Search - Brad Mehldau :: Places

Mehldau: with each recording growing to dazzling heights!

michael fisher | New York | 09/08/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The year 2000 has brought Mehldau fans three real treats, as this artist continues to grow and develop himself to dazzling heights. "Places" is his third output this year, after the recent above mentioned great Charles Lloyd record where he shows his skills as a sideman, and the exquisite duo recording he produced with beautiful European vocalist Fleurine on Verve (available only on amazon.co.uk thusfar) where he displays uncanny skills as an arranger for strings, besides a deep commitment and interplay with the vocal.This third release shows the versatile Mehldau wearing two different hats again, conversing with himself, on about half of the tracks, and communicating with his trio on a selection of breathtaking originals. The compositions are all outstanding,and have a haunting quality. Little bits and pieces of each song reappear in the subsequent tracks, yet each composition really stands on its own. He named the tracks after the Places where the compositions where written, but stresses in his most interesting linernotes that these titles do not reflect on those Places in particular. His writing is as interesting as his musical universe which is uniquely his. The solo pieces are intense, while drummer Jorge Rossy and bassist Larry Grenadier's playing is equally fresh and original. This Trio already sounded different right from the gate, but by now, after their famous Art of the Trio series, they prove to have an almost telephatic communication that sets them apart from any piano Trio, past or present. Places is an absolute must-have!"

Amazing!

michael fisher | 09/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an exceptional out pouring of original compositions from Brad Mehldau. "Paris" is one of the few recordings in this world, bearing that name, that actually capture the subtle passion, and dominating essence of one of the world's finest cities. Brad's playing is melancholic and patient and enough to carry you through an entire evening totally encapsulated by his piano without ever noticing it is there. Along with keith Jarrett's The Melody At Night With You, John McArthur's, "HIDDEN" and Lyle Mays, "Solo Improvisations for Expanded Piano" this is one of the greatest solo piano albums in the last ten years. Get it. It will live with you for a long time. And take you to places you will feel like you have always known."

Bradstones

Alessio Filippetti | Goleta, Ca USA | 09/12/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Places is an extraordinary and revolutionary musical exploration. In my opinion, it's the work of an inspired genius. The music here has no boundaries, and cannot be cast in any conventional category. Jazz, classic, pop ballads, everything is mixtured in 13 astounding lyrical performances alternating solo piano and trio (as usual, Larry Granadier is on bass and Jorge Rossy on drums). With respect to the introverted and romantic Elegiac Cycle, in Places the solos are more diverse, and display a full range of colors, alternating introspection and fury, classicism and swing. Particularly shining for deepness and emotionality, Los Angeles 2 starts with a swinging and fascinating tune sustained by a kind of funky beat, and then suddenly evolves towards a haunting, avant-gardistic crescendo, built up on left-hand arpeggios of impressive complexity. Airport sadness is a romantic manifesto of longness and solitude that might stand among the best Chopin preludes. But the absolute highlight is Paris, a piece of trascendental beauty. It starts with a deep, delicate melody, that continuously grows and expands until exploding into a shocking, rock-classical arpeggio (a mix of Radiohead and Rachmaninoff...). Among the trio-pieces, Los Angeles is the main theme of the whole CD, opening and closing it, delicately surfacing time to time. All the pieces worth the best of the Art-of-the-trio series, As usual, the trio sings like just one, totally recognizable, voice. Traditional long solos are almost completely absent, instead the music line is constructed (and deconstructed) by continuous exchanges that never let you guess what will be the next step, and give the players unlimited possibilities of improvisation. I think Brad Mehldau is bringing piano jazz to a peak never reached before, and this CD is destined to be a milestone."