Customer Reviews

Anything Goes

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Yes, anything does go here, but not in the way you might think. I was prepared for a postmodern, deconstructionist approach, where standards are mercilessly torn apart and then gloriously reconstructed. And if anyone around could do it, it would be these guys, the reigning postmodern piano trio champs.

But they fooled me. They've done something different, something a lot riskier and much more difficult to pull off: They've taken a very careful look at these tunes and uncovered previously unthought of approaches. Each tune is probed for its emotional center, and then, once it is found, is constructed in such a way as to bring that out optimally. For example, with the fairly well known Monk tune, "Skippy," they quite precisely delve into its bop roots, revealing a depth of understanding of this quirky genius as more than merely someone who wrote melodically, harmonically, and rhythmically tricky tunes but someone who was at the very heart of the bop revolution.

Perhaps the most remarkable cut on the disc is their wacky take on the Charlie Chaplin standard, "Smile." Featuring an enticing left hand piano figure, the melody is initially given to Larry Grenadier on bass. When Mehldau finally states the melody about three and a half minutes into the piece, he does so in a rather tentative, herky-jerky, sprung-rhythm way, emphasizing their total understanding of the inherent irony of the piece. Thus, this is no mere deconstruction; rather it is a kind of smart overstatement, designed to highlight an aspect of the tune that too often gets overlooked, or, if touched on, doesn't get handled properly.

Nearly as revelatory is their reading of "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face." Here, there's a kind of off-kilter nostalgia that spookily adds a soupcon of weariness to the usual straightforward understanding of this piece's trajectory, turning it away from one of mere happiness and turning it into one of gratitude and hard-won joy though quiet celebration. Thus, their performance exhibits a profoundly nuanced understanding of the hidden ambiguity lurking just below the surface of this piece, vaulting it out of its usual precincts of felicity into a more realistic and subtle understanding of what lifelong commitment to a partner means.

The overall vibe here might be mistaken for world-weariness, but that's not it. It's something deeper, something hard to put into words, something that resembles resignation, but is more like seeing things through after the glow's worn off. And the mood, though a little on the somber side, also contains more than just a bit of solemn joy

A controversial aspect of this group has been its typical inclusion of contemporary tunes such as, on this disc, "Everything in Its Right Place," by Radiohead. The question arises: Do they include tunes like this merely to broaden their appeal to a younger audience, hook in new listeners, and thus sell a lot more records? To put it crassly: Is this anything other than a marketing ploy?

I don't think marketing has a whole lot to do with it. These are pretty young guys who probably've listened to Radiohead quite a bit over the years, and have come to appreciate them as artists. The fact that including songs by them turns out to be a clever move marketing-wise doesn't mean that was their motivation. And even if it was, so what? Shouldn't jazzers be allowed to grab a piece of that huge pop-music pie? Anyway, they're certainly not the only ones doing it. What about Herbie Hancock's New Standards disc, or The Bad Plus's cover of Aphex Twin or Blondie or Kurt Cobain?

But there's more to than just than that. Part of it is that as artists you really have to like and to have listened to the music. Otherwise, you won't be able to get proper access to it, and it'll come out sounding like parody or cynicism. But not only do you have to like it, you have to see its possibilities for improvisation. And since you're probably going to be connecting with an audience much wider and more diverse than Radiohead fans, you'd better make sure that the tune you cover and how you do it has musical integrity per se.

In any case, this is a thoroughly remarkable, the most mature and accomplished (in my opinion) from this brilliant trio. I too am looking forward to their upcoming disc of new material, but I don't think this one should be downgraded because it is essentially a standards disc. It's what they do with these standards that makes it so entirely engaging.

An outing not to be missed.

For starters, let me admit that I'm a huge fan of the Brad Mehldau Trio. I believe they are the best mainstream trio on the circuit. While I prefer the dynamics and on-the-edge precarious qualities of their live performances (especially the 5th trio album, "Progression"), I believe this is the best of the trio's studio performances committed to tape.

