DANILO PEREZ - The Journey (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pianist Danilo Perez's second recording as a leader is a real gem. Divided into "Time Past" and "Time Present," Perez performs music utilizing Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms, complex time signatures, original themes, the influence of bop, and his own very strong technique. The personnel and instrumentation changes from song to song, ranging from a septet with both George Garzone and David Sanchez on saxophones (along with two percussionists playing a wide variety of exotic instruments) to a conventional trio, a duet with drummer Ignacio Berroa, and a pair of solo piano pieces. Bassist Larry Grenadier plays very well, always sounding confident during the very tricky music, while Perez displays a highly original yet logical style. Well worth several listens. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     The Capture 5'49
Danilo Pérez
2     Chains 2'11
Danilo Pérez
3     The Voyage 6'46
Danilo Pérez
4     The Arrival 5'21
Danilo Pérez
5     Awakening 1'19
Danilo Pérez
6     New Vision 7'43
Danilo Pérez
7     Panamá 2000 7'41
Danilo Pérez
8     Reminisce 8'44
Danilo Pérez
9     Flight to Freedom 7'41
Danilo Pérez
10     African Wave 4'24
Danilo Pérez
11     Libre Spiritus 2'19
Danilo Pérez

LEA DeLARIA - Lea DeLaria : Play It Cool (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On Play It Cool, her debut CD for Warner Bros. Records, vocalist Lea DeLaria reinterprets 11 compositions from contemporary musical theater, including "Cool" from West Side Story, "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" from Sweeney Todd, and "All That Jazz" from Chicago. Her vocal instrument is both complementary and unique in its interpretations of the lyrics, and covers a broad range of musical theater, both comedy and drama. This is not an easy task. DeLaria utilizes several vocal techniques to bring each song to life, including scatting, elongated phrasing, swing, and balladeering. She also makes excellent use of the basic skills of music theory: harmony, rhythm, and melody. Among the more memorable highlights on the CD is her great phrasing and delivery on "Lowdown-Down" from The Wild Party. Her vocals provide an excellent foil for the saxophone voices of Seamus Blake, Roger Rosenberg, Vincent Herring, and Scott Robinson, who play tenor, baritone, alto, and bass, respectively. Her up-tempo swinging rendition of "Once in a Lifetime" is a refreshing change from the overly used ballad approach of the Leslie Bricusse/Anthony Newley hit from Stop the World, I Want to Get Off. She's doing great things on this CD, and it is one any collector of Broadway show tunes would appreciate having in his or her collection. by Paula Edelstein 
Tracklist:
Sweeney Todd, musical play
1 The Ballad of Sweeney Todd 4:51
Stephen Sondheim
West Side Story, musical
2 Cool 5:23
Leonard Bernstein / Stephen Sondheim
Little Me, musical
3 I've Got Your Number 4:51
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
City of Angels, musical
4 With Every Breath I Take 3:17
Cy Coleman / David Zippel
Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play
5 All That Jazz 4:11
Fred Ebb / John Kander
Faust, rock opera
6 Life Has Been Good to Me 5:23
Randy Newman
The Wild Party, musical play
7 Welcome To My Party 3:24
Michael John LaChiusa
8 Lowdown Down 5:51
Michael John LaChiusa
Stop the World - I Want to Get Off, musical
9 Once in a Lifetime 4:31
Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley
Follies, musical play
10 Losing My Mind 5:20
Stephen Sondheim
Frank's Wild Years, rock opera
11 Straight to the Top 4:11
Greg Cohen / Tom Waits
Credits:
Arranged By – Brad Mehldau
Bass – Larry Grenadier
Drums – Gregory Hutchinson
Keyboards – Larry Goldings
Piano – Brad Mehldau, Gil Goldstein
Tenor Saxophone – Seamus Blake
Vocals – Lea Delaria

BRAD MEHLDAU - Introducing Brad Mehldau (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pianist Brad Mehldau's debut as a leader features his straight-ahead style in trios with either Larry Grenadier or Christian McBride on bass and Jorge Rossy or Brian Blade on drums. The well-rounded set is highlighted by tasteful and swinging versions of five standards (including John Coltrane's "Countdown," "It Might As Well Be Spring," and "From This Moment On") and four of the pianist's originals. This CD (which is sometimes available at a budget price) serves as a fine start to what should be a productive career. by Scott Yanow

Tracklist:

1 It Might As Well Be Spring 7:46

Written-By – Hammerstein/Rodgers

2 Countdown 4:12

Written-By – Coltrane

3 My Romance 6:23

Written-By – Rodgers/Hart

4 Angst 6:11

Written-By – Brad Mehldau

5 Young Werther 7:11

Written-By – Brad Mehldau

6 Prelude To A Kiss 10:00

Written-By – Ellington

7 London Blues 7:00

Written-By – Brad Mehldau

8 From This Moment On 6:33

Written-By – Porter

9 Say Goodbye 9:25

Written-By – Brad Mehldau

Credits:

Bass – Christian McBride (tracks: 6 to 9), Larry Grenadier (tracks: 1 to 5)

