Search - Brad Mehldau :: The Art Of The Trio, Vol. 4 - Back At The Vanguard

Needs Editing in music and words

andre salz | Quakertown, Pennsylvania USA | 10/20/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I have been following Brad Mehldau's music through recordings from the start and recommended to a friend of mine that she see him at the Vanguard when the present recording was made. The young firebrand is always a healthy thing in art but when its end product is technique for its own sake, that's a step backward. For me that's what is going on here, there are wonderfull moments, but too many notes, too much posturing. The player is not lost in the music. Miles once said to a fellow horn man "to much trumpet and not enough mucic", that about sums it up for me. A note must be added on the liner notes and Mehldau's "I am not Bill Evans" sthick. In spite of Ahmad Jamal, Wynton Kelly and his trio etc... It's obvious that the modern jazz piano trio was reinvented by Evans, Lafarro and Motian. Every trio after is influenced by those Vanguard recordings and if you don't want to be influenced, certainly do not include Solar which was a feature of the Evans trio."

A New Voice

Thomas C. Zink | Long Beach, CA USA | 05/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a working Jazz pianist myself, I can only say that Brad Mehldau does everything I dream of, and even more that I've never imagined. With this album in particular, he seems to ascend to even greater heights in his imaginative treatment of both standards and original pieces. "All the Things You Are" in 7/4 is worth (many times over) the price of the CD for the solo playing of each of the members, as well as their trio interaction. I've never heard 7/4 actually swing in such an amazing way. Mehldau's original pieces are beautiful and at times haunting, and it seems that each time he records a song, he and the trio are able to bring something entirely new to the musical table. Not just new solos, but a new approach and freshness rarely heard on even the first outing of compositions for most groups. After probably 40 complete listenings, I can honestly say that the disk is still fresh and (awe) inspiring."

A Great CD For Anyone

Gal Granov (galg@bigfoot.com) | 12/11/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The reviewer from Philadelphia should come back down to earth. According to the "reviewer", only the "serious" listener and musician should purchase this CD, it is not for the "novice". DO NOT LET THIS SNOBBERY DISUADE YOU. Mehldau is a truly gifted musician, and this, his fourth volume in The Art of the Trio, is arguably as good as the others. The Trio was definitely "on" this night. Each track is truly a joy to hear, and will give you hours of listening pleasure as you will hear different nuances with each listen. I only wish I could have been there that night. So, if you are familiar with Mehldau, and happen to be a "serious" jazz listener, buy this CD. If you are not, and are simply a "novice" jazz listener, buy this CD, you will not be disappointed in either case."