Customer Reviews

Highway Rider

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This double-CD release from Brad Mehldau offers a variety of settings: Brad solo piano (one track); duet between Brad and Joshua Redman on tenor sax (one track); Mehldau trio (Larry Grenadier on acoustic bass and either Jeff Ballard and/or Matt Chamberlain on drums and/or percussions) (three tracks); Mehldau trio plus Joshua Redman (three tracks); Mehldau trio plus Joshua Redman and a chamber orchestra (five tracks); two tracks with the chamber orchestra only. Settings assorted as to describe a variety of landscapes, from joyful atmospheres to dark scenarios in a continuous up and down of sounds and musical ideas (all Brad original compositions). A musical travel between the easier pieces in trio and with Redman (in some ways vaguely recalling their Moodswing 1994 recording) to the slower and often shady orchestral parts. If you like the more conventional jazz releases of Mehldau (solo, trio, duo and quartet with Pat Metheny, duo with Joel Frahm 2004 Don't Explain) and you were disappointed by his 2001 release Largo, maybe this Highway Rider is not for you. If you enjoyed Brad jazz releases as well as Largo, maybe you will like HR too. Just keep in mind that HR is not Largo Part 2 (even if both releases have in common the same producer). While in Largo there is an homogeneous music presentation and you know you are listening to rock-influenced jazz, in HR you are travelling between modern acoustic jazz and something more similar to contemporary classical music with jazz contaminations. Whichever the case, just one attention: HR requires repeated listening to be fully appreciated. At first it's easy to be disoriented by its unpredictability.

One additional comment about sound quality: the music was edited and mixed with some unnatural stereo positioning of instruments and dynamic compression. A similar (but heavier) approach was also used in Largo. The result is less pleasant as compared to other productions capturing the natural ambience of the recording location and the full dynamic range of instruments. Full marks to the music for its originality, 3.5 stars to the recorded sound.

Brad Mehldau has been hailed as one of the greatest jazz pianists since he came on the scene in the 90's and for good reason. His largest audience came with the 2002 release "Largo", a genre bending album, that got him the most attention and introduced a new audience (although polarizing some fans...likely the same kind of people who whined when Dylan plugged in) to Mehldau's work. The experimentation on the record was exciting and fresh, but he was soon back to his more traditional style with the self-assured straight-ahead (yet very rewarding) album "Anything Goes"(2004).

Now after numerous trio recordings, solo outings and collaborations, Brad Mehldau and Jon Brion bring us "Highway Rider", the highly anticipated sequel to Largo. Highway Rider is an album that really needs to be appreciated without any distractions, and preferably on nice equipment. This album was very uniquely recorded and sonically sounds different than almost anything I've ever heard. The nuances on this record are extremely important. When I sat down and listened to the record for the first time I was shocked when the orchestra suddenly crept into the trio soundscape. It is truly overwhelming. This is not "Charlie Parker with Strings" or any overtly-commercial type orchestration by any means. Think more along the lines of Phillip Glass. This is serious and intense material. These compositions are relentless in their dissonance, yet there are many beautiful moments that arrive out of this chaos. All of Mehldau's compositions on this album work together as a body of work, and all of the musicians and the orchestra are all of one voice in a way that no other orchestra/jazz album has ever done successfully. This work is truly a journey. You will hear singing, children's voices, adult voices ,sounds of laughter, sounds of instruments of all kinds; sounds of pain and joy run throughout this entire work. With so many people in the studio the danger is that things can sound fragmented, but that rarely happens on this project. When considering the cover art; thematically this album deals with the struggle of living the American dream, isolationism, the shattered illusions of a post tech-boom society, and the confusion and loss over America's unique identity in a overly-corporate society. But it's also a very personal story as well (see Mehldau's notes for the album on his website). It's comparable to works like Springsteen's Born to Run, The Great Gatsby, or On the Road.

Initially I wasn't sure what to expect out of this 2-CD set, but I figured that it wouldn't be able to match the originality of "Largo". This album is of a completely different caliber. This work is ambitious, groundbreaking, and visionary. With all due respect to all of the other great pianists working in jazz today, I don't know how anyone can respond to this. Mehldau has set the bar so high that he will be hard to touch. I suppose some will sweep this album under the rug as an "interesting experiment" and write off the album's conceptual nature, but show me an album that will be more influential than this one 10, even 20 years down the line. No other pianist or artist out there continues to reinvent the genre like Mehldau. Nobody has ever made a record like this. This album only solidifies his place in jazz as a genius and his newfound muse as a composer.