Drums – Brian Blade (tracks: 6 to 9), Jorge Rossy (tracks: 1 to 5)

Piano – Brad Mehldau

BRAD MEHLDAU - PLACES (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Brad Mehldau is becoming a more interesting, more thought-provoking, more individualistic musician with each release -- breaking away from the same old models, finding new ones to integrate into his own personality. The 11 compositions on this CD were conceived on the road, and only midway through did Mehldau realize that they developed similar ideas. Which indeed they do, seizing upon repeated riffing and vamps that Keith Jarrett has explored and sending them in cogent directions. The designated theme is travel; each selection bears the name of a place or mood, and the catchy, contemplative "Los Angeles" serves as the album's bookends, as well as a solo pit stop in the center. Like Elegiac Cycle, Places works like a song cycle; a unified, beautifully proportioned conception, with lots of rambunctious, swinging outbreaks amidst the contemplation. The titles in themselves mean nothing as far as the content of the music is concerned -- or so he writes in another lengthy, provocative liner note. Rather, the album is about the constancy of his personality and musical language, taking all of your personal mental baggage with you wherever you travel. This is an important album, one that anyone interested in piano jazz ought to check out. by Richard S. Ginell  

Tracklist:

1 Los Angeles 5:21

Brad Mehldau

2 29 Palms 5:09

Brad Mehldau

3 Madrid 6:07

Brad Mehldau

4 Amsterdam 3:38

Brad Mehldau

5 Los Angels II 5:18

Brad Mehldau

6 West Hartford 5:39

Brad Mehldau

7 Airport Sadness 4:48

Brad Mehldau

8 Perugia 3:52

Brad Mehldau

9 A Walk In The Park 5:59

Brad Mehldau

10 Paris 6:30

Brad Mehldau

11 Schloss Elmau 6:32

Brad Mehldau

12 Am Zauberberg 7:07

Brad Mehldau

13 Los Angeles (Reprise) 3:28

Brad Mehldau

Credits:

Bass – Larry Grenadier

Drums – Jorge Rossy

Piano, Composed By, Producer – Brad Mehldau

BRAD MEHLDAU - The Art of the Trio, Vol. 1 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

At this point in time, pianist Brad Mehldau's style falls between Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans, being heavily influenced by the voicings of the latter and the free yet lyrical improvising of the former. With fine backup work by bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, Mehldau explores five standards (including the Beatles' "Blackbird" and "Nobody Else but Me") and four originals, coming up with melodic yet adventurous ideas. Mehldau displays much potential for the future. by Scott Yanow

Tracklist:

1 Blame It On My Youth 6:17

Written-By – Heyman, Levant

2 I Didn’t Know What Time It Was 6:30

Written-By – Rodgers/Hart

3 Ron’s Place 6:29

 Brad Mehldau

4 Blackbird 5:00

Written-By – Lennon/McCartney

5 Lament For Linus 4:38

 Brad Mehldau

6 Mignon’s Song 6:34

 Brad Mehldau

7 I Fall In Love Too Easily 7:16

Written-By – Styne/Cahn

8 Lucid 5:43 

 Brad Mehldau

9 Nobody Else But Me 7:36

Written-By – Hammerstein/Kern

Credits:

Bass – Larry Grenadier

Drums – Jorge Rossy

Piano – Brad Mehldau

Written-By – Brad Mehldau (tracks: 3, 5, 6, 8)

BRAD MEHLDAU - The Art of the Trio, Vol. 2 : Live at the Village Vanguard (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It takes a certain nerve for a young jazz artist to subtitle an album Live at the Village Vanguard. The title evokes some mighty powerful spirits from the jazz pantheon. John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins. Bill Evans. Joe Henderson. But pianist Brad Mehldau is more than up to this daunting challenge. On this set of standards by the likes of Cole Porter, Thelonious Monk and Henry Mancini, Mehldau exhibits a musical erudition and a technical prowess that belies his youth. Though the obvious comparisons are with Evans and Keith Jarrett, Mehldau has a highly individual style that draws heavily on his classical training. Along with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, he has made a stunning album of exploratory jazz that holds its own with the great "Live at the Village Vanguard" recordings of the past. by Joel Roberts

Tracklist:

1 It’s Alright With Me 12:39

Written-By – Cole Porter

2 Young And Foolish 13:07

Written-By – Albert Hague, Arnold Horwitt

3 Monk’s Dream 11:09

Written-By – Thelonious Monk

4 The Way You Look Tonight 12:33

Written-By – Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern

5 Moon River 10:52

Written-By – Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer

6 Countdown 12:40

Written-By – John Coltrane

Credits:

Bass – Larry Grenadier

Drums – Jorge Rossy

Piano – Brad Mehldau

BRAD MEHLDAU - The Art of the Trio, Vol. 3 : Songs (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The lyrical pianist Brad Mehldau applies his melancholy, Bill Evans/Keith Jarrett-derived approach to a set of five originals plus standards including "Young at Heart," "For All We Know," and "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," as well as covers of Nick Drake's "River Man" and Radiohead's "Exit Music (For a Film)." The always swinging and tasteful pianist is accompanied by a rhythm section of drummer Jorge Rossy and bassist Larry Grenadier, and overall this is a fine program easily recommended to straight-ahead collectors. by Steve Huey

