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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Storm (Live) - Brad Mehldau | |||
| 2. It's All Right With Me (Live) - Brad Mehldau | |||
| 3. Secret Love (Live) - Brad Mehldau | |||
| 4. Unrequited (Live) - Brad Mehldau | |||
| 5. Resignation (Live) - Brad Mehldau | |||
| 6. Trailer Park Ghost (Live) - Brad Mehldau | |||
See all 8 tracks on this disc
| |||
| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. Things Behind The Sun (Live) | |||
| 2. Lithium (Live) | |||
| 3. Lilac Wine (Live) | |||
| 4. Martha My Dear (Live) | |||
| 5. My Favorite Things (Live) | |||
| 6. Dat Dere (Live) | |||
| Disc: 3 | |||
| 1. Storm / It's All Right With Me (Live) | |||
| 2. Secret Love (Live) | |||
| 3. Unrequited (Live) | |||
| 4. Resignation (Live) | |||
| 5. Trailer Park Ghost (Live) | |||
| 6. Goodbye Storyteller (for Fred Myrow) / Exit Music [for a Film] {Live} | |||
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See all 11 tracks on this disc
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Editorial Reviews
'Live In Marciac,' a two CD/one DVD set, is pianist and composer Brad Mehldau's second collection of live solo recordings, joining 'Live In Toyko' in his Nonesuch catalogue. This engrossing set, from a summer festival in Marciac, France, features both Mehldau originals and his ruminative explorations of material from such artists and writers as Nick Drake, Radiohead, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and Kurt Cobain, along with American Songbook classics from Cole Porter ('It's All Right With Me') and Rogers and Hammerstein ('My Favorite Thing').
The accompanying film offers a beautifully rendered, piano's-eye view of Mehldau from this French performance, an extraordinarily up-close opportunity to observes his hands-and mind-at work. As London's Telegraph has noted, 'He's a pianist who has it all, technically speaking, and he also has a fabulously well-stocked brain that can mingle different musical traditions. He can turn a standard with consummate musicianship and real swing, he can mine the depths of a blues chord sequence, he can summon a rock-anthem ecstasy. And lurking in the background is a fascination with classical music, revealed in the way inner parts surge and pluck at the main melody.'
The release of this live set caps a remarkable year for the pianist, who just celebrated his 40th birthday in August. Mehldau was awarded the prestigious Richard and Barbara Debs Composers Chair at Carnegie Hall for the current season, in recognition of his 'sensuous, cerebral, and incandescent' work. Through spring 2011, he is serving as an artist in residence at Carnegie Hall, programming concerts-including the recent live premiere of his latest original work, 'Highway Rider'-and conducting master classes, as well as collaborating with other artists, such as mezzo soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, with whom he will perform an expanded version of his 'Love Songs.' This honor marks the first time the chair has been given to a jazz artist and, as New York magazine put it, 'not just any cat-a pianist with broad influences and a cerebral style.'
'Highway Rider,' released on Nonesuch, has been universally acclaimed. Naming it one of the best jazz releases of 2010, NPR declared, 'With producer Jon Brion lending a hand, Mehldau has put forth a double album of entirely original music that shows how much he's grown as a composer, and not just a renowned pianist.' The Los Angeles Times concurs: 'Full of unexpected twists and lush, evocative detours, 'Highway Rider' is most definitely a trip, and one well worth taking.'
The accompanying film offers a beautifully rendered, piano's-eye view of Mehldau from this French performance, an extraordinarily up-close opportunity to observes his hands-and mind-at work. As London's Telegraph has noted, 'He's a pianist who has it all, technically speaking, and he also has a fabulously well-stocked brain that can mingle different musical traditions. He can turn a standard with consummate musicianship and real swing, he can mine the depths of a blues chord sequence, he can summon a rock-anthem ecstasy. And lurking in the background is a fascination with classical music, revealed in the way inner parts surge and pluck at the main melody.'
The release of this live set caps a remarkable year for the pianist, who just celebrated his 40th birthday in August. Mehldau was awarded the prestigious Richard and Barbara Debs Composers Chair at Carnegie Hall for the current season, in recognition of his 'sensuous, cerebral, and incandescent' work. Through spring 2011, he is serving as an artist in residence at Carnegie Hall, programming concerts-including the recent live premiere of his latest original work, 'Highway Rider'-and conducting master classes, as well as collaborating with other artists, such as mezzo soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, with whom he will perform an expanded version of his 'Love Songs.' This honor marks the first time the chair has been given to a jazz artist and, as New York magazine put it, 'not just any cat-a pianist with broad influences and a cerebral style.'
'Highway Rider,' released on Nonesuch, has been universally acclaimed. Naming it one of the best jazz releases of 2010, NPR declared, 'With producer Jon Brion lending a hand, Mehldau has put forth a double album of entirely original music that shows how much he's grown as a composer, and not just a renowned pianist.' The Los Angeles Times concurs: 'Full of unexpected twists and lush, evocative detours, 'Highway Rider' is most definitely a trip, and one well worth taking.'
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I will admit at the outset that I have something of a love-hate relationship with solo piano albums: A few of the most exhilarating, beautiful albums I have ever heard are solo piano outings, and yet I find just as many solo piano albums as not exercises in aimless wandering. This is luckily not the case with Brad Mehldau, whose playing here is wonderful, and if anything, actually more concise and focused than his last released live trio effort. Fans of Mehldau will undoubtedly greatly appreciate this album, though I suspect they already knew that would be the case.
