2008 Woodie Awards
Same Club, Different Set: The Brad Mehldau Quartet at the Village Vanguard
Brian O'Connor
Issue date: 10/6/04 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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In the historic Village Vanguard, the Brad Mehldau Quartet grooved, pounded, and meandered through a set last Wednesday that portrayed not only the reason behind his notoriety within the jazz community, but also the power of music.
In what is described as the "Carnegie Hall of jazz clubs," the frequently performing quartet filled the dimly lit hall with veritable hailstorms of notes, pounding melodies, and haunting solos. Mehldau's playing style embodies the essence of the Vanguard; deeply rooted in the techniques of former pianists, classical musicians, and the hard bop of the 1950s, Mehldau piles eccentricity upon history creating a sound that is recognizable to past achievements but is completely erratic and original in its own right.
Before gracing the oldest surviving jazz club in Manhattan, Mehldau began his career as a sojourn from the classical piano style he learned throughout his early years. As a teenager, he played in the reputable Hall High School Jazz Band. While a junior in high school, he won the prestigious All-Around Musician award from the Berklee School of music in Massachusetts. After high school, he went on to study at the New School for Social Research in New York City. Upon his departure from New England, Mehldau began infusing modern rock with the music of the Bill Evans trio, creating a sound that expanded the parameters of jazz, and garnered him respect within the jazz community. After he completed his studies with the jazz giants Fred Hersch, Junior Mance, Kenny Werner, and Jimmy Cobb, Mehldau joined the Joshua Redman quartet before forming his own trio in 1994.
As the founder of his own trio, Mehldau had the flexibility to explore his three passions for classical music, jazz, and modern rock. On nearly every album of his collection, there are myriad Beatles and Radiohead covers scattered amongst the jazz standards of John Coltrane and Miles Davis. With his trio, Mehldau gained the appreciation necessary to land a stint at the famous Vanguard. The intimate jazz club strewn with pictures of the scene's giants of latter years found a spot on their forest green walls for a portrait of Mehldau; hunched over his keys, Mehldau ripped through a set that allowed him a chance to return to the club whenever his schedule allowed.
In what is described as the "Carnegie Hall of jazz clubs," the frequently performing quartet filled the dimly lit hall with veritable hailstorms of notes, pounding melodies, and haunting solos. Mehldau's playing style embodies the essence of the Vanguard; deeply rooted in the techniques of former pianists, classical musicians, and the hard bop of the 1950s, Mehldau piles eccentricity upon history creating a sound that is recognizable to past achievements but is completely erratic and original in its own right.
Before gracing the oldest surviving jazz club in Manhattan, Mehldau began his career as a sojourn from the classical piano style he learned throughout his early years. As a teenager, he played in the reputable Hall High School Jazz Band. While a junior in high school, he won the prestigious All-Around Musician award from the Berklee School of music in Massachusetts. After high school, he went on to study at the New School for Social Research in New York City. Upon his departure from New England, Mehldau began infusing modern rock with the music of the Bill Evans trio, creating a sound that expanded the parameters of jazz, and garnered him respect within the jazz community. After he completed his studies with the jazz giants Fred Hersch, Junior Mance, Kenny Werner, and Jimmy Cobb, Mehldau joined the Joshua Redman quartet before forming his own trio in 1994.
As the founder of his own trio, Mehldau had the flexibility to explore his three passions for classical music, jazz, and modern rock. On nearly every album of his collection, there are myriad Beatles and Radiohead covers scattered amongst the jazz standards of John Coltrane and Miles Davis. With his trio, Mehldau gained the appreciation necessary to land a stint at the famous Vanguard. The intimate jazz club strewn with pictures of the scene's giants of latter years found a spot on their forest green walls for a portrait of Mehldau; hunched over his keys, Mehldau ripped through a set that allowed him a chance to return to the club whenever his schedule allowed.