Tracklist:

1 Song-Song 6:29

 Brad Mehldau

2 Unrequited 6:07

 Brad Mehldau

3 Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered 5:57

Written-By – Rodgers/Hart

4 Exit Music (For A Film) 4:23

Written-By – Radiohead

5 At A Loss 6:19

 Brad Mehldau

6 Convalescent 5:58

 Brad Mehldau

7 For All We Know 7:59

Written-By – Coots, Lewis

8 River Man 4:47

Written-By – Drake

9 Young At Heart 6:20

Written-By – Leigh, Richards

10 Sehnsucht 4:56

 Brad Mehldau

Credits:

Bass – Larry Grenadier

Drums – Jorge Rossy

Piano – Brad Mehldau

Written-By – Brad Mehldau (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 6, 10)

BRD MEHLDAU - Art of the Trio, Vol. 4 : Back at the Vanguard (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Appearing just three months after Brad Mehldau's elegant solo piano album Elegiac Cycle, Art of the Trio, Vol. 4: Back to the Vanguard provides a remarkable contrast to the refined, cerebral, hypnotic affair that was released before it. Not that the performances on Back to the Vanguard aren't hypnotic, since they're utterly captivating. The difference is that this live recording captures exactly how vital and impassioned Mehldau's playing is. Working with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, he turns these songs -- including three originals, one Miles Davis number, two standards, and Radiohead's "Exit Music" -- inside out, finding the heart of the song, and exploring a bewildering array of variations of the themes and chords. This music surges forward, unhinged and forceful, complex but completely accessible. Mehldau spends much of his liner notes on the defensive, explaining how many jazz critics have misread his music. He has a point -- he has often been ghettoized as a jazz intellectual, but as this exceptional album proves, there is considerable emotion and feeling and plain excitement behind his music, even during the mesmerizing quiet sections. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine  

Tracklist:

1 All The Things You Are 13:30

Written-By – Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II

2 Sehnsucht 10:48

Written-By – Brad Mehldau

3 Nice Pass 17:35

Written-By – Brad Mehldau

4 Solar 9:51

Written-By – Miles Davis

5 London Blues 7:37

Written-By – Brad Mehldau

6 I'll Be Seeing You 7:18

Written-By – Irving Kahal, Sammy Fain

7 Exit Music (For A Film) 8:14

Written-By – Radiohead

Credits:

Bass – Larry Grenadier

Drums – Jorge Rossy

Piano – Brad Mehldau

THE BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO - Art of the Trio, Vol.5 : Progression (2001) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

irtuoso pianist Brad Mehldau continues his Art of the Trio series with a two-CD set titled Art of the Trio, Vol. 5: Progression. Recorded live at the Village Vanguard in New York City, this volume is his most satisfying triad outing yet. The trio opens disc one with a swinging up-tempo rendition of "The More I See You" and, for over ten minutes, Mehldau improvises his swinging instincts with his well-organized rhythmic partners, drummer Jorge Rossy and acoustic bassist Larry Grenadier. His original "Dream's Monk" features an extended variation on his profoundly introspective bebop. This composition is the centerpiece of disc one, which otherwise features covers of such standards as "Alone Together," "It Might as Well Be Spring," and "The Folks Who Live on the Hill." Disc two is evenly programmed with three originals by Brad Mehldau and three by Great American Songbook composers George & Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Sammy Fain, and Paul Francis Webster. On the nearly 15-minute rendition of the Gershwin/Kern composition "Long Ago and Far Away," Mehldau's rhythm section plays fervent bop lines over his brilliant piano arpeggios after a virtuosic introduction. Grenadier's bass solo remains one of the most memorable on this recording, with Mehldau delicately comping it with light piano chord voicings. Rossy deftly adjusts and readjusts his brushwork to provide just the right textures and musical accompaniment. Whereas The Art of the Trio, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, and Vol. 4 provided Mehldau's listeners with rich documentation of his piano mastery that often includes altered root motion and meter on standard tunes, blazing swing tempos, and poetic piano lines that can hover intensely in a ballad, his intrinsic musical signature is more substantial on Progression due to several stunning piano solos, ethereal vamps, and successive thematic transformations. by Paula Edelstein  

Tracklist 1 :

1 The More I See You 10:05

Written-By – Harry Warren, Mack Gordon

2 Dream's Monk 11:21

Written-By – Thelonious Monk

3 The Folks Who Live On The Hill 9:50

Written-By – Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern

4 Alone Together 15:01

Written-By – Howard Dietz / Arthur Schwartz

5 It Might As Well Be Spring 2:48

Written-By – Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers

6 Cry Me A River 8:50

Written-By – Arthur Hamilton

7 River Man 11:29

Written-By – Nicholas Drake

Tracklist 2 :

1 Quit 7:13

Written-By – Brad Mehldau

2 Secret Love 10:06

Written-By – Paul Francis Webster, Sammy Fain

3 Sublation 14:58

Written-By – Brad Mehldau

4 Resignation 8:39

Written-By – Brad Mehldau

5 Long Ago And Far Away 14:50

Written-By – Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern

6 How Long Has This Been Going On? 10:44

Written-By – George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin

Credits:

Bass – Larry Grenadier

Drums – Jorge Rossy

Piano – Brad Mehldau

BRAD MEHLDAU - Largo (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In the most enigmatic project up to this point in his career, Brad Mehldau explores conflicting aesthetics, sometimes in tracks positioned next to each other, and occasionally within the confines of a single performance. A spare simplicity governs much of the album, emphasized by almost puritanical horn arrangements -- long notes, mournful triadic chords. After acknowledging these episodes with childlike figurations on the piano, Mehldau then builds his solos along more dissonant lines, which invariably end up enhancing the mood. But then there are tracks like "Dropjes," whose electronic effects gnash angrily at the piano, or "Free Willy," on which putty attached to the instrument's low strings allows Mehldau to unleash a feral improvisation, with lines that suggest scurrying rodents more than bebop blowing. Producer Jon Brion stimulated much of this adventurism, at times diving directly into the mix with his guitar synth or Chamberlin keyboard. But what intrigues most about Largo in the end is the perspective it offers on Mehldau, whose playing here is, as always, intelligent, perhaps a bit cerebral, and now open as well to sonic exotica. by Robert L. Doerschuk  

Tracklist:

1 When It Rains 6:36

Bassoon – Peter Mandell, Rose Corrigan

Clarinet – Emile Bernstein, Gary Gray

Drums – Matt Chamberlain

Flute – David Shostac, Steve Kujala

Oboe – Earle Dumler, Jon Clark

Piano – Brad Mehldau

Acoustic Bass – Larry Grenadier

2 You're Vibing Me 3:28

Acoustic Bass [Left] – Darek "Oles" Oleszkiewicz

Acoustic Bass [Right] – Larry Grenadier

Drums – Jim Keltner, Jorge Rossy

Piano, Vibraphone – Brad Mehldau

Shaker – Matt Chamberlain

3 Dusty Mcnugget 5:43

Acoustic Bass – Darek "Oles" Oleszkiewicz

Bass Trombone – George B. Thatcher

Drums – Matt Chamberlain

French Horn – Daniel Kelley, Philip Yao

Piano – Brad Mehldau, Brad Mehldau

Snare [Brush] – Jim Keltner

Trombone – William Reichenbach

4 Dropjes 3:58

Jon Brion / Matt Chamberlain / Brad Mehldau / Justin Meldal-Johnsen / Darek Oleszkiewicz

Acoustic Bass – Darek "Oles" Oleszkiewicz

Drums, Percussion – Matt Chamberlain, Victor Indrizzo

Electric Bass – Justin Meldal-Johnsen

Guitar [Treatments] – Jon Brion

Piano – Brad Mehldau

5 Paranoid Android 9:05

Colin Greenwood / Phil Selway / Thom Yorke

Acoustic Bass – Darek "Oles" Oleszkiewicz

Bass Trombone – Kenneth Kugler

Drums – Jim Keltner, Matt Chamberlain

French Horn – Jerry Folsom, Joseph Meyer

Percussion [Piano Prepared] – Jon Brion

Piano [With Putty Treatment In Lower Two Octaves] – Brad Mehldau

Trombone – William Reichenbach

6 Franklin Avenue 3:42

Acoustic Bass – Darek "Oles" Oleszkiewicz

Bass Trombone – George B. Thatcher

Drums – Matt Chamberlain

French Horn – Daniel Kelley, Philip Yao

Piano – Brad Mehldau

Trombone – William Reichenbach

Vibraphone – Jim Keltner

7 Sabbath 4:42

Piano [Distorto Piano Through Leslie With Whammy Pedal] – Brad Mehldau

8 Dear Prudence 5:22

John Lennon / Paul McCartney

Acoustic Bass – Darek "Oles" Oleszkiewicz

Drums – Jim Keltner

Piano – Brad Mehldau

Shaker, Percussion – Matt Chamberlain

9 Free Willy 5:05

Matt Chamberlain / Larry Grenadier / Brad Mehldau / Jorge Rossy

Bass [Treated] – Larry Grenadier

Drums, Percussion – Jorge Rossy, Matt Chamberlain

Piano [With Putty Treatment In Lower Two Octaves] – Brad Mehldau

10 Alvarado 4:00

Acoustic Bass – Darek "Oles" Oleszkiewicz

 Drums, Percussion – Victor Indrizzo

Electric Bass – Justin Meldal-Johnsen

Percussion [Piano Prepared] – Jim Keltner

Piano – Brad Mehldau 

Tabla – Matt Chamberlain

11 Medley 6:28

Antônio Carlos Jobim / John Lennon / Paul McCartney

Acoustic Bass – Darek "Oles" Oleszkiewicz

Drums – Matt Chamberlain, Victor Indrizzo

Electric Bass – Justin Meldal-Johnsen

Guitar [Synthesizer] – Jon Brion

Vibraphone – Brad Mehldau

12 I Do 7:17 

Bassoon – Peter Mandell, Rose Corrigan

Clarinet – Emile Bernstein, Gary Gray 

Flute – David Shostac, Steve Kujala

Oboe – Earle Dumler, Jon Clark

Piano – Brad Mehldau

Credits:

