- Brad Mehldau
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Brad Mehldau 
Background information Born August 23, 1970 Origin Jacksonville, Florida, United States Genres Post-bop, jazz Occupations Pianist, Composer Instruments Piano Years active 1993–present Associated acts Brad Mehldau Trio, Pat Metheny, Joshua Redman Brad Mehldau (born August 23, 1970) is an American jazz pianist. Besides leading his own group, the Brad Mehldau Trio, he has performed with many renowned artists, including Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, Larry Grenadier, Peter Bernstein, Jeff Ballard, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride, Michael Brecker, Chris Potter, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Brian Blade, Jimmy Cobb, classical vocalists Renée Fleming[1] and Anne Sofie von Otter,[1] and singer-songwriters Chris Thile and John Mayer.
Contents
Biography
Mehldau was born Bradford Alexander Mehldau in 1970 in Jacksonville, Florida.[2] His family moved to Connecticut where Mehldau spent most of his childhood and high school. He attended William H. Hall High School in West Hartford and participated in Hall's prestigious jazz program. While a sophomore in high school, he won Berklee College's Best All-Around Musician Award. Mehldau moved to New York in 1988 to study jazz at The New School, studying under Fred Hersch, Junior Mance and Kenny Werner, and also playing with Jimmy Cobb.[citation needed] He went on to play as sideman with a variety of musicians, most importantly with the Joshua Redman quartet, before forming his own trio in 1994, with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, and later Jeff Ballard, who succeeded Rossy in 2005. In addition to his trio work, Mehldau collaborated with guitarist Pat Metheny, releasing two albums with him and embarking on a worldwide tour along with Grenadier and Ballard.
Recording primarily for Nonesuch Records, Mehldau plays original compositions, jazz standards and jazz arrangements of popular music, especially rock music. With his trio, he has recorded arrangements of the music of Nick Drake, The Beatles, Radiohead and Paul Simon among others, and recorded Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" on his 2008 album, Live. Mehldau has also expressed an interest in and knowledge of philosophy, in particular of music and art. He has played and recorded solo and with co-leaders Peter Bernstein, Mark Turner, Charlie Haden, Charles Lloyd, Pat Metheny and others. In 2004, Mehldau toured with Kurt Rosenwinkel and Joshua Redman.
He cites Larry Goldings, Kevin Hays, Peter Bernstein, Mark Turner, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jesse Davis, David Sánchez and the other members of his own trio as influences.[3] He implements his classical training by often playing a separate melody with each hand in unusual rhythmic meters. For example, he plays his arrangement of Jerome Kern's standard "All the Things You Are" on Art of the Trio, Vol. IV in A major (a half-step up from the original key, A-flat major) played in 7/4 time. On Day Is Done, he also plays Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" in 7/4. Another of Mehldau's signature techniques is to create an ostinato in his right hand whilst developing a motivic idea in his left hand (e.g. on "Live in Tokyo", during the last three minutes of "Someone to Watch Over Me", where he keeps a constant A pedal).
Mehldau cherishes Brazilian music, citing Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque and Simone.
In August 2010 Mehldau joined John Mayer on stage at the Hollywood Bowl for a short duo set. Their set included "Bittersweet Symphony", "Can't Find My Way Home", "Going To California", and "The Wind Cries Mary".
Mehldau is married to Dutch jazz vocalist Fleurine, with whom he has recorded and toured extensively. He speaks (more or less) fluent Dutch.
Music Sheets
- in 2003, the american publisher Hal Leonard released a collection of 6 titles (Bewitched, I Didn't Know What Time It Was, Nobody Else but Me, Prelude to a Kiss, Sehnsucht, Unrequited) transcribing the piano part of pieces played in trio.
- in 2011, the french publisher Outre Mesure released in both english and french the complete transcription note for note of Elegiac Cycle, his first solo album, and some musical commentaries by Philippe André, the original manuscript “lead sheets” of Brad Mehldau and a long and recent interview by Ludovic Florin about the genesis of the record and where the musician stands with it now.
