Customer Reviews

Metheny Mehldau Quartet

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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

From the opening drum kick this is a significantlty more dynamic and impressive recording than the first collaboration, and that was a lovely pastoral recollection of the joys of Bill Evans and Jim Hall. For this one, Mehldau's full band jumps in and they rock harder throughout this disc than any of Metheny's stripped down Group ensembles. That's a very good thing for Metheny. Anything that opens him up beyond the closed ranks of Rodby and Mays pays significant dividends to his outlook. For Mehldau, to work with a protean guitarist like Metheny gives him an edge that sometimes lies subsurface in his own recordings.
This is more akin to what you might here from the Scandinavians, most specifically the irrepressible EST. Thus, you'll find that as terrifically as this is recorded, the music flies and rocks and pushes all the principles in more adventuresome dynamics than are standard fare for them. Without question, this is a stand out disc in Metheny's impressive body of work and should be on any jazz devotee's i-pod, cd spinner, whatever. This is a keeper. Small wonders abound as well. The usual geeky use of the 42-string harp guitar, which most times is a tech-head diversion of little significant contribution, is here put to great employ in the service of the cuts on which it appears. There may be a point to all that after all.
I am still waiting for Metheny to get on the download bandwagon, as Live he is a different beast altogether. And last year's Quartet with the Sanchez's and Christian McBride in Wilmington was possibly the best concert of his I have ever seen, warts and all. Who knows maybe he'd even more time to stay home? Anyway, we'll dream on and celebrate this effort. 5 stars and superb all the way.

I've been a Pat Metheny fan for a long time and have seen him play in many different configurations. While I prefer his group recordings best - the richness and texture it brings to the music cannot be matched - I found Quartet to be a very enjoyable and worthwhile recording.

I approached this album with a little trepidation because I found Metheny and Mehldau's duet album from last year to be a little too sparse and laid back for my tastes. Fortunately, the addition of bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard to the mix this time around gives the album a fuller sound. The songs are all very good but there are three or four that stand out in particular: "A Night Away" was co-written by Metheny and Mehldau and is a very lively number with a catchy melody and some great solos. "The Sound of Water" is a duet with features the unique and unmistakable sound of Metheny's 42 string Picasso guitar interwoven with some solid comping by Mehldau. "Towards the Light" is a number that would easily fit within The Pat Metheny Group's discography and features an imaginative pairing of Mehldau's piano and Metheny's signature guitar synth sound. Secret Beach is another amazing tune; it starts out as a slow, languid ballad and after some inspired soloing, Metheny turns it on its ear by belting out another amazing guitar synth solo.

While I still prefer the signature sound of The Pat Metheny Group, there is no denying that Quartet is a solid effort by two very gifted musicians with some great songs and memorable solos.

This is a superb collaboration. Such beautiful, honest, subtle musical story telling. It's the most creatively that Metheny has played in years. Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard are absolute geniuses in their own right. And Brad Mehldau is just on a another plane - he is incredible.

The new quartet truly respects each others' styles, yet they don't play as individualists - they truly collaborate and amplify one another's work. The duos between Metheny and Mehldau are like a yin and yang dancing around one another - they just work together. Established structures emerge and then unwind in various directions in a way that just seems to make sense. Hard to put into words. It's sophisticated, beautiful, challenging, and exhilarating.

I am please to announce that with Pat Methany as a stabilizing influence, Brad Mehldau has triumphantly returned to make the most listenable enjoyable album he has made in years. The quartet format seems to suit both artists well!

When Brad Mehldau first appreared I thought he was the best thing since Bill Evans. In his Art of the Trio series he penned and played a lot of Jazz classics somewhat on the melancholy side, but I like that. Recently tho he's made a lot of albums with what I can only call a maniacal, driven quality where he often repeat phrases over and over hoping something new will drop out of them, with far too much force and dissonance.

Methany, on the other hand, seem to have invented the synth guitar - certainly has for 25 years or more found more textures than anyone else. The 42 string guitar is a revelation in sound. He has made the guitar sound like any other instrument you can name. His sound is more laid back.

The tunes herein rely on Methany's melodic sense with Mehldau working hand in glove with Methanys direction. The only song I didn't like, the Kafka/Kierkegaard-esq "Fear and Trembling" , turned out to be a Mehldau original... But the rest is thoughtful, melodic, inventive and shows both, if not all musicians listening carefully together toward an organic whole. Most of the tunes come from Methany or other musicians which frees up the quartet to improvize!

My wife and I thought it'd be cool to spend a weekend in Toronto and see the Metheny/Mehldau Quartet. We were right!! The studio recording does a nice job of capturing what the quartet did live. This is one of those rare cd's that'll reside in your car stereo player for a week at a time. Highly recommended.

Have you ever had a CD that you seem play over and over without ever getting sick of it? Well, this is one of those CDs. We own many other Pat Metheny CDs, but this quickly became a favorite.

This is a second Metheny Mehldau experience which combines the genius ability of a world class guitar player with a shining star piano player. The result? stunning and interesting!