Written-By, Arranged By [Woodwind And Brass Arrangements] – Brad Mehldau

BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO - Anything Goes (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Ironically, Anything Goes would have been a more fitting title for pianist Brad Mehldau's previous effort, the idiosyncratic and experimental Largo. Completely eschewing the electronic flourishes and horn sections that characterized the 2002 Jon Brion-produced album as Mehldau's most adventurous release up to that point, Anything Goes is actually a return to a more traditional approach. Featuring his longtime sidemen bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, Mehldau has crafted a thoughtful and pretty standards-based album. Classics including the title track and "Get Happy" are artfully deconstructed in a style that calls to mind a deft blending of Mehldau's most obvious touchstones, Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans. Similarly, "The Nearness of You" and "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" are masterpieces of impressionism that veritably weep with the plangent yearning of Miles Davis' trumpet. However, by the time Mehldau turns Radiohead's "Everything in Its Right Place" into the missing track off Sketches of Spain and solidifies Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years" as the most poignant ballad ever written, Anything Goes moves from the expected to the inspired and that alone makes this worth a listen. by Matt Collar 

Tracklist:

1 Get Happy 9:47

Written-By – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler

2 Dreamsville 5:03

Written-By – Henry Mancini, Jay Livingston, Raymond B. Evans

3 Anything Goes 7:08

Written-By – Cole Porter

4 Tres Palabras 5:01

Written-By – Osvaldo Farres

5 Skippy 5:24

Written-By – Thelonious Monk

6 Nearness Of You 6:43

Written-By – Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington

7 Still Crazy After All These Years 5:21

Written-By – Paul Simon

8 Everything In Its Right Place 6:55

Written-By – Radiohead

9 Smile 6:48

Written-By – Charlie Chaplin, Geoffrey Clarmont Parsons, James John Turner Philips

10 I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face 4:49

Written-By – Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe

Credits:

Bass – Larry Grenadier

Drums – Jorge Rossy

Piano – Brad Mehldau

BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO - Day is Done (2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Brad Mehldau did an exceptional job of keeping his stellar trio together for seven years, as proven by his fine Art of the Trio dates and 2004's Anything Goes. But Jorge Rossy, the group's drummer, began spending more and more time away from music and at his home in Spain. Mehldau, who is almost prolific in his recording process, recruited drummer Jeff Ballard to replace Rossy on Day Is Done. Ballard has worked off and on with bassist Larry Grenadier in the trio Fly with saxman Mark Turner, so he's not a total stranger to the process. Yet Ballard is a different kind of drummer, more diverse and certainly more kinetic in his approach, as evidenced by this disc. This is Mehldau's most energetic and rigorous recording to date. These ten cuts are comprised mainly of covers, though aside from "Alfie," there isn't anything here approaching a standard. There are tunes here by the Beatles ("She's Leaving Home" and a glorious solo version of "Martha My Dear" with a Scarlatti-esque study in counterpoint to usher it in), Paul Simon (a jaunty read of "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover"), Nick Drake (the title cut), and even Radiohead (in the crackling energy of "Knives Out"). There are two fine originals as well: the shimmering "Artis," with its striated right-hand work, and the Latin-tinged "Turtle Town," a somewhat breezy ballad that is nonetheless knotty and off-kilter enough in its melody and in Mehldau's solo to become complex and challenging. Day Is Done is another exceptional chapter in the Mehldau catalog, one that showcases a willingness to stretch itself to the breaking point and open up the band to a wider array of approaches. by Thom Jurek  
Tracklist:
1 Knives Out 8:29
Colin Greenwood
2 Alfie 3:46
Burt Bacharach
3 Martha My Dear  4:38
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
4 Day Is Done 9:26
Nick Drake 
5 Artis 6:21
6 Turtle Town 6:18
7 She's Leaving Home 9:07
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
8 Granada 7:30
Chris Cheek
9 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover 8:32
Paul Simon
10 No Moon at All 5:49
Redd Evans
Credits:
Bass – Larry Grenadier
Drums – Jeff Ballard
Producer, Piano – Brad Mehldau

BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO - House on Hill (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

