Brad Mehldau
The Art Of The Trio 4 : Back At The Vanguard
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Brad Mehldau
The Art Of The Trio 4 : Back At The Vanguard
Warner Bros., 1999
RiYL: Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett |
The Art Of The Trio 4 : Back At The Vanguard epitomizes what Meldhau has been saying musically for a while, both in his sense of style and sheer approach to the piano. His tight ensemble, featuring Larry Grenadier on bass and Jorge Rossy on drums, plays an appetizing assortment of tunes, recorded throughout a week's worth of Jan. 1999 shows at New York's Village Vanguard. As the trio plugs in and tunes (yes, you hear them doing so), "All The Things You Are" begins with a piano solo in 7/4 time. Meldhau pulls off this unlikely opener with ease and completely sets the level of musicianship that envelops the entire album.
The expressive "Sehnsucht," an original, lends itself to the pianist's warm approach. On "Nice Pass," listeners are treated to the essence of trio interplay. Meldhau's solos blanket the group's sustained tone, frequently rising and falling according to their leader's direction. This 17-minute adventure displays how incredibly tight the ensemble is, through changes in tempo and meter. Rossy's drumming is simply impeccable. With nothing more than a five-piece kit and a few cymbals, he adds color by playing with his hands, as well as sticks and brushes.
The trio swings hard on Miles Davis' "Solar," a definite highlight of the album. Here it is easiest to see how the group drives in the most elemental way: straight swing. There is a total and undeniable communication between all three members. "London Blues" presents the more up-tempo side of the group's repertoire, where Mehldau has no fear in handing off the first solo to his capable bass player.
The inclusion of Radiohead's "Exit Music (For A Film)" may surprise some, but the track actually appeared already on Meldhau's Songs: The Art Of The Trio -- Volume 3. Mehldau's approach to this gorgeous tune gives another meaning to artistic interpretation. Classically trained, Mehldau serves it great justice by making it his own. A well-proportioned tension conjures his mood, like a great classical pianist.
The liner notes complement the music nicely. Mehldau writes an exceptionally insightful essay about his own perception among the jazz community, as well as his innermost thoughts on jazz. "Part of the brazen quality of a music that puts improvisation at its center is that it simply did not care enough to write a text, and that not caring became its strength," he writes. "I locate my personal aesthetic for jazz in that strength: it basks in the human capability to grab at the transcendental with immediacy, free of the usual trial and error of art."
Well said.
JEN APPEL |