Jazz Articles about Brad Mehldau

M.T.B.: MTB - Consenting Adults

by C. Andrew Hovan
June 1, 2000

One has to wonder why it took over five years for this 1994 recording to make its debut. Certainly the quality is up to Criss Cross standards and the spirit of the session is unquestionably robust. Still, now that Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner, and Peter Bernstein (the first letters of their last names gives us M.T.B.) have become more established artists, this peek at an earlier effort is sure to initiate some lively discussion. In the cases of Turner and ...

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

by John Sharpe
December 1, 1999

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 ...

Brad Mehldau: Elegiac Cycle; Art of the Trio 4: Back at the Vanguard

by David Adler
November 1, 1999

Some jazz musicians warn against excessive talk and analysis, insisting that the music be allowed to speak for itself. Brad Mehldau does not belong to this school of thought. Reading his self-authored, exhaustive (exhausting?) liner notes to both these albums, a critic might be tempted to throw up his hands and conclude that nothing more can possibly be said. These mini-essays constitute some of the heaviest music criticism you’re likely to read anywhere. But count on Mehldau to put his ...

Brad Mehldau: The Art of the Trio, Vol. 3: Songs

by Larry Koenigsberg
December 1, 1998

The newly renowned pianist, returning to the studio for this, his fourth American release, avoids the lengthy cadenzas which were an unusual, prominent and exciting feature of his last recording. He retains another of his distinguishing stylistic characteristics, though: witness the bravura counterpoint passage during his solo in “Unrequited."

That said, the essential difference between this and the earlier, live date is in the frequently melancholy tone of Songs. There's some of the excitement which Mehldau brought to his Village ...

Brad Mehldau: The Art of The Trio: Volume Two

by John Sharpe
May 1, 1998

Recorded live at New York's famous Village Vanguard, Art of The Trio, Vol. 2 is full of surprises and curious delights. Mehldau first came to prominence as a sideman in Joshua Redman's quartet but lately this classically trained pianist has garnered rave reviews on his own. His greatest influence has to be the late Bill Evans and when he applies his soft touch and interpretive skills to a familiar melody, comparisons are inevitable. Bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy ...