Mehldau’s Highway Rider has made Jazzwise magazine’s list of the Top 10 Albums of the Year for 2010. The double CD of original work by Mehldau, released on Nonesuch in March, was produced by Jon Brion and features performances by Mehldau’s trio, drummer Matt Chamberlain, saxophonist Joshua Redman, and a chamber orchestra, with orchestrations by Mehldau. It...

Posted Dec 1st, 2010

LIVE REVIEW Brad Mehldau's Highway Rider in London

Londoners have been spoilt for chances to catch Brad Mehldau recently, thanks to his extended residency at the Wigmore Hall. In contrast to those intimate chamber concerts, his appearance at this year’s London Jazz Festival (serving as the European premier of ‘Highway Rider’) was an opportunity to experience his ambitious musical vision writ large, with support from the Britten Sinfonia,...

Posted Nov 29th, 2010

REVIEW: Brad Mehldau/Anne Sofie von Otter: Love Songs

From the Guardian UK Brad Mehldau/Anne Sofie von Otter: Love Songs By John Fordham With a repertoire that includes songs by Elvis Costello and Abba, mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter isn’t a stranger to non-operatic fare. Brad Mehldau is a classical pianist turned jazz star who maintains close connections with his roots, as this year’s Highway Rider eloquently confirms. Half...

Posted Nov 19th, 2010

Nonesuch Releases Brad Mehldau’s "Live in Marciac" January 11

Nonesuch Releases Brad Mehldau’s “Live in Marciac” January 11; Available for Pre-Order Now in Nonesuch Store Nonesuch Records releases Brad Mehldau’s Live in Marciac—a two CD, one DVD live album of a solo performance—on January 11, 2011. The recording was made at the Jazz in Marciac festival in France and includes original tunes by Mehldau as well as interpretations of...

Posted Nov 9th, 2010

REVIEW Brad Mehldau Is a Jazzman in a Classical Mood

From The New York Times Brad Mehldau Is a Jazzman in a Classical Mood By Allan Kozinn Brad Mehldau, a star in the jazz world, has lately been asserting himself in classical precincts as well. He has written song cycles for Renée Fleming and Anne Sofie von Otter, and both singers have recorded those works with Mr. Mehldau at the...

Posted Nov 9th, 2010

NY Times: Jazz Listings for Nov. 5-11, Brad Mehldau, Anat Cohen, Chris Potter

from the New York Times Jazz Listings for Nov. 5-11 Brad Mehldau’s ‘Highway Rider’ (Tuesday) “Highway Rider” (Nonesuch), produced by Jon Brion, was this year’s most luxurious jazz release, a double album with Romantic underpinnings and a stealth foothold in classic rock. Brad Mehldau wrote all of the music, including the tensile string arrangements, and played piano alongside a cohort...

Posted Nov 5th, 2010

Brad Mehldau, At the Crossroads of Jazz and Classical

from the Star Tribune The SPCO hops on board pianist Brad Mehldau’s “Highway Rider” for weekend concerts at the Walker. By Graydon Royce Symphonic jazz? Jazz classical? Jazz/pop/minimalism? Pianist Brad Mehldau has built a career on mixing musical styles and influences into something celebrated as distinctly original. He has put that aesthetic to particular work in his newest album “Highway...

Posted Nov 1st, 2010

INTERVIEW: Anne Sophie von Otter on Brad Mehldau

From the Telegraph Anne Sophie von Otter talks to Adam Sweeting about the surprising mix of styles on her new album with pianist Brad Mehldau Adam Sweeting The modern classical singer must wear many hats. I meet Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, where she’s preparing to sing Brangäne in Bill Viola’s video-assisted concert production of...

Posted Oct 21st, 2010

Brad Mehldau and Anne Sofie von Otter to Release 2-CD Album, Love Songs

From Jazzwise Magazine Jazz breaking news: Anne Sofie von Otter and Brad Mehldau To Release 2-CD Album Love Songs By Stephen Graham Brad Mehldau returns with the release of a new collaboration, for the first time on a recording, with the famed Swedish mezzo soprano Anne Sofie von Otter who has recently been playing the role of Brangäne in Peter...

Posted Sep 27th, 2010

Brad Mehldau Premiere Among NY Mag's "Most Anticipated Events of the Fall"

from Nonesuch When Brad Mehldau performs in New York City this fall, it will be as holder of the Richard and Barbara Debs Composer’s Chair at Carnegie Hall. “For the first time, Carnegie gives its composer’s chair to a jazzman,” says New York, “and not just any cat—a pianist with broad influences and a cerebral style.” Mehldau’s first concert as...