Highway Rider has changed the game. Those few people who have been negative towards the album desparately want the attention for knocking down jazz's modern genius, but even they must know deep down inside that this work is profound. Not only the greatest jazz album since Wayne Shorter's "Footprints Live" in my opinion, but also what will become one of the most important recordings of the 21st century. I did not expect anybody to make an iconic jazz recording in this day and age and was literally in shock for hours after I finished listening to it. Although Mehldau, like every musician, owes a lot to his predecessors (Fred Hirsch, Evans, Monk, and countless others), it's fair to say he has accomplished enough on his own to place him as one of the greatest pianists and jazz musicians of all time.

This album represents Brad Mehldau's fine ability as a composer,player & orchestrater. Mehldau is joined once again with producer Jon Brion who's first record with Melhdau 2001's Largo in my opinion was a semi success. I believe this time around with Highway Rider the nine years of experience & several classical pieces Melhdau has written have given him the right tools to tackle a wide ranging project such as this. Highway Rider presents the listener with a wide variety of musical settings, solo piano, piano trio,trio with orchestra, & trio with orchestra with guest saxophonist Joshua Redman. Mehldau is working with familiar personal his regular working trio with Larry Grenadier on bass & Jeff Ballard on drums. Drummer Matt Chamberlin worked on the Largo album returns to add his touch to a few tracks & after a long hiatus Mehldau brought sax man Joshua Redman in on tenor & soprano. After several hearings I'v come to conclude that this album is a watershed for Mehldau a definite artistic peak. This music flows in a continuos suite sort of way, each tune picking up where the previous left off & building to the climax of the album which in my opinion is the first track on disc two which happens to be the albums longest piece clocking in at 12 minutes. My only problem with this album is I wish the tracks especially on disc 1 had been just a bit longer, I feel they could have been developed alittle more but that is just me. This music falls in line with stuff like Bill Evan's album Symbiosis or Danilo Perez's Across The Crystal Sea but I think this album surpasses those as far as continuity & I like the way Mehldau uses Joshua Redman out in front of the orchestra as a soloist, it's not a sound that is featured very often. Redman rises to the challenge and his playing for me is a highlight of the album. I also hear some elements of Chick Corea's writing especially his use of hand claps & voices & foot stomping, this percussive element really enhances the music for me giving it a earthy funky feel which is such a cool contrast alongside the strings. I highly recommend this album to anyone with a open mind & a appetite for fresh good music. Enjoy!

Brad Mehldau is an amazing pianist and leads an equally amazing trio. I had the good fortune of catching one of their shows at The Dakota Jazz Club, and was blown away by the trio's communication and choice of repertoire. I bought a few of his albums -- including this one -- but Highway Rider was the last one I listened to. While his earlier albums are ample evidence of his brilliant treatments of classic tunes, this album is a testament to his talent as a composer.

Highway Rider almost seems like a concept album sans a story... but there is definitely a narrative here. The music tells the story better than words ever could -- give the 2CD set a listen and you'll know what I'm talking about. His performances and improvisations are ego-free. There's only one solo piano piece on this album; that speaks for itself, I think.

The orchestration is excellent. I don't see why some people are writing it off as "elevator music" or "cheesy". Does that make any and all orchestration in jazz "cheesy"? No, sorry, it's only when it's blatantly commercial that it becomes annoying. Here, it is obvious that Brad studied orchestration for a while before attempting to write these compositions.

In short -- pick this one up if: you're a fan of harmonically interesting, melodic, modern jazz; you enjoyed Brad's more ambitious compositions; you don't mind tasteful orchestration; you are able to temper your expectations accordingly. This isn't another trio album. As much as I love piano trios, this is Brad's best work. While he is only 39, it may seem too early to call this album his "magnum opus". But it will take a lot to top this record.

Pianist Brad Mehldau's "Highway Rider" is a sonic travelogue of vistas both large and small, desolate and dense; a soundtrack for a film that has yet to be made. And, if you don't mind strings and symphonic orchestration in your jazz, "Highway Rider" is also one of his best recordings, and easily his most ambitious, to date.

Over the course of 2 CDs and 100+ minutes, "Highway Rider" takes the listener through 15 tracks, varying in length from just one minute to over twelve. In addition, the ensembles range from solo piano to duo, trio, quartet (featuring Joshua Redman on saxophone) to a 40+ piece orchestra.

Featured on the album are Mr. Mehldau's longtime trio mates, drummer Jeff Ballard and bassist Larry Grenadier, as well as percussionist Matt Chamberlain and the highly regarded saxophonist Joshua Redman (Brad Mehldau got his start in jazz by playing in Mr. Redman's band). At times throughout the cd, Matt Coleman leads the chamber orchestra.

So, what works on Highway Rider? The short answer is, any of the small-group-only playing, which is just as good as anything Mr. Mehldau & Co. have recorded in the studio since at least his trio concept album "Places", ten years ago.

