BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO

Brad Mehldau piano
Larry Grenadier double bass
Jeff Ballard drums

1.30 h (w/out intermission)
www.bradmehldau.com
photo ©Michael Wilson

Brad Mehldau is among the most celebrated and influential figures in contemporary jazz, and for many the best pianist. He has recorded and performed extensively since the early 1990s, and even though his career features numerous and diverse collaborations, one thing about it that has been invariably solid since 1995 is his alliance with Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard, which has resulted in almost a dozen sensational albums. In fact, it seems that the Grammy Award-winning pianist feels more comfortable and fertile in a trio format. It matters little whether he is compared to Bill Evans or Keith Jarrett for his sensitivity or virtuosity. Or that Anne Sofie Von Otter, Renée Fleming, Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden and Joshua Redman brighten up their CVs as necessary accomplices. In the end, the alchemy that ignites when his piano blends with Grenadier's bass and Ballard's drums is unbeatable.
There are two sides to Mehldau's musical personality: on one hand he is an improviser who cherishes the surprise and wonder that can occur from a spontaneous musical idea that is expressed directly, in real time; but on the other, he also has a deep fascination for the formal architecture of music, which influences all of his performances. The effect is often something like controlled chaos, a guarantee of unaffected lyricism with faultless live performances that are overwhelming, completely captivating the spectator.

Music TERRAL 2023