Metheny Mehldau Quartet

Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 13, 2007)
• Original Release Date: February 13, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nonesuch
• ASIN: B000MRNTKO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,118 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #17 in Music > Jazz > Avant Garde & Free Jazz
  • #39 in Music > Jazz > Jazz Fusion
  • #49 in Music > Jazz > Modern Postbebop

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

New Age-leaning guitarist Pat Metheny and melancholic pianist Brad Mehldau have such distinctive, even rarified, sensibilities (each an acquired taste for some listeners), that their teaming may have looked like a one-time commercial ploy in the beginning. But having found rewarding common ground and a receptive audience through their shared love of pop, Brazilian music and Americana, they likely will work together again. Recorded at the same time as their first album, a duo effort, Quartet takes a satisfying step forward in featuring the Mehldau trio's first-rate bass and drum team, Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard, on most of the tracks. Ranging from rhapsodic reflections to full-tilt fusion fare to loping, Wes Montgomery-inspired tunes--and let's not overlook that Asian-tinged song featuring Metheny on 42-string guitar--the music is sometimes a bit soft at the core. But when the stars are aligned, as on the effortlessly flowing, co-written opener, "A Night Away," and Metheny's charming "En La Tierra Que No Olvida," their partnership glows. It will be interesting to hear where they go from here. --Lloyd Sachs

Product Description

Quartet expands upon the "dream pairing" - begun by guitarist Pat Metheny and pianist Brad Mehldau on their 2006 Nonesuch collaboration, Metheny/Mehldau. This time they incorporate the members of Mehldau's trio, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard, into a breathtakingly eclectic set, which ranges from the airy, pastoral "Don't Wait" to straight-up rocking in the slowly building "Towards the Light." Last year, London's Evening Standard described Metheny and Mehldau as "graceful, lyrical improvisers...It's a duo performance that deserves to tour." Now the pair is indeed hitting the road, along with Mehldau's two band-mates, in March for a month of shows throughout North America in support of Quartet. The 11 tracks that comprise Quartet were cut during the week-length December 2005 session at Manhattan's Right Track that yielded Metheny /Mehldau, a recording date that, over time, will surely be considered a landmark in contemporary jazz. On Quartet, each artist contributes original solo compositions as well as their first co-written piece, "A Night Away." The group also reworks Mehldau's "Fear and Trembling," which originally appeared on House On Hill, Mehldau's final outing with his previous trio lineup. It also interprets Metheny's "Marta's Theme," from his score to the 1998 Italian film, A Passage to Paradise. Quartet is perhaps even more adventurous and just as rewarding as their first release; the exhilarating back and forth between Metheny and Mehldau continues with their eagerly awaited live dates.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very satisfying, March 15, 2007

By 

Jan P. Dennis "Longboard jazzer" (Monument, CO USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Metheny Mehldau Quartet (Audio CD)

A continuation of the earlier historic meeting of these two seminal jazz artists, the eponymous Metheny/Mehldau disc which was released exactly six months earlier, Quartet reverses the proceedings, featuring mainly quartet numbers (Metheny, electric, acoustic, 42-string, and guitar synth; Mehldau, piano; Larry Grenadier, bass; and Jeff Ballard, drums, the last two the rhythm section of Mehldau's regular trio) and a few Metheny/Mehldau duos.

After repeated listenings, I'm convinced this disc displays all the earmarks of a classic--great songs, spectacular playing by the leaders, magical group interaction; and it's brilliantly recorded as well, with stunning clarity and imaging. The mercurial Metheny displays his full arsenal: lovely romantic acoustic musings on "Don't Wait"; the mysterioso/Celtic-sounding 42-string guitar on "The Sound of Water"; if not exactly guitar heroics, some serious e-guitar shredding on "Fear and Trembling"; the trademark synth guitar, going all the way back to at least Offramp, lighting up the anthemic "Towards the Light" and more gently gracing the balladic, samba-ish "Secret Beach". The highlight for me is the friendly/forbidding "En la Tierra Que no Olvida" (roughly translated, I believe, as "In the Land Where no One Lives"--nicely evoking the Scottish Highlands of the sleeve cover, or, perhaps some Scandinavian wastes, or even Patagonia, given the Latinate vibe) which lilts and gambols with measured frenzy, casually evoking "Are You Going with Me" and also exhibiting Mehldau's sly brilliance with Latin material.

Throughout, Mehldau displays his huge chops lightly worn, always finding the exact chordal voicings on his splendid comping, and soloing with a controlled abandon. But it's their dual lead approach, best demonstrated on "Santa Cruz Slacker," a loping bloozy number, that fully reveals these two players' genius, whether they're doubling a tricky melodic or rhythmic passage, or spinning out back-to-back solo statements, or simultaneously improvising, as they do near the end of the piece. This number also most fully displays Jeff Ballard's unique drum approach--hugely coloristic without too much busyness.

This disc, although perhaps not as wildly expressive of some of the more innovative contemporary jazz (one thinks, e.g., of Our Theory, Triosk, and The Claudia Quintet), nevertheless moves across the borders of classic and modern jazz with the ease and conviction one expects from two of this music's greatest masters. Very highly recommended.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than the first one!, March 22, 2007

By 

Olukayode Balogun (Leeds, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Metheny Mehldau Quartet (Audio CD)

These two guys are very clever. Putting their incredible musical capabilities to one side for a minute, they are obviously good businessmen as well. It would seem to me that while the first set of songs they put out last year on the Metheny / Mehldau CD were pretty good, they definitely saved the best till last. I'm guessing it's also going to work out better for them to have the two sets on separate albums when it seems they could've easily put everything out on a double CD last year.

Not that I'm complaining. Good music is always worth paying a little extra for in my humble view and there is good music aplenty on this CD. There are more songs in the quartet format here than in the last one, hence the title I suppose, and Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard more than step up to the plate. While Mehldau sticks to playing piano, Metheny gives us 42-string guitar, acoustic guitar and guitar synth (which works better on this CD than on the last one, I would say).

Each song says something different to me and touches me in different ways. I have no favourites. This is a solid set of 11 modern jazz songs. Metheny writes 7 of them, Mehldau writes 3 and one of the songs is co-written by them both. The more I play it, the more I love it.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better Than The First One, April 27, 2007

By 

John Terry "musiclikerguy" (Kansas City, Mo) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Metheny Mehldau Quartet (Audio CD)

The first collaboration between these label mates and jazz giants seemed a little tentative. Like both men were afraid of stepping on each other toes. It was pleasant enough but in my mind fell a little short. I'm willing to admit that my expectations from these two men are probably unreasonably high. However, outing number two seems like Pat and Brad are more comfortable with each other and have found a groove. The proceedings tend to be dominated by Pat but Brad doesn't exactly slip into the roll of sideman. He is given the opportunity to show why he's probably the best jazz pianist out there today. Pat is, well Pat. A sublime, deeply satisfying experience and the very model of understated brilliance. Cool!Metheny Mehldau Quartet