Quartet

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Release Date
DescriptionExcerpt

Mehldau’s rhythm section appears on these expansive tracks from the landmark 2005 Metheny/Mehldau sessions. Says the Washington Post, “[Larry] Grenadier and [Jeff] Ballard provide a rhythmic grounding that seems to focus the two leaders into more sharply shaped phrases.”

Description

“Individually, the performers are as sharp as you would expect, but it is their interplay that sets this release apart. Mehldau’s knack for probing away at the structure of a tune and Metheny’s fleet-fingered flights of fancy complement each other beautifully.”—Independent (UK)

Nonesuch releases the second collaboration between guitarist Pat Metheny and pianist Brad Mehldau—Quartet—on March 13, 2007. The record features seven tracks written by Metheny, three by Mehldau, and one jointly written tune. Mehldau’s bandmates, drummer Jeff Ballard and bassist Larry Grenadier, play on seven of the songs, while the remaining three are duets. The four musicians go on a 27-city North American tour—including stops in Los Angeles, Berkeley, Chicago, Boston, Washington, and New York—March 15–April 15.

Quartet follows the 2006 release Metheny Mehldau, which primarily was a duet record (with Ballard and Grenadier on two tracks), and also featured original compositions by Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau. Jazzwise (UK)called that album “the jazz event of the year by some distance.” “I have followed Brad’s career closely as he has emerged as the major young jazz musician of his generation,” Metheny says. “Somehow it always seemed like we would do something together. From the first note of the first take of the first tune we played, we both could just play pretty much full out.”

Mehldau agrees: “When you do a collaborative project with someone, one thing that you hope is that neither of you will have to adjust too radically to make the other person comfortable. In this situation with Pat, it was the opposite.” He continues, “Having the chance to make music with Pat Metheny has been nothing short of a dream come true for me. Pat is one of the musicians who made me want to play jazz from an early age.”

ProductionCredits

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Produced by Pat Metheny
Recorded December 2005 at Right Track Recording, New York, NY
Engineered by Pete Karam
Assistant Engineers: Hyomin Kang, Angie Teo, Justin Schturtz
Mixed by Rob Eaton at Right Track Recording
Additional Mixing by Pete Karam
Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, New York, NY
Guitar Tech: Carolyn Chrzan
Production assistance: David Oakes

Design by Doyle Partners
Cover photograph by Arild Danielsen

Executive Producer: Robert Hurwitz

Nonesuch Selection Number

104188

Number of Discs in Set
1disc
ns_album_artistid
220
ns_album_id
665
ns_album_releasedate
ns_genre_1
0
ns_genre_2
0
Album Status
Artist Name
Pat Metheny
Brad Mehldau
MusicianDetails

MUSICIANS
Pat Metheny, guitar (1, 3, 6-8, 10, 11), 42-string guitar (2), acoustic guitar (4), guitar synth (5, 9)
Brad Mehldau, piano (1-11)
Larry Grenadier, bass (1-11)
Jeff Ballard, drums (1-11)

Cover Art
UPC/Price
Label
CD+MP3
Price
0.00
UPC
075597999402BUN
Label
MP3
Price
11.00
UPC
075597999396
  • 104188

News & Reviews

  • Brad Mehldau’s After Bach II and Après Fauré are due May 10 on Nonesuch Records. The Bach album comprises four preludes and one fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier, as well as the Allemande from the fourth Partita, interspersed with seven compositions or improvisations by Mehldau inspired by the complementary works of Bach—including Mehldau’s Variations on Bach’s Goldberg Theme. On Après Fauré, Mehldau performs four nocturnes, from a thirty-seven-year span of Gabriel Fauré’s career, as well as a reduction of an excerpt from the Adagio movement of his Piano Quartet in G Minor. Here Mehldau’s four compositions that Fauré inspired are presented in a group, bookended by two sections featuring the French composer’s works.

  • The 2024 Big Ears Festival is next week, taking place in venues throughout downtown Knoxville, TN, March 21–24, with more than a dozen Nonesuch artists past, present, and future performing as part of the label's 60th anniversary celebrations. In addition to all of the music and film offerings, Big Ears also hosts a number of artist conversations with music journalists Ann Powers and Nate Chinen, including talks with Sam Amidon, Laurie Anderson, Darcy James Argue, Rhiannon Giddens, Mary Halvorson, Robin Holcomb, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Brad Mehldau, Davóne Tines, and Yasmin Williams.

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  • About This Album

    “Individually, the performers are as sharp as you would expect, but it is their interplay that sets this release apart. Mehldau’s knack for probing away at the structure of a tune and Metheny’s fleet-fingered flights of fancy complement each other beautifully.”—Independent (UK)

    Nonesuch releases the second collaboration between guitarist Pat Metheny and pianist Brad Mehldau—Quartet—on March 13, 2007. The record features seven tracks written by Metheny, three by Mehldau, and one jointly written tune. Mehldau’s bandmates, drummer Jeff Ballard and bassist Larry Grenadier, play on seven of the songs, while the remaining three are duets. The four musicians go on a 27-city North American tour—including stops in Los Angeles, Berkeley, Chicago, Boston, Washington, and New York—March 15–April 15.

    Quartet follows the 2006 release Metheny Mehldau, which primarily was a duet record (with Ballard and Grenadier on two tracks), and also featured original compositions by Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau. Jazzwise (UK)called that album “the jazz event of the year by some distance.” “I have followed Brad’s career closely as he has emerged as the major young jazz musician of his generation,” Metheny says. “Somehow it always seemed like we would do something together. From the first note of the first take of the first tune we played, we both could just play pretty much full out.”

    Mehldau agrees: “When you do a collaborative project with someone, one thing that you hope is that neither of you will have to adjust too radically to make the other person comfortable. In this situation with Pat, it was the opposite.” He continues, “Having the chance to make music with Pat Metheny has been nothing short of a dream come true for me. Pat is one of the musicians who made me want to play jazz from an early age.”

    Credits

    MUSICIANS
    Pat Metheny, guitar (1, 3, 6-8, 10, 11), 42-string guitar (2), acoustic guitar (4), guitar synth (5, 9)
    Brad Mehldau, piano (1-11)
    Larry Grenadier, bass (1-11)
    Jeff Ballard, drums (1-11)

    PRODUCTION CREDITS
    Produced by Pat Metheny
    Recorded December 2005 at Right Track Recording, New York, NY
    Engineered by Pete Karam
    Assistant Engineers: Hyomin Kang, Angie Teo, Justin Schturtz
    Mixed by Rob Eaton at Right Track Recording
    Additional Mixing by Pete Karam
    Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, New York, NY
    Guitar Tech: Carolyn Chrzan
    Production assistance: David Oakes

    Design by Doyle Partners
    Cover photograph by Arild Danielsen

    Executive Producer: Robert Hurwitz

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