The previous reviewer nailed it when he said that Brad seems to have eschewed his flashy virtuosity on this set. In its place, he has offered up a measured performance with an eye toward mood and structure. But while it's worth while to address Brad's individual contribution, his trio is less about individual contribution than it is the ensemble. Within this context, I especially want to call out Jorge Rossy's drumming. I caught 4 of this trio's 8 sets this past Autumn at Yoshi's in Oakland, and at the first of these sets I recall thinking that Rossy was the "weak link" in the band. By the time the 4th set ended, I found myself paying most attention to Rossy. What did I hear? I heard a very unselfish player with an incredible economy of articulation. He doesn't "overcrowd" the space, but constantly shifts the color, emphasis and signature of his approach. He constantly rotates his sticks to leverage the resulting shift in timbre of his shots. He plays all "pieces" of his kit (cymbals, heads, rims and stands) to create a variety of rhythmic support. One can see the wheels in his head turning as he navigates through each number, creating an ever-changing use of space, accent and beat. This new album - "Anything Goes" - provides an excellent opportunity to appreciate Rossy's skills in the comforts of your home (which is not to say that Yoshi's is uncomfortable by any means...and when you go, don't pass up the maguro sashimi salad with miso vinegarette accompanied by a tall bottle of Sapporo to wash it down!).

If you're unfamiliar with Brad's trio, this would be an excellent point of entry. Do not expect the experimental modernism of Jason Moran (Brad did this a couple years ago with "Largo" and we didn't like it) or the brazen puckishness of the Bad Plus. This band plays a mainstream brand of lyrical jazz that emphasizes beauty over theatrics, and meliflous arching lines over sharp angles. But while this band may not be advancing modern jazz into any new territory, please do not dismiss this golden art as sentimental or anachronistic. The Brad Mehldau Trio is legitimate, is "now", and is bloody gorgeous.

The exciting thing is that Brad is still only in his early 30s, and one gets the impression that he is only now hitting his stride. Buy this, buy his older albums, and buy his next one that will be every bit as good.

This latest in what's becoming a long line of amzing albums from Brad Mehldau can be challange, though a challenge that ultimately pays off for the listener. But be warned. If you see song titles like "Get Happy" or "Smile" and think "I love those songs, I remember singing them in my barbershop quartet group," this CD is probably not for you. Better to start off with one of his earlier efforts (like "Introducing..."), and work up to this one.

An awsome talent from his even first CD, Brad's albums show a continual progression in complexity and maturity, and this effort (unfortunately his last with Warners as they have dropped their entire jazz catalog) is in some ways his most complex. He seems to reach inside these songs ("Smile" in particular) and pull out harmonies that most musicians (myself included) couldn't imagine. He seems to capture both an optimism and anguish in "Smile" that perfectly mirror the song, and which have for me never been equaled by other artist's interpretations of that song. And yet this is not purely musical athletics. His technique and harmonic knowlege are almost unequaled, but it is his musical asthetic which make him so special an artist in my opinion.

First of all let me just say as a veteran multi-instrumental musician, that this rythym section is EXCELLENT. Rossy is a bad mother on drums and he and Grenadier have ways of turning the bar unlike anyone I've heard in ages. They have a unique feel that is original and unpredictable...and then you have Mehldau too!!! What a trio.

Absolutely love this album. The chord work is haunting, the arrangements are very ambitious, and the piano (as always with mehldau) sounds like it comes truly from the heart. My personal favorites are the title track, Still Crazy (beautiful), the Radiohead cover (really picks up steam), and Smile (VERY ambitious arrangement.)

If you like Brad, you'll like this album. It has the great TRIO with the quality of studio sound. I still prefer Largo for the ballsy experimenting and think that it's gotten a very bad rap from the purists, but this is a close second for Mehldau studio albums.

Alot of jazz-philes keep whining about Brad doing Radiohead covers and other pop tunes. This is the big problem with jazz music. Many fans are music-snobs and want every jazz musician to stay away from any rock or pop influence, and keep themselves squarely confined inside the box of standard jazz. I think it's great that Brad acknowledges his love of rock, especially with such an innovative band as Radiohead. I wish more jazz musicians would realize that there is a world of quality music to draw inspiration from outside of the "standards."

Definitely get this album.

What has inspired Brad Mehldau? He was from the beginning recognized as an extraordinary player with an original cerebral approach to improvisation. Then he released the album called Largo which was widely described as an experiment. It has cuts like Paranoid Android--an inturpretation of Radiohead-- which are so original that I have seen music lovers react as though ice water was splashed in their face. What is this music? I owned several earlier albums and conjectured that the directness of Largo came from the compositions combined with the hybrid production sound. The next albums, Anything Goes, the Live in Tokyo, though they do not utilize new production techniques, have been equally remarkable. Mehldau has formulated a structural concept within each work, and the concepts have continuity from cut to cut. It is as though he has discovered a way to express himself more directly and powerfully without some of the technical detours. The Tokoyo album is technical wonder of live recording. All three are important profound albums.