House on Hill may be a new recording, but the material is not. Virtually everything here was written, according to his liner notes -- like Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau writes about himself best -- in a session done in 2004 which yielded 18 songs with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy. The decision was made to split the sets into originals and covers. The covers became 2004's Anything Goes. There are nine cuts here, the remaining seven from 2004, and the other two come from a more recent session. Mehldau states quite frankly that the compositions here mostly fall into the standard frame for small ensembles: theme (head) variations/theme. Mehldau's notes are exhaustive. They look at compositional forms of theme and its variations from Bach and Brahms. Yeah, it's an intellectual (read: eggheaded) -- and occasionally dry -- reading. The music on this set is anything but. The sheer elegance of Mehldau's writing is always something to behold, and this trio always finds the lace of swing. Often it is not in the melodies and lyric lines he writes. These are usually somewhat knotty, expansive statements from which the band just finds a kind of groove to extrapolate upon. The title cut is a fine example where the slippery little notation in the theme is built into a Latin-flavored ride. Dynamic shifts are continual in this music' check out "Boomer" which gains in intensity until the last minute when it finds its way home into the midtempo softness, and "Backyard," that is almost pastoral until the improvisation, where the tension in the rhythm section is almost icy. The off-kilter, spatial way "Fear and Trembling" (a reference to Søren Kierkegaard's book of the same name, perhaps?) opens is one of the more satisfying moments on the album. The ascending three- and four-note clusters Mehldau employs as a theme work well for putting the listener immediately inside the piece. It's modal touch is a nice one, where space is used as proficiently as instrumental acumen. House on Hill closes with the slightly angular introduction of "Waiting for Eden," that moves through a series of arpeggiatic sleights of hand and into a full swinging post-bop melody. While this set is nowhere near as full of surprises as Day Is Done, it is nonetheless another chapter in the development of a singular composer and pianist. by Thom Jurek 

Tracklist:

1 August Ending 6:59

Brad Mehldau

2 House on Hill 8:13

Brad Mehldau

3 Bealtine 9:19

Brad Mehldau

4 Boomer 7:17

Brad Mehldau

5 Backyard 5:43

Brad Mehldau

6 Fear and Trembling 5:26

Brad Mehldau

7 Embers 8:07

Brad Mehldau

8 Happy Tune 8:53

Brad Mehldau

9 Waiting for Eden 7:32

Brad Mehldau

Credits:

Bass – Larry Grenadier

Drums – Jorge Rossy

Piano, Written-By – Brad Mehldau

BRAD MEHLDAU - Brad Mehldau Trio : Live (2008) 2xCD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Three years passed between the release of the Brad Mehldau's Day Is Done and this live outing. What's so significant about this is simply that the former record marked the debut of drummer Jeff Ballard, who had replaced longtime kitman Jorge Rossy. Ballard is a more physical, busier, and more energetic drummer, allowing for Mehldau and bassist Larry Grenadier to up the ante in terms of dynamic and rhythmic options. Day Is Done offered a number of wonderfully contrasting moments where Mehldau, a big pop music fan from all eras, wove a tapestry from Burt Bacharach and John Lennon to Nick Drake and Colin Greenwood, from Paul Simon to Chris Cheek, as well as inserting a few of his own compositions. House on Hill was released the following year, but the material preceded the arrival of Ballard and was recorded as part of the sessions for 2004's Anything Goes. This trio has also recorded with Pat Metheny on two dates in 2006 and 2007. This is the first live date to feature the group on its own, and it is a very healthy helping.

Comprised of two discs recorded at the Village Vanguard during a six-night stint in October of 2006, it showcases the many varied strengths of this already deeply intuitive group. Disc one staggers covers of popular tunes as disparate as Noel Gallagher's (of Oasis) "Wonderwall," Chico Buarque's classic "O Que Será," Chris Cornell's (of Soundgarden) "Black Hole Sun," and Ray Noble's gorgeous ballad "The Very Thought of You" with two of his own compositions. Disc two comes more directly out of the Mehldau songbook, wit three of his own tunes, a Jimmy Heath number, and a standard, and closes with a stunning reading of John Coltrane's "Countdown." The way the trio treats "Wonderwall," beginning with Grenadier and Ballard's funky soul-jazz bass and drum interaction before Mehldau enters the melody, cutting it with large helpings of the blues and soul, is killer. Sure, it has his trademark elegance, but it's the rearrangement of the number with its taut rhythmic groove while keeping the melody all but danceable that's the treat. The beautiful breakbeat and tom tom work by Ballard is uncluttered but it's extremely knotty and busy. The groove is at the center and he brings it home while Grenadier accents it constantly.

Contrast this with the next tune, the pianist's "Ruby's Rub," that swings right out of the gate, and yet the way Mehldau changes his sense of dynamics and time with sudden starts and stops, leaving that space for Ballard and Grenadier to adorn however sparsely, is what makes this such a modern work. The Buarque song is given an extrapolated treatment here as it switches from samba to bossa to funk and even modalism while never losing its lyric sensibility, and -- what may be the best thing here -- note the hand over hand soloing Mehldau does in the middle of the tune and have your breath taken away. "Black Hole Sun" is completely re-harmonized and its melody is ever present but it is an entirely different tune in the hands of the trio. Finally, disc one closes with the Noble ballad, offering a hint as to just how subtle this rhythm section can be. It offers this lithe, almost ethereal bottom that is nonetheless circular and firm, allowing those big spaces between Mehldau's solo lines the room to float right through and enter the listener as gracefully and emotionally honest as any singer.

Disc two kicks off with the bandleader's "Buddha Realm." It contains all of the deep rhythmic interplay that this trio does best. As the pianist articulates one of his knottier melodies with long lines that twist and turn inside themselves, Ballard double- and triple-times the band while rolling the ride cymbal enough for a solid pulse to come shimmering through. Grenadier follows both men, offering the middle ground between the flights of two brilliant soloists. It's exciting, innovative, and offers proof that piano jazz, or at least the true rubber-meets-the-road-jazz piano trio still has lots of tricks up its sleeve in the present day. This is genuinely new jazz, not just a showcase over a rhythm section. More evidence is on the Heath number "C.T.A.," where the hard bop charge roars from the starting line and becomes a multi-valent harmonic bank of ideas and extensive methodical and wire-walking creative articulations as Grenadier's tough solo indicates. The nearly 15-minute reading of Coltrane's "Count Down" makes great use of the energy of the original, but the knotty counterpoint solo Mehldau uses to open it is a throw off; a momentary feint. His opening volley of intensely pointed ranginess is worthy of Oscar Peterson. The solo is wildly inventive because the entire harmonic structure of the tune is in there, pushed to the brink by the deep register, right-hand chord voicings he employs that walk the line between stride and post-bop. When the rhythm section enters, the mood changes. It's still very quick and athletic, but it is brighter as well; colorful as well as dynamic and fast.

Live is deeply satisfying on all levels including the price point. Mehldau and Nonesuch have made the purchase of the double-disc set very attractive. Those new or curious about the trio will be astonished by what's here, pure and simple. For seasoned jazz fans and those of the pianist in particular, this is nothing short of total delight. by Thom Jurek

Tracklist 1 :

1 Introduction 0:14

2 Wonderwall 8:44  

Noel Gallagher

3 Ruby's Rub 13:07

Brad Mehldau

4 O Que Será 10:37

Chico Buarque

5 B-Flat Waltz 9:10

Brad Mehldau

6 Black Hole Sun 23:30

Chris Cornell

7 The Very Thought of You 13:03

Ray Noble

Tracklist 2 :

1 Buddha Realm 11:59

Brad Mehldau

2 Fit Cat 10:40

Brad Mehldau

3 Secret Beach 11:35

Brad Mehldau

4 C.T.A. 16:16

Jimmy Heath

5 More Than You Know 12:08

Edward Eliscu / Vincent Youmans

6 Countdown 14:56

John Coltrane

Credits:

Bass – Larry Grenadier

Drums – Jeff Ballard

Piano, Producer – Brad Mehldau

 

BRAD MEHLDAU - Highway Rider (2010) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Highway Rider is pianist and composer Brad Mehldau's second collaboration with enigmatic pop producer Jon Brion. The first was 2002's ambitious but tentative Largo. As a collaboration, The Highway Rider is much more confident by contrast. Mehldau’s most ambitious work to date, its 15 compositions are spread over two discs and 100 minutes. His trio --bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard -- is augmented by saxophonist Joshua Redman, drummer Matt Chamberlain, and a chamber orchestra conducted by Dan Coleman. The album is a narrative jazz suite, orchestrated and arranged by Mehldau, though it has much in common with classical and pop music, as well. 

The group settings range from solo to quintet, with and without strings, all of it recorded live in studio. Redman's addition is welcome. “Don’t Be Sad” features his consoling tenor, Mehldau (on pump organ and piano), Grenadier, and both drummers with orchestra. It begins as a piano solo, languidly establishing a pace that begins to swing with gospel overtones. Later, Redman's lower-register blowing, strings, and winds carry it out joyfully. Brion adds drum‘n’bass overtones to the trio on the title track. The electronics are a narrative device designating motion; they accompany the gradually assertive knottiness in the post-bop lyric. Mehldau begins “The Falcon Will Fly Again” with a complex solo that touches on Latin grooves, even as Chamberlain and Ballard create an organic loop effect with hand percussion. Redman's soprano creates a contrapuntal melody extending the harmonic dialogue. Disc two’s lengthy “We’ll Cross the River Together” has quintet and orchestra engaging in a beautiful study of texture, color, and expansive harmonics with wildly divergent dynamics. It showcases Mehldau’s trademark pianistic elegance in counterpoint. Redman's deep blues tenor nearly weeps on “Sky Turning Grey (For Elliot Smith).” “Capriccio’'s Latin rhythms contrast ideally: Mehldau’s classical, gently dissonant motifs create an exploratory harmonic palette as Redman’s magnetic soprano playing joins Mehldau's in the last third, anchoring the complex melody. The closer, “Always Returning,” builds to a climax that incorporates themes from the cycle. Redman and Mehldau soar with the orchestra before they all close it in a whispering tone poem. By combining sophisticated -- yet accessible -- forms with jazz improvisation, The Highway Rider exceeds all expectations, giving jazz-classical crossover a good name for a change. It is Mehldau’s most ambitious, creatively unfettered, and deeply emotional work to date, and will stand as a high watermark in his catalog. by Thom Jurek

Tracklist 1 :

1  John Boy 3:15
Brad Mehldau 
2  Don't Be Sad 8:40
Brad Mehldau 

3  At the Tollbooth 1:07 

Brad Mehldau 

4  Highway Rider 7:45 

Brad Mehldau 

5  The Falcon Will Fly Again 8:21 

Brad Mehldau 

6  Now You Must Climb Alone 4:05 

Brad Mehldau 

7  Walking the Peak 8:00 

Brad Mehldau 

Tracklist 2 :

