Search - Brad Mehldau :: Art of Trio 1

Wonderful. Made with the craft of older jazz

rash67 | USA | 05/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Simply wonderful. in Art of the Trio Volume 1 Brad Mehldau clearly seems to inherit the cloak of the marvelous Bill Evans, argueably, the best Jazz pianist of all time. The song are deep lyrical, just beautiful. Expressions of true emotion. His bass player Paul Grenadier meshes well, placing emphasis and pushing back where needed without seeming to get into turf battles (as sometimes happened with Evans) and Jorge Rossy drums are also perfect. A well oiled machine.The best stuff here is the standards: "Blame it on my Youth", "I didn't know What Time it Was", the bouncy "Nobody Else but Me" and "Blackbird" (I always wonder why Jazz groups don't work more with the lyrical Beatle melodies, as Jazz musicians of the past used the pop melodies of Cole Porter, and Gershwin?). But the best of all is the heart wrenching, slow "I Fall in Love Too Easily". It takes courage to publicly display this kind of deep sadness (it isn't just a tempo). There must have been a failed love affair somewhere...The original songs are, well, not up to the level of the standards, but what can you expect? They're new. It's really it's a great record from beginning to end. Despite some sad songs, the Trio genuinely seems to be enjoying themselves in playing! Well recorded, good harmonics on the piano. I would love to see Brad and the Trio make another CD this good!"

Good Choice of Compositions

nowhereman | America | 06/05/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I saw Brad Mehldau perform at the Nice Jazz Festival, and I can therefore attest to the power this trio wields when they perform.That being said, this is one of the more interesting albums in his catalogue. The reason for this is that this album, the first installment in his "Art of the Trio" recordings, perfectly manifests both Mehldau's gift for interpreting jazz standards as well as writing interesting, original compositions. In concert, the trio will blend songs from both categories into fascinating medleys. Here the songs are sequenced well, and you begin to grasp the depth of Mehldau's influences. I would recommend this recording as an ideal introduction to one of the most genuine and interesting artists in jazz today."

Well-rounded introduction to a hugely talented pianist

Micah Newman | Fort Worth, TX United States | 03/14/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Being an aficionado of the jazz piano trio, I knew I had to try out some Brad Mehldau sooner or later, and decided to start with this one, Art of the Trio vol. 1. And I am really impressed with the balance, sensitivity, and flexibility of Mehldau as well as his cohorts, Larry Grenadier on bass (who also provided very admirable support with Pat Metheny's '99-'00 trio) and Jorge Rossy on drums. Rossy's playing is perfect for this setting--sensitive, and unfailingly imaginative. I really enjoy listening to Larry Grenadier: lovely tone, great support. And Mehldau -- he coaxes colors and shapes from the keyboard; painting, and weaving, and singing too.There's a good mix of songs here, between standards, Mehldau's own sober, intelligent originals, and a commercially-appealing read on a "modern" pop tune, the Beatles' "Blackbird."A defining moment happened when I first played this CD--the sensitivity and skill of this trio lulled me almost into a hypnagogic state, and in "Mignon's Song," I heard so many ideas going on that by the time it was the next song, I looked at the track reference and was almost shocked that only one song had gone by. That, to me, says something. Yup--I'll definitely be scooping up the rest of the Art of the Trio albums."