I don't know where this guy gets off saying that the drummer, Jorge Rossy, and the bassist, Larry Grenadier, "are competent but do nothing overtly interesting". Jorge incredible groove, use of space, and musicality is as good as one could ask for, and Grenadier's huge warm tone, amazing time, and great thematic development is unparalleled by other bassists of his generation.

Brad Mehldau. either alone, with diferent music guests , or with his inseparable trio, his "trio progression" is capable to offer amazing recordings, improvisation, excitement, enthusiasm, passion and refinement are the basic ingredients of every Mehldau s piece of work, the reason i wrote "Everything in Its Right Place" as a tittle for this review is because this track is for me a new classic in Mehldaus cataloge , along with "trailer park ghost" from Elegiac cycle, "Los Angeles" from places and "dusty mcnugget" from Largo this is a very progressive piece with a stuning bass intro, this song begin with a calm rithm , drum section starts to grow up step by step untill a climax of improvisation and "soft madness" take over the finnal minutes of this amazing track, its totally enjoyable, "get happy" is the perfec begining, it seems like this song didnt had many rehearsals before it was recorded and this is great because it sounds with a lot of spontaneity like the perfect begin for an intimate and closed concert, "Dreamsville" and the self tittled "Anything Goes" show this same emotion. another masterpiece in Brad Mehldau s collection
HM

Brad Mehldau has made some great recordings, and others that have left me a bit cold. His Art of the Trio recordings volumes 1 and 3 are beautiful; the live recordings, vols 2, 4 and 5 a bit less so, since he tends to show off his virtuosity at the expense of melody.

So this disc, following up on the forgettable Largo, is a return to more familiar territory: a studio recording of his trio. There are some great songs on this disc - Still Crazy after All these Years, Smile, Everything in its Right Place, but some of the others just don't do it: Get Happy, for example, is too jumpy to be happy.

If you're a fan, you'll want to buy this disc, but it's not the best introduction to Mehldau's music. I'd recommend the Trio recordings volumes 1 and 3.

It really hard to write about the latest Brad Mehldau. I have listened and thought about this for a long time (it did not instantly grab me). Well, it's new and it's different. I can't think of a better word for this album than bi-polar. There are wonderfully beautiful, thoughtful songs and there are dissonant trainwrecks. Disconnects. This being said, it a big improvement over most of the Trio's more recent efforts.

Soemtimes the group has that well-touted telepathic quality, sometimes they are pulling in opposite directions. Some of the music is sensitive, played from the heart and sometimes it is like twelve-tone music, all cerebral. Sometimes it seems like Brad forgot what tune they were playing and starts hammering hard on the piano, repeating one passage over and over while the rest of the group meanders aimlessly until Mehldau remembers what song they were playing and it comes to a finale.

Sometimes he is thoughtful, sometimes he can be too clever by a half playing stuff that is all head and no heart.

I saw him play at the Kennedy Center two months ago. He did his Toccata and Fugue on "Come on - Get Happy" going on and on all by himeself for 30 minutes at a time. It's pruned back here to a better length.

But then there is wonderful songs like "Dreamsville", "Tres Palabras", and "Still Crazy after all These Years", "I've Grown Accoustomed to her Face" and "Nearness of You" where he finds a new slant and new emotional depth in these more familiar songs. In "Smiles" the melody starts on the bass with the piano doing comping behind, and then a switch. This one is clever and actually works.

I agree with what is stated below, why does he keep doing Radiohead songs? I like the idea of adding new songs to the set of "standards" but how about rock songs with more melody?

When they are good, they are very, very good;...

Brad Mehldau Trio's best work was and continues to be "Art of the Trio", vol 3, vol 1 and maybe vol 2. I would direct people who are curious to these wonderfully inventive albums first.

An album full of well crafted mid-tempo ballads that does not disappoint. It has both traditional jazz tunes (nearness of you, dreamsville, get happy) and more contemporary tunes (Still Crazy, Everything in its right place) yet the songs all seem to all fit nicely together. This is the only Mehldau album i have right now but after hearing this I am definitely getting Live in Tokyo and his Art of the Trio recordings. Awesome.