1  We'll Cross the River Together 12:28
Brad Mehldau 

2  Capriccio 5:20 

Brad Mehldau 

3  Sky Turning Grey [For Elliot Smith] 6:24 

Brad Mehldau 

4  Into the City 7:36 

Brad Mehldau 

5  Old West 8:28 

Brad Mehldau 

6  Come with Me 6:19 

Brad Mehldau 

7  Always Departing 6:20 

Brad Mehldau 

8  Always Returning 9:52 

Brad Mehldau 
Credits:
Bassoon [Orchestra] – Andrew Radford (tracks: 1-2, 1-6 to 2-1, 2-7, 2-8) 
Cello [Orchestra, Principal] – Timothy Landauer (tracks: 1-2, 1-6 to 2-1, 2-7, 2-8) 
Cello [Orchestra] – Armen Ksajikian (tracks: 1-2, 1-6 to 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Cecilia Tsan (tracks: 1-2, 1-6, 1-7), Martha Lippi (tracks: 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Rudolph Stein (tracks: 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Stefanie Fife (tracks: 1-2, 1-6 to 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Trevor Handy (tracks: 1-2, 1-6, 1-7) 
Composed By, Arranged By, Orchestrated By – Brad Mehldau
Conductor [Orchestra] – Dan Coleman (tracks: 1-1, 1-2, 1-6 to 2-1, 2-7, 2-8) 
Contrabassoon [Orchestra] – Allen Savedoff (tracks: 1-6 to 2-1, 2-7, 2-8) 
Contractor [Orchestra] – Suzie Katayama
Double Bass [Bass, Orchestra, Principal] – Michael Valerio (tracks: 1-6, 1-7), Sue Ranney (tracks: 2-1, 2-7, 2-8) 
Double Bass [Bass, Orchestra] – David Stone (tracks: 1-6, 1-7), Ed Meares (tracks: 1-6, 1-7), Oscar Hidalgo (tracks: 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Timothy Eckert (tracks: 2-1, 2-7, 2-8) 
Double Bass [Bass] – Larry Grenadier (tracks: 1-2, 1-4, 1-7, 2-1, 2-3, 2-4, 2-6, 2-8) 
Drums – Jeff Ballard (tracks: 1-7, 2-1, 2-4, 2-6, 2-8), Matt Chamberlain (tracks: 1-2, 1-4, 1-7, 2-3, 2-8) 
Horn [Orchestra, Principal] – Brian O'Connor (tracks: 1-2, 1-6, 1-7), Steven Becknell (tracks: 1-1, 2-1, 2-7, 2-8) 
Horn [Orchestra] – Dan Kelley (tracks: 1-1, 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), John Reynolds (tracks: 1-6, 1-7), Mark Adams (tracks: 1-1, 1-6, 1-7), Phillip Yao (tracks: 1-1, 2-1, 2-7, 2-8) 
Leader [Orchestra] – Dan Coleman
Percussion – Jeff Ballard (tracks: 1-1, 1-5, 2-1, 2-2), Matt Chamberlain (tracks: 1-5, 2-1, 2-2) 
Piano – Brad Mehldau (tracks: 1-1 to 1-5, 1-7 to 2-6, 2-8) 
Soprano Saxophone – Joshua Redman (tracks: 1-1, 1-5, 2-2, 2-5, 2-6, 2-8) 
Tenor Saxophone – Joshua Redman (tracks: 1-2, 1-7, 2-1, 2-3) 
Viola [Orchestra, Principal] – Bob Becker (tracks: 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Roland Kato (tracks: 1-2, 1-6, 1-7) 
Viola [Orchestra] – Andrew Duckles (tracks: 1-2, 1-6, 1-7), Andrew Picken (tracks: 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Carole Kleister-Castillo (tracks: 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Denyse Buffum (tracks: 1-2, 1-6, 1-7), Qiang (John) Wang (tracks: 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Matt Funes (tracks: 1-2, 1-6 to 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Victoria Miskolczy (tracks: 1-2, 1-6, 1-7) 
Violin [Orchestra] – Alyssa Park (tracks: 1-2, 1-6, 1-7), Robert Peterson (tracks: 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Caroline Campbell (tracks: 1-2, 1-6 to 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Dorian Cheah (tracks: 1-2, 1-6 to 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Gerardo Hilera (tracks: 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Jacqueline Brand (tracks: 1-2, 1-6, 1-7), Josefina Vergara (tracks: 1-2, 1-6, 1-7), Julian Hallmark (tracks: 1-2, 1-6 to 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Michele Richards (tracks: 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Natalie Leggett (tracks: 1-2, 1-6, 1-7), Philip Vaiman (tracks: 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Sara Parkins (tracks: 1-2, 1-6 to 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), Tereza Stanislav (tracks: 1-2, 1-6, 1-7), Vladimir Polimatidi (tracks: 2-1, 2-7, 2-8) 
Violin [Orchestra], Concertmaster – Charlie Bisharat (tracks: 1-2, 1-6 to 2-1, 2-7, 2-8)