Posted Aug 31st, 2010

REVIEW Brad Mehldau and John Mayer at the Hollywood Bowl

from contactmusic.com Mayer And Mehldau Make Sweet Music Onstage Rocker JOHN MAYER thrilled fans at a sold-out concert on Sunday (22Aug10) after inviting jazz star BRAD MEHLDAU onstage for a duet set. The singer took to his Twitter.com page last week and hinted that his concert at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl would be extra special, teasing, “Planning something so beautiful...

Posted Aug 23rd, 2010

Brad Mehldau To Perform With John Mayer

Brad Mehldau will be performing with John Mayer this Sunday, August 22, at the Hollywood Bowl. John Mayer Tweeted about the show: This Sunday night’s show at the Hollywood Bowl will feature a mini-set of music with pianist Brad Mehldau. It’ll take place between Owl City’s and my normal set. The Bowl is such an historic venue that I had...

Posted Aug 20th, 2010

Brad Mehldau: Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix, Beethoven and God

Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix, Beethoven and God Brad has written an article for the new magazine, The Scope. The Scope is an internationally distributed English language magazine with writing that focuses on travel, environment, geopolitics, arts and culture. The graphic design of the magazine and the photography are beautiful and other contributors to the magazine so far include Noam Chomsky. Read...

Posted Aug 18th, 2010

Brad Mehldau Makes NPR's Best of 2010 List

from NPR The Best New Jazz of 2010 (So Far) Let’s just go ahead, call 2010 the year robots took over jazz and welcome our new jazz robot overlords. Skynet — er, the jazz-bots — became self-aware in late 2009 with an improvising vibes-bot named Shimon, and now Pat Metheny has an entire robotic army at his command. Are we...

Posted Jun 22nd, 2010

REVIEW Brad Mehldau at Wigmore Hall

From The Telegraph by Neil McCormick Most jazz pianists have their “shtick”, the instantly recognisable fingerprint that allows you to say straight off: “Ah, yes, that’s Bud Powell.” Brad Mehldau isn’t like that. He’s a pianist who has it all, technically speaking, and he also has a fabulously well-stocked brain that can mingle different musical traditions. Read the article here...

Posted Jun 7th, 2010

Brad Mehldau: Jazz Master is Venue's Latest Star Name

Brad Mehldau: Jazz master is venue’s latest star name Yorkshire Post Published 6/4/10 When Howard Assembly Rooms first opened, it promised to bring an eclectic range of musicians to Yorkshire. Eighteen months on, says Tina Jackson, the venue’s been true to its word. Imagine being Brad Mehldau. You’re an American jazz pianist at the absolute top of your tree. Your...

Posted Jun 4th, 2010

Mehldau Continues Wigmore Hall Jazz Series in 2011 with Chris Thile, Joe Henry Sets

Brad Mehldau will soon return to London’s Wigmore Hall in a continuation of the Hall’s first-ever Jazz Series, which he is curating. He will perform the last of the series’ concerts for the 2009/10 season on June 2 with mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter and on June 4 in a solo set. As this season ends, Wigmore Hall has just...

Posted May 20th, 2010

Mehldau's Highway Rider - Acclaim in UK

Brad Mehldau’s interview feature on the new BBC Radio 2 – Jamie Cullum show aired last week (Tue Apr 20). You can listen again via the program’s website Brad’s segment begins at around 18:30 minutes into the program. The interview is also featured on Jamie’s Podcast BBC Radio 2 is the UK’s most listened to radio station, and Jamie Cullum’s...

Posted Apr 28th, 2010

INTERVIEW Mehldau on PBS's Newshour with Jim Lehrer

Conversation: Musician Brad Mehldau On his latest album, pianist Brad Mehldau takes listeners on a journey where each track is like a stop on a road trip. A mix of jazz, classical and pop, the double-disc release, “Highway Rider,” was a collaboration with producer Jon Brion and is Mehldau’s first album compiled entirely of his own compositions. Listen to the...

Posted Apr 26th, 2010

REVIEW Bradh Mehldau Trio in Kingston, ON (All About Jazz)

Brad Mehldau Trio: Kingston, Canada April 11, 2010 By John Kelman Brad Mehldau Trio Grand Theatre Kingston, Canada April 11, 2010 When a trio has been together as long as pianist Brad Mehldau’s—the current incarnation, with original bassist Larry Grenadier and relative newcomer (but no stranger to either of his band mates), drummer Jeff Ballard, has been together for over...

Posted Apr 11th, 2010

REVIEW Mehldau's Highway Rider (JazzTimes)

Brad Mehldau: Highway Rider By Josef Woodard For much of his adventure in music to date, the main thrust of Brad Mehldau’s work has been involved with fostering a bold new sound in the jazz piano-trio format. His new double-disc opus, Highway Rider, the most costly Mehldau production yet, heads in a different set of directions, but with the trio—including...

