Art of Trio, Vol 1

Brad Mehldau | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 28, 1997)
• Original Release Date: January 28, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000002N82
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,500 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-rounded introduction to a hugely talented pianist, March 14, 2003

By 

Micah Newman (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Art of Trio, Vol 1 (Audio CD)

Being an aficionado of the jazz piano trio, I knew I had to try out some Brad Mehldau sooner or later, and decided to start with this one, Art of the Trio vol. 1. And I am really impressed with the balance, sensitivity, and flexibility of Mehldau as well as his cohorts, Larry Grenadier on bass (who also provided very admirable support with Pat Metheny's '99-'00 trio) and Jorge Rossy on drums. Rossy's playing is perfect for this setting--sensitive, and unfailingly imaginative. I really enjoy listening to Larry Grenadier: lovely tone, great support. And Mehldau -- he coaxes colors and shapes from the keyboard; painting, and weaving, and singing too.

There's a good mix of songs here, between standards, Mehldau's own sober, intelligent originals, and a commercially-appealing read on a "modern" pop tune, the Beatles' "Blackbird."

A defining moment happened when I first played this CD--the sensitivity and skill of this trio lulled me almost into a hypnagogic state, and in "Mignon's Song," I heard so many ideas going on that by the time it was the next song, I looked at the track reference and was almost shocked that only one song had gone by. That, to me, says something. Yup--I'll definitely be scooping up the rest of the Art of the Trio albums.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Beacon From The Late-90s Wasteland., April 9, 2002

By 

Michael A. Beyer (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Art of Trio, Vol 1 (Audio CD)

You've got to be awfully confident in your musical abilities to name your album "The Art Of The Trio". You ARE following in some rather enormous footsteps (a gentleman named Oscar Peterson and his trio come immediately to mind).

However, if your name is Brad Mehldau, such confidence is indeed well-founded. The man can clearly tickle the ivories, and this album is worth the investment. As with the best jazz albums, it gets better with each listening.

Mehldau, drummer Jorge Rossy and bassist Larry Grenadier definitely latched onto the mood of the times when they recorded "The Art Of The Trio" in 1997. At the time, albums like the "Swingers" soundtrack were sweeping the country, and many Americans were rediscovering "civilized" jazz music that you could sip a cocktail to. While many degraded this music into wide collars, martinis and drunken Sinatra sing-alongs, Mehldau and his band recognized the finesse and refinement in this kind of music and applied it to their work. The wonderful result is this CD.

Mehldau's readings of standards and his original compositions are for the most part adventurous. The three musicians feed off each other with wonderfully precise movements and elegant flourishes. Although Mehldau and company occasionally succumb to sterile pop-oriented production touches, thankfully they are few and far in between.

Mehldau is particularly impressive live. He's not afraid to challenge his audience, and he's able to create a mood that suggests a real sophistication. Yes, "The Art Of The Trio" is background cocktail music, but it's good background cocktail music. I'm eager to explore the rest of his work.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great piano trio music, March 27, 2004

By 

Kirk McElhearn "Freelance writer and translator" (A town in the French Alps) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Art of Trio, Vol 1 (Audio CD)

As a serious fan of Bill Evans, but with little knowledge of the jazz world, I picked up the first four volumes of Mehldau's Art of the Trio recordings following a recommendation from a friend.

Volumes 1 and 3 are studio recordings; volumes 2 and 4 are live (I don't have volume 5, yet, another live volume, this one on 2 CDs). I think Mehldau is great, and I especially like the studio recordings. They are lyrical and melodic, whereas the live recordings tend more toward pyrotechnics and displays of virtuosity.

If you like the kind of music Bill Evans played, you'll certainly like volumes 1 and 3. You may prefer the live ones, especially if you're into Keith Jarrett (at least Mehldau doesn't grunt and squeal all the time). In any case, this is great music, well played and the trio has a great rapport.