I find it hard to accurately describe the music here because Mehldau has such a distinctive voice that any comparison would be have to be couched in many qualifications. Perhaps all that can be said is that Mehldau plays like Mehldau. He is steeped in the language of numerous musical styles: as likely to draw on the straight polyrhythmic feel of modern classical music (as he does with much skill on "Things Behind the Sun"), rock (Radiohead's "Exit Music" and Nirvana's "Lithium" are both on the playlist) as he is to draw from the more traditional jazz idiomatic feel. Mehldau's true skill is not just in his virtuosic capabilities, but his abilities to weave these influences together to create unique, exhilarating music that is never lost in abstraction.
Mehldau is a truly gifted ballad player, and "Secret Love" here is a real beauty, but to my ears the real gems of this album are the rock songs. This take of "Lithium" truly took me aback. It segues seamlessly from the track before it, but quickly takes off. Mehldau sustains a heavy percussive presence from the low end of the piano throughout the song, playing incredible, complex roving lines in the left hand, while weaving in and out of the melody and his own improvisations in the right. It is a truly astounding track, not only in the sheer technicality of the playing but also its inventiveness and sustained excitement. Paul McCartney's "Martha, My Dear" is at times barely recognizable, turned instead into almost a polyrthythmic etude. I've only rarely been this pleased with a Beatles cover.
As with any solo piano outing, the obvious first comparison is with Keith Jarrett's vast output in the medium, though I think this is a misleading comparison. Mehldau and Jarrett's styles could hardly be more dissimilar, much, I think, to Mehldau's benefit. Mehldau has carved a space and style out for himself and very rarely does he disappoint. This is a thoroughly enjoyable album. The dvd, with video of the concert, was fun to watch through as well, although I couldn't help but think the video quality was not very high (that might simply be because of my, admittedly mediocre TV).
I find it hard to accurately describe the music here because Mehldau has such a distinctive voice that any comparison would be have to be couched in many qualifications. Perhaps all that can be said is that Mehldau plays like Mehldau. He is steeped in the language of numerous musical styles: as likely to draw on the straight polyrhythmic feel of modern classical music (as he does with much skill on "Things Behind the Sun"), rock (Radiohead's "Exit Music" and Nirvana's "Lithium" are both on the playlist) as he is to draw from the more traditional jazz idiomatic feel. Mehldau's true skill is not just in his virtuosic capabilities, but his abilities to weave these influences together to create unique, exhilarating music that is never lost in abstraction.
Mehldau is a truly gifted ballad player, and "Secret Love" here is a real beauty, but to my ears the real gems of this album are the rock songs. This take of "Lithium" truly took me aback. It segues seamlessly from the track before it, but quickly takes off. Mehldau sustains a heavy percussive presence from the low end of the piano throughout the song, playing incredible, complex roving lines in the left hand, while weaving in and out of the melody and his own improvisations in the right. It is a truly astounding track, not only in the sheer technicality of the playing but also its inventiveness and sustained excitement. Paul McCartney's "Martha, My Dear" is at times barely recognizable, turned instead into almost a polyrthythmic etude. I've only rarely been this pleased with a Beatles cover.
As with any solo piano outing, the obvious first comparison is with Keith Jarrett's vast output in the medium, though I think this is a misleading comparison. Mehldau and Jarrett's styles could hardly be more dissimilar, much, I think, to Mehldau's benefit. Mehldau has carved a space and style out for himself and very rarely does he disappoint. This is a thoroughly enjoyable album. The dvd, with video of the concert, was fun to watch through as well, although I couldn't help but think the video quality was not very high (that might simply be because of my, admittedly mediocre TV).
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is my favorite solo piano album since Herbie Hancock's The Piano back in the 70's. It's challenging to not becoming stagnant with playing only one instrument over the course of two CD's, but Brad Mehldau is such an interesting and varied musician that it never becomes an issue. My personal favorite piece was Lilac Wine...very dramatic and simply beautiful. He also creatively covers Radiohead, Nirvana, Nick Drake and The Beatles...not to mention Bach, Brahms and Cole Porter.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Brad Mehldau is fantastic in "Live in Marciac." There are two sides to Brad, his solo piano and his trio. This set of a DVD and two CDs celebrates his solo piano side. You will love it. And the video of him playing on the DVD is superbly done. I could watch it 100 times.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Brad on hs own
lked it ,didn't loveit. Find Jarrett's solo work mich mpre sastisfying Will spend much more time with this producy to see what I;m missing
Published 5 months ago by lardawg
5.0 out of 5 stars
brad mehldau fan here-- not disappointed!
you probably will not be looking at this unless you are a diehard mehldau fan. i have seen him live 5 or 6 times and I always enjoy it more when I can see his hands. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Minimalist who hates shopping
5.0 out of 5 stars
not this but hopefully the next
I'm not reviewing this, the apparently latest Mehldau recording. I haven't heard it. Yet. Rather I'm hoping that the concert I heard last night at the Montreal Jazz Festival... Read more
Published 23 months ago by jjmmkk
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brad Mehldau Live in Marciac
Each of Brad's new tracks are just fantastic in this Marciac performance. His interpretation of 'Dat Dere' is absolutely solid and inspired me to get on the keyboard and have it... Read more
Published on March 11, 2011 by Clarke G. Isackson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another fine live recording from Brad Mehldau
I've got every Brad Mehldau release, plus many radio recordings, and his live performances are always interesting. Read more
Published on February 22, 2011 by Kirk McElhearn
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