BRAD MEHLDAU: Live in Marciac
Nonesuch, 2011

SOLO PIANO – Sprawling set by one of the most influential pianists on the scene today, recorded live in France in 2006. This can be tricky territory, but Mehldau keeps the excitement level high and shows off his capacity for complex ideas, dynamic attack and steely (sometimes mind-numbing) control. Mehldau has long enjoyed reinventing rock and pop tunes, and those dominate the second half. Watch out for applause.

Disc 1: Consider playing 1 & 2 together, also 7 & 8
Disc 2: 1 & 2 can go together, extended applause around later tracks

Fo’s Picks: Disc I – 2, 4, 6, 8 Disc II - 1, 2, 3, 6

DISC ONE

1. 4:30 – uptempo: bright, darting notes fly every way; grows darker, segues into…
2. 5:22 – …energetic standard: classicism and complex, clockwork counterpoint
3. 7:14 – slow standard ballad with an air of strict formality, lyrical yet stiffly paced
4. 8:22 – melodies weave together, then insistent drive, breaks down into chunks
5. 10:25 – midtempo churn: wheels spin, incessant hammering, melodies spiral out
6. 10:12 – uptempo, densely packed: rhythmic segments collide and combine
7. 7:31 – melancholy ballad gradually lifts into prodding eighth-notes, segue into…
8. 7:47 – …Radiohead tune, bright and urgent; expands and deepens

DISC TWO

1. 7:48 – Nick Drake song: hard stride against quick beat, softer melodic interludes
2. 4:32 – Nirvana hit broken down into discrete components, strung together
3. 9:19 – oft-recorded pop song falls from storm to slow tenderness, saloon piano
4. 6:56 – Beatles tune, propulsive and angular, takes off in soaring, abstracted arc
5. 6:31 – interesting take on standard: easygoing sway and heavy pendulum
6. 5:30 – swinging jazz standard: lively stroll, starts to blow up but stays in check

[ Fo ] 02/27/11