Description

The pianist Brad Mehldau has led this iteration of his pace-setting trio since 2005, and it has evolved into a graceful powerhouse, equally savvy about groove and harmony. New York Times

Three musicians who share a common aesthetic in which gestures are stated softly and with utmost subtlety. When music-making becomes this transparent, listeners can relish details of texture and voicing. Chicago Tribune

Nonesuch Records releases the Brad Mehldau Trios Seymour Reads The Constitution!. The pianist and his longtime trio, which includes drummer Jeff Ballard and bassist Larry Grenadier, perform three Mehldau originals combined with interpretations of pop songs (Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson), jazz tunes (Elmo Hope, Sam Rivers), and one work from the American songbook (Frederick Loewes Almost Like Being in Love).

The Trios previous release, Blues And Ballads (2016), received critical acclaim, with the Guardian saying, Mehldau is a genius (and a still-improving one) at taking predictable materials to unpredictable destinations. These are old songs subjected to an old jazz method, but brought scintillatingly into the here and now. Mehldau released the solo album After Bach earlier this year; it comprises the pianist/composers recordings of four preludes and one fugue from J.S. Bachs Well-Tempered Clavier, each followed by an After Bach piece written by Mehldau and inspired by its WTC mate. The Financial Times said of After Bach, As each piece gathers momentum, fresh melodies emerge, change shape and are developed anew over voicings that shimmer, fade and rumble to a peak. And, following Bach, Mehldaus improvisations unfold with an iron inner logic, a reminder that Bach, in his day, was admired more for his abilities as an improviser than for his written scripts.

Brad Mehldaus Nonesuch debut was the 2004 solo disc Live in Tokyo. He has released six other albums with his trio: House On Hill, Day Is Done, Brad Mehldau Trio Live, Ode, Where Do You Start, and Blues And Ballads. His collaborative records on the label include Love Sublime, Highway Rider, Metheny Mehldau, Metheny Mehldau Quartet, Modern Music, Mehliana: Taming the Dragon, Nearness with Joshua Redman, and Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau. His additional solo albums on Nonesuch include Live In Marciac and the eight-LP/four-CD 10 Years Solo Live, which the New York Times says contains some of the most impressive pianism he has captured on record.