Home » Jazz Articles » Joel Frahm with Brad Mehldau: Don

Joel Frahm with Brad Mehldau: Don

By C. Michael Bailey
January 14, 2004
Sign in to view read count

Jazz in small spaces is always provocative: the smaller the band, the greater in intimacy. That is not to say that the solo performance is the most intimate setting for jazz, though. The solo performance is by its very nature dense and narcissistic. While certainly emotional, solitude is not about interaction between musicians, only action and reaction of musician and instrument. This circumstance is very well illustrated in pianist Bill Evans' two solo recordings for Milestone, Solo Sessions, Volume 1 and 2.

The jazz duo, on the other hand, is the very definition of intimate. Piano/saxophone combinations are very appealing, some of the better ones being Art Pepper and George Cables’ Going Home and Tete a Tete ; Frank Morgan and George Cables’ Double Image ; and Jon Gordon and Bill Charlap’s Contrasts. For his third Palmetto release, saxophonist Joel Frahm has teamed up with Brad Mehldau for a frank musical conversation that belongs in the company of the above reed-piano duets.

Brad Mehldau is a pianist with the all of the introverted lyricism of Bill Evans, but many fold more intellectual in approach. He serves Mr. Frahm as a sparing partner very effectively, playing the straight man to Frahm’s sinewy, muscular lines. Don’t Explain collects nine standards and a single original. Monk’s "’Round Midnight" is offered in two takes, the first being "#3," clocking in at 4:39, and presented as if Stan Getz was practicing his scales over the Monk changes and adding bebop giving way to post bop. The second offering, "#1," is a seven-minute tome a bit closer to Monk’s spirit. This pair does really interesting and inventive things with this classic.

That inventiveness spills over into Sonny’s "Oleo," Ornette’s "Turnaround," and the Beatles’ "Mother Nature Son." The sum total of all of these parts is a beautifully rendered conversation between two musicians at the top of their respective games.

For more information, please visit Palmetto Records on the web.

Track Listing

Don't Explain, Get Happy, Oleo, Round Midnight #3, Mother Nature's Son, East Of The Sun, Turnaround, Away From Home, Smile, Round Midnight #1.

Personnel

Joel Frahm

Album information

Title: Don | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Palmetto Records

Post a comment about this album

FOR THE LOVE OF JAZZ

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.