Discography
As leader
- Introducing Brad Mehldau (1995)
- The Art of the Trio, Vol. I (1997)
- The Art of the Trio, Vol. II — Live At The Village Vanguard (1997)
- The Art of the Trio, Vol. III — Songs (1998)
- Elegiac Cycle (1999)
- The Art of the Trio, Vol. IV — Back At The Vanguard (1999)
- Places (2000)
- The Art of the Trio, Vol. V — Progression (2001)
- Largo (2002)
- Anything Goes (2004)
- Live in Tokyo — solo piano (2004)
- Day is Done (trio) (2005)
- House on Hill (trio) (2006)
- Live (trio) (2008)
- Highway Rider (2010)
- Live in Marciac (solo 2CD+DVD) (2011)
As co-leader
- New York-Barcelona Crossing Volume 1 (1993) Mehldau, Rossy, Rossy, Sambeat
- New York-Barcelona Crossing Volume 2 (1993) Mehldau, Rossy, Rossy, Sambeat
- When I Fall In Love (1993) Mehldau & Rossy Trio
- Consenting Adults (1994) Mehldau, Turner, Bernstein, Grenadier, Parker
- Alone Together (1997) Mehldau, Haden, Konitz
- Another Shade of Blue (1999) Mehldau, Haden, Konitz
- Close Enough For Love (1999) Fleurine
- Don't Explain (2004) Joel Frahm, Brad Mehldau
- Love Sublime (2006) Brad Mehldau, Renée Fleming
- Metheny/Mehldau (2006) Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny
- Metheny Mehldau Quartet (2007) Mehldau, Metheny, Grenadier, Ballard
- Love Songs (2010) Brad Mehldau, Anne Sofie Von Otter
- Live at Birdland (2011) Mehldau, Haden, Konitz, Motian
- Modern Music (2011) Kevin Hays, Mehldau, comp. Patrick Zimmerli
As sideman
- A Good Thing (1992) - Allen Mezquida
- Downtown Sounds (1992 Criss Cross Jazz) saxophonist Grant Stewart
- Moodswing (1994) - Joshua Redman
- Moving In (1996, Concord) - Chris Potter
- Timeless Tales for Changing Times (1998) - Joshua Redman
- 12 Bar Blues (1998, Atlantic) - Scott Weiland
- Vine (1999, FSNT) - Chris Cheek
- The Water Is Wide (2000, ECM) - Charles Lloyd
- Hyperion With Higgins (2001, ECM) - Charles Lloyd
- Works For Me (2001, Verve) - John Scofield
- American Dreams (2002, Verve) - Charlie Haden with Michael Brecker
- Man of Many Colors (2002, Criss Cross Jazz) - Walt Weiskopf
- Alegria (2003, Verve) - Wayne Shorter
- Like a Dream (2004, CryptoGramophone) - Darek Oleszkiewicz
- Deep Song (2005, Verve) - Kurt Rosenwinkel
- Blues Cruise (2005, FSNT) - Chris Cheek
- Pilgrimage (2006, Telarc) - Michael Brecker
- With All My Heart (2004, BMG Music) - Harvey Mason
- San Francisco (2008, Sunny Side Records) - Fleurine
- Not by Chance (2009, Anzic Records) - Joe Martin
- Israeli Song (2010, Anzic Records) - Eli Degibri
Soundtracks
- Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
- Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
- Space Cowboys (2000)
- Million Dollar Hotel (2000)
- Ma Femme Est une Actrice (2001)
- "Unfaithful" (2002)
- Mehldau's "When It Rains", the opening track on Largo (2002), and "Young at Heart" appear in the 2006 film The Lake House but not on the accompanying soundtrack itself.
TV Appearances as performer
SOLOS: The Jazz Sessions[4] (2004)
See also
References
- ^ a b http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/press/press_release/111702.html
- ^ http://www.bradmehldau.com/content/music/pdf/mackenzie.pdf
- ^ Brannon, Mike. "Brad Mehldau's Opening, Middle and Endgame". http://www.jazzreview.com/articledetails.cfm?ID=2318. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
- ^ http://www.solosjazz.com/a_brad.php
External links
Categories:- Post-bop pianists
- People from Jacksonville, Florida
- People from West Hartford, Connecticut
- American jazz pianists
- 1970 births
- Living people
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