Posted Apr 10th, 2010

REVIEW Mehldau at LARGO (The LA Times)

By Chris Barton “Here’s another one from my KROQ listening on the way from the airport,” Brad Mehldau said with a smirk from the stage Tuesday night at Largo at the Coronet. “Good tune, though,” he added before launching into an almost obscenely grand and beautiful cover of Stone Temple Pilots’ “Interstate Love Song.” While Mehldau’s way with reinventing rock...

Posted Mar 31st, 2010

Mehldau's "Highway Rider" Rates an A- from Boston Herald, Pick of the Week from WNYC's "Soundcheck"

Brad Mehldau’s latest Nonesuch release has been named a Soundcheck CD Pick of the Week by New York public radio station WNYC. The album “shows the jazz pianist’s chops in an art usually dominated by classical composers,” says Soundcheck’s Gisele Regatao. “The title of Brad Mehldau’s album is as cinematographic as the music: Highway Rider.” —- The Boston Herald gives...

Posted Mar 26th, 2010

REVIEW Brad Mehldau "Highway Rider" (Los Angeles Times)

by Chris Barton Let it never be said that Brad Mehldau lacks ambition. The gifted pianist and composer’s latest is a reunion with über-producer Jon Brion and percussion gadfly Matt Chamberlain, who joined Mehldau’s trio on 2002’s eclectic “Largo.” But instead of re-creating that record’s arresting, electronics-flecked sound, Mehldau has upped the ante by teaming with saxophonist Joshua Redman and...

Posted Mar 18th, 2010

Brad Mehldau on NPR Music/All Things Considered

Brad Mehldau: Beyond The Boundaries Of Jazz by Jeff Lunden Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau likes crossing borders. He’s improvised to Beatles songs and Joni Mitchell tunes, he’s written art songs for operatic soprano Renee Fleming, and now, with his new double album Highway Rider, he’s created a large-scale work for chamber orchestra and jazz ensemble… Listen to the entire segment...

Posted Mar 17th, 2010

REVIEW Highway Rider (BBC Music)

BBC Review “The pianist’s latest is a concept album with an odyssey-like subtext.” by Kevin Le Gendre Such is the cult of the soloist in contemporary jazz that other elements of the creative equation are often overlooked. One is the sideman; the other is the producer. In the case of Highway Rider, the input of Jon Brion, in the latter...

Posted Mar 16th, 2010

Mehldau's "Highway Rider" - Feature Article in the New York Times

A Jazz-Pop Encounter: The Sequel by Nate Chinen BROWS furrowed, Brad Mehldau and Jon Brion wore the same look of concentration here one evening last spring, perched on Aeron chairs in a mixing room at Ocean Way Recording studios. Mr. Mehldau, the acclaimed jazz pianist, was listening to a piece he had recently recorded in the adjacent room. Mr. Brion,...

Posted Mar 13th, 2010

REVIEW Brad Mehldau Highway Rider (Guardian UK)

Read John Fordham’s 5-Star review on the Guardian UK online here “Highway Rider’s contrasts and dramatic entries spring constant surprises, and show how much progress the mesmerising improviser has made as a big-ensemble composer.”

Posted Mar 12th, 2010

REVIEW Brad Mehldau Highway Rider (All About Jazz)

Read the entire John Kelman review at All About Jazz Mehldau’s recent work writing for orchestra—The Brady Bunch Variations for Orchestre Natonal D‘Îsle-de-France, and the song-cycle Love Sublime (Nonesuch, 2006), with soprano René Fleming, amongst others—has clearly given Mehldau the confidence to find, with Highway Rider, a nexus point where form-based improvisation and through-composition meet. Based around the preexisting chemistry...

Posted Mar 9th, 2010

Brad Mehldau Interview/Performance on BBC3

Yesterday’s edition of BBC Radio 3’s drive time program In Tune (Tue Mar 2) included an interview with Brad Mehldau, recorded in London on Friday. The whole feature lasts around 30 minutes. As well as the interview, it also includes two tracks from the Highway Rider album (‘Now You Must Climb Alone’ and ‘Walking The Peak’), plus two solo performances...

Posted Mar 2nd, 2010

Brad Mehldau to Hold Season-Long Residency at Carnegie Hall

Brad Mehldau to Hold Season-Long Residency at Carnegie Hall; First Jazz Artist Named to Debs Composer’s Chair Carnegie Hall announced its 2010-11 concert season earlier today along with the season-long residency by Brad Mehldau as holder of the Richard and Barbara Debs Composer’s Chair at Carnegie Hall—the first jazz artist to hold this position since it was established in 1995....