On cd one, "At The Tollbooth" a lonely one-minute piano solo, almost a lament to a solitary conversation, segues beautifully into the title track, a vibrant, durable stretch of small ensemble playing which showcases the Mehldau trio's current sound. In addition to the piano, Brad pulls out a 1970's Yamaha CS-80 keyboard, letting it subtly add pitch-bending glissandos at times throughout the cut. "The Falcon Will Fly Again" has the trio met with Joshua Redman on adventurous soprano sax, but it was the sound of children la-la-ing along at the end with the band, ending in laughter and approval, which really threw me off - a very organic and unexpected ending, effectively providing a leavening effect to what at times can be a rather heavy collection.

Disc two, although book-ended by orchestra, is filled with excellent Mehldau small-ensemble compositions. "Capriccio" is as playful and energized as its name, and again the quartet closes the song unexpectedly, this time with handclaps, almost in a Spanish-dance style; simple, but compelling enough to listen for each time the track is played. "Sky Turning Grey" features the quartet again, this time with Mr. Redman on tenor sax, and Brad on both piano and pump organ. This eulogy to the American songwriter Elliott Smith features a strikingly angular Redman sax solo, really a chorus for the song, making "Sky" easily the most pop-friendly track on "Highway Rider". "Into The City", "Old West" and "Come With Me" are all extended duo and trio jams, showcasing the creativity and reserve of professional jazz playing by masters of their craft.

But what makes-or-breaks Highway Rider for myself and for a lot of other listeners, especially longtime Mehldau fans, is the large-ensemble orchestration. As far as I can tell from years of listening to both modern and traditional jazz, and from reading both professional and amateur jazz criticism, one either likes strings in their jazz or they don't.

True, kudos are warranted to Brad Mehldau for composing the orchestrated portions of Highway Rider himself, and for having the strings recorded `live' at the same time and in the same studio as the small-ensemble portions. Both of these efforts allow for a more integrated and effective musical statement on "Highway Rider". (This is, of course, in contrast to some traditional jazz albums, such as Wes Montgomery's "Smoking at the Half Note", where the strings were tacked-on later without any involvement or input by recording's original members, and the consequent recording suffered as a result). Orchestrating strings is not easy, and credit is deserved for his making the effort, as it proves Mr. Mehldau, now edging towards 40, is still interested in pushing the boundaries of his craft.

That said, the stringy portions of Highway Rider just come across as being cheesy at best, and pretentious at worst, sounding largely derivative, as if we've heard this all somewhere else before. This probably has less to do with these compositions themselves, and more with the general nature of adding a string section to otherwise straight-up jazz. In addition, the modern, grainy sparseness of John Brion's production, combined with the open space of Mr. Mehldau's small ensemble playing on this album, do not lend themselves well to the addition of stuffy string orchestration. At times, it seems the strings and orchestration actually do more to cover up the quartet than actually add to it.

This is especially evident on the final two tracks that close out the second cd, "Always Departing" and "Always Returning"; the strings so overwhelm these two compositions that the intentionally dramatic ending instead leads itself to laughter at the ridiculousness of it all, especially last 15 seconds of "Always Returning", when the strings subside to silence, only to return for one final wave of dramatic surging. Wow. My senses flooded only with memories of bad Hollywood B-features and the three-months-past-the-due-date Limburger in the basement fridge. What an ending. What a disappointment.

It should be added that there is no overall musical theme to "Highway Rider", no leitmotif which binds the individual compositions together into some grand musical statement. Instead, "Highway Rider" seems to be more a collection of tracks penned by Mr. Mehldau at a similar time, and which are unified mainly by the quartet's outstanding performances as well as the orchestral flourishes.

I give both Brad Mehldau and Nonesuch Records credit for having the confidence to both release a two-cd jazz recording in this day-and-age as well as adding strings to it when such pretense is way out of style. I will leave it up to the listener as to whether "Highway Rider" is a great addition to Mr. Mehldau's catalog or just a good one - and I suppose that will largely depend on whether strings are your thing.

Firstly, enough of the Keith Jarrett comparisons. They are two very different musicians...get over it.

