Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Brad Mehldau: Art Of The Trio 4: Back At The Vanguard

Brad Mehldau: Art Of The Trio 4: Back At The Vanguard

By John Sharpe
December 1, 1999
View read count

Brad Mehldau: Art Of The Trio 4: Back At The Vanguard

In the liner notes for this fourth installment of Mehldau's Art Of The Trio series, Brad takes issue with the fact that many critics have compared his trio with that of Bill Evans. Well, critics are always looking for stylistic references to hang their hats on and I happened to agree with reviewers when they made those comparisons. However, Mehldau and his trio have changed and evolved since his early recordings and have now established their own, unique voice. Brad Mehldau, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, have developed a telepathic rapport that allows them to reach into the heart of each composition and explore it in a remarkably complex manner. Along with three Mehldau originals, the repertoire on Back At The Vanguard consists of an eclectic mix of jazz standards and pop tunes. The group also reprises and expands on two tunes that first appeared on Vol. 3 of this series, "Sehnsucht" and "Exit Music (For A Film)." Through it all Mehldau constantly toys with familiar melodies, tinkers with meter and tempo and amazes with a steady stream of inspired improvisations.

Personnel

Brad Mehldau

piano

Album information

Title: The Art Of The Trio - Volume 4 - Back At The Vanguard | Year Released: 1999 | Record Label: Warner Bros. Records

About Brad Mehldau

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Holiday Music '99
< Previous

Sun Ra Arkestra Directed by Marshall...
Next >

Brad Mehldau Concerts

Nov 7 Sat

Brad Mehldau @ Enjoy Jazz

Kongresshaus Stadthalle Heidelberg
Heidelberg, Germany

Dec 4 Fri

Brad Mehldau @ Salle Cortot

Salle Cortot
Paris, France

Feb 27 Sat

Brad Mehdlau @ Alte Oper

Alte Oper
Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Mar 2 Tue

Brad Mehldau Fourteen Reveries @ Isar Philharmonic

Isarphilharmonie
München, Germany

Apr 11 Sun

Brad Mehldau Trio

Neptune Theatre
Seattle, WA

Become a Sustaining Member

Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.

Help Build the Future of All About Jazz

Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.

Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.

Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.