Posted Jan 28th, 2010

Nonesuch to Release Mehldau’s "Highway Rider" on March 16

Nonesuch Records is set to release Highway Rider—a double-disc of original work by pianist and composer Brad Mehldau—on March 16, 2010. The album is his second collaboration with renowned producer Jon Brion and features performances by Mehldau’s trio—drummer Jeff Ballard and bassist Larry Grenadier—as well as drummer Matt Chamberlain, saxophonist Joshua Redman, and a chamber orchestra led by Dan Coleman....

Posted Jan 25th, 2010

Mehldau to Play JazzReach Benefit in NYC - Jan 14

GRAMMY NOMINATED, NONESUCH RECORDING ARTIST, BRAD MEHLDAU TO PERFORM RARE SOLO PIANO CONCERT AT NEW YORK CITY’S HIGHLINE BALLROOM – ALL PROCEEDS TO DIRECTLY BENEFIT NEW YORK’S JAZZREACH, INC. AND THEIR COMMITTED ENDEAVORS IN ARTS EDUCATION WHEN: JANUARY 14, 2010 WHAT TIME: (TWO SETS) 8PM & 1O:30PM WHERE: HIGHLINE BALLROOM – 431 WEST 16TH STREET – NYC TICKETS: $75 VIP*...

Posted Jan 12th, 2010

Mehldau/The Bad Plus in Paste's Decade's Best

“A Very Personal, Highly Idiosyncratic Musical Overview of the Aughts” Excerpt From Paste Magazine Online: Jazz Finds a New Canon I have nothing against George Gershwin or Cole Porter. They were marvelous songwriters. But their songs have formed the backbone of jazz for more than eighty years now. Do we really need another interpretation of “Someone to Watch Over Me”?...

Posted Dec 29th, 2009

NY TIMES: Konitz, Motian, Haden and Mehldau

(From the New York Times – Ben Ratliff) This week Birdland has booked an ad-hoc quartet with three eminences and a great younger player. They are the alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, 82; the drummer Paul Motian, 78; the bassist Charlie Haden, 72; and the pianist Brad Mehldau, who at 39 is half Mr. Motian’s age. The music worked, in its...

Posted Dec 10th, 2009

Mehldau's "Live in Tokyo" in Times UK Top Ten of the Noughties List

Read the entire list of top jazz albums of the noughties on The Times Online 7. Live in Tokyo by Brad Mehldau The ascendant star of American piano jazz sets out his broad musical vision on this solo set. As well as staples such as Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Thelonious Monk, he brings Nick Drake to jazz audiences and...

Posted Dec 1st, 2009

Critical Acclaim for Brad Mehldau's Inaugural Performances at Wigmore Hall

Brad Mehldau’s curating of an annual four-concert jazz series at London’s esteemed Wigmore Hall (during its 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons), began last week with inaugural performances with saxophonist Joshua Redman (as a duo) on October 15th, and with Mehldau’s long standing trio (Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard) on Friday the 16th. Stephen Graham of Jazzwise magazine offered the following preview...

Posted Oct 20th, 2009

Rare Brad Mehldau/Matt Chamberlain Duo Performance Reviewed in NPR

From NPR’s A Blog Supreme: Anyone familiar with Brad Mehldau knows the pianist is tops when it comes to covering rock songs. Since he first tackled “Exit Music (For a Film),” Mehldau has reworked number of Radiohead songs, including a stunning 20-minute solo rendition of “Paranoid Android” on his Live In Tokyo album that would make even classical pianist Christopher...

Posted May 26th, 2009

Live Brad Mehldau Trio video featured in Pitchfork

Checkout a cover of Sufjan Steven’s “Holland” (from his album Michigan) by the Brad Mehldau Trio (recorded live at Burghausen 2008) on Pitchfork var addthis_pub=“4a1593986290e969”;

Posted May 11th, 2009

NY Times Live Review of Brad Mehldau Trio at the Village Vanguard

Brad Mehldau has a warm, pliable, softly radiant touch at the piano, suggestive of waning sunlight or certain precious metals. At the Village Vanguard, effectively his second home, that tactile impression can sometimes seem enveloping and serious. But there was looseness in his first set on Tuesday night, along with variety and depth of feeling. Appearing with his trio, which...

Posted May 7th, 2009

Brad Mehldau - Live in Tokyo - Released Today

Brad Mehldau recently was described by The Washington Post as one of his generation’s most gifted and thoughtful pianists. On his Nonesuch debut, Brad Mehldau Live in Tokyo, he interprets material from artists as varied as George and Ira Gershwin, Thelonius Monk, Nick Drake, and Radiohead. The record was recorded during a recent solo performance in Japan.

Posted Sep 14th, 2004