Ok, I've only been listening to this album for a couple days now but WOW!!! I first became a fan of Mehldau through Largo (the first collaboration with Jon Brion) so I already loved the mix of Brion's out of the box production style, with Mehldau's melancholy and often fierce playing along with the heavy groove of Matt Chamberlain. I think Brion and Mehldau are kindred spirits in their approaches to music (anyone who doubts it can go see Brion's own virtuosity at Largo in Los Angeles every month.) That said, this is a VERY different record than Largo. Largo were a bunch of songs clearly built around Brad's playing with some cool trix thrown in (strings, mellotron etc) to give the overall experience a fresh twist. Highway Rider is more like one long story. The strings don't just compliment the piano, in many instances, the orchestra, sax, bass etc., actually drive the songs. At times you forget that you're listening to an album written by a virtuoso pianist because Brad hangs back and lets the arrangement speak for itself. And Joshua Redman is the perfect pick for the predominant soloist. Just listen to the way his solo weaves among the tangled string parts on "Don't Be Sad"...amazing. "Highway Rider" goes from a very chaotic melody that is kinda hard to put your finger on and then resolves towards the end of the song into a beautifully hummable outro. Jeff Ballard and Larry show why they might be the best jazz rythym section on the planet. For me the real highlight of the album is the 20 minutes that is the truly epic score of: "Now You Must Climb Alone/Walking the Peak." This might be the most elaborate and beautiful piece that Brad has ever written. It is like a Sergio Leone soundtrack in it's many peaks and valleys yet never straying far from the initial theme. Positively breath-taking. Aside from Ben Allison, I can't think of too many jazz musicians who are pushing so many conventional boundaries in their music with such wonderful results. Like Allison, Brad makes albums for album-lovers. This is a straight-up, fire-up the bong, put on some headphones and take off to another world kinda record. Thank you Brad and the rest for this stunning album. I haven't dug into the second half of the album yet but I will update my review once I have more to say about that portion of this masterpiece. Bravo Brad!

"Highway Rider" has Brad Mehldau, some Larry Grenadier on bass, Jeff Ballard and/or Matt Chamberlin on drums, some Joshua Redman on sax, and 7 songs with an orchestra. The orchestral parts remind me of a movie soundtrack, but of course Mehldau's playing brings it back to jazz. Some of the songs without the orchestra go in a modern piano trio direction, and have a rhythmic or percussive sound similar to stuff The Bad Plus, Vijay Iyer, or even Matthew Shipp have done. The last category of song on "Highway Rider" is the more melodic song which is what Mehldau is known for. A lot of those songs have Redman playing beautiful saxophone. He stays within the songs and calls attention to the melody. A 2-disc set, there is certainly enough good material to merit its 104 minute length. It's recommended to fans of Brad Mehldau.

Lacking the musical expertise and background of other reviewers, I can only concur with their spirit. I have most of the Mehldau releases and this ranks at the top. Disc no. 1 I would consider more "conventional" with lovely melodies and Mehldau's traditional imprint. "Walking the peak" - the last track on it - introduces us to the orchestral element which is dominant in the first parts of disc no. 2. In summary, although you will hear a wide range of arrangements, melodies and techniques, the overall result is an interesting, engaging and highly enjoyable work. This is what jazz is meant to be - providing that luxurious, laid-back yet highly intelligent musical tapestry that somehow gives more meaning to life.

Wow. I've been listening to Brad Mehldau for a very long time, and I treasure all of his albums. When Largo came out, I really got hooked. When he replaced Jorge Rossy with Jeff Ballard on drums, his trio took off to whole new levels (see Day is Done and Live album).

I got Highway Rider last week and haven't stopped listening to it. I've probably listened to it from start to finish every day. It is probably the first album where I don't want to skip to a certain track, rather I want to listen to every track before it (and then every track after). Each track has its own specific place in the album. That's not to say that tracks shouldn't be listened to at random... Hearing Joshua Redman solo over Brad's orchestral compositions is something that has to be heard by any jazz or new music fan. Redman and Mehldau playing off each other is just one of the treats you're in for with this album (see The Falcon Will Fly Again for one of many fine examples). While the orchestral compositions are phenomenal, the way that Mehldau arranges the "jazz" instruments is just as impressive. Everything seems to fade in and out at the perfect time.

I don't want to over-analyze anything here because I'm sure it wouldn't do the album justice. Let's just say that I think this is the best jazz album I've heard in many, many years.

I had not enjoyed a solo jazz pianist as much as Mehldau since Keith Jarrett appeared thirty-five years ago. Actually Mehldau's "Some One to Watch Over Me" far surpasses Jarrett's version. Mehldau's technique remains formidable on this recording. His solo work is brilliant as is that of Joshua Redman. But there are several disappointments here which don't seem to have been mentioned much by others and I present these as just one person's ears.

1. The string writing is amateurish and the ensemble playing is very weak (it sounds like a pickup orchestra with little interest in what they are playing).

2. The recording quality of the piano is terribly uneven. On some tracks it sounds like Mehldau is playing in a closet.

Nevertheless, I admire any composer/performer who enters new territory (e.g. Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry). These days Mehldau fans will cheer anything he does but I hope the sensation that attends him does not prevent him from more thoughtful musical experiments.