Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman head out for a duo tour of Europe, starting with two shows in Spain this weekend, followed by stops in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg, with a return to Spain for a final tour stop at the Voll-Damm Barcelona International Jazz Festival. The duo head to Australia in January and resume their US duo tour in the spring. Mehldau has a number of solo gigs ahead as well, a duo show with Joe Henry in London, and a trio show with Joe Martin and original Brad Mehldau Trio dummer Jorge Rossy in Spain.

Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau, who recently concluded a US duo tour and will be bringing the show to Europe next week, are now slated to perform together for three duo shows in Australia in January. Redman and Mehldau will perform two shows in Sydney—at the Concourse Chatswood Concert Hall and City Recital Hall Angel Place—as part of the 2012 Sydney Festival and one at the Melbourne Recital Centre. The US duo tour resumes in the spring.

The results of the 76th annual DownBeat Readers Poll have been announced, and topping the list for Jazz Album of the Year is Brad Mehldau's solo CD/DVD Live in Marciac. Mehldau was also named the year's Best Pianist. Joining him among DownBeat readers' favorites are two Nonesuch artists with whom Mehldau has collaborated: Pat Metheny, named Best Guitarist, and Joshua Redman, named Best Tenor Saxophone. “There is no recording more befitting the title of Jazz Album of the Year than Brad Mehldau’s Live in Marciac," says DownBeat. "He is setting a new standard.”

Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman, longtime friends and frequent collaborators, head out for a brief duo tour of the United States, starting in Easton, Pennsylvania, tonight, followed by stops in Philadelphia, New York City, Ithaca, and San Francisco, where the duo makes its West Coast debut at the San Francisco Jazz Festival. As the San Francisco Chronicle writes: "Two of jazz's most gifted improvisers converse in the moment." They head to Europe next month for a tour of Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg.

Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman, longtime friends and frequent collaborators, head out for a three-week duo tour of Europe, heading to Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, and France. Following a solo tour for Mehldau and shows with James Farm for Redman, the two reunite for additional duo dates in the US and Europe this fall. Reviewing the duo's set at the Ottawa Jazz Festival, the Ottawa Citizen says they make "music of uncommon depth and simpatico." All About Jazz says they "delivered a performance that will be remembered by those lucky enough to be there, for a long time to come."

James Farm and their self-titled debut album are featured on NPR's All Things Considered today. "New bands don't come along every day in jazz," says NPR's Tom Moon. "But listen to these unusual compositions, and to the lively exchanges that erupt inside of them. Even though these players can only make a partial commitment of time to James Farm, they're fully committed musically." The Los Angeles Times says: "While the term 'supergroup' may be a loaded concept, it's hard not to consider James Farm one ... The new ground covered by [Joshua] Redman and cohorts casts a spell of its own."

James Farm kicked off its four-night residency at New York's Jazz Standard last night with two stellar sets featuring songs from their self-titled debut album. The band stopped by WNYC's Soundcheck earlier this week to discuss and perform songs off the new record. You can listen to the segment and watch the band perform "Polliwog" in a video from the show here. You can also listen to a bonus web exclusive performance from the session of "Bijoux."

James Farm, featuring Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman, and Eric Harland, is today's guest on WNYC's Soundcheck. The quartet sets up shop at the NY's Jazz Standard this week for a four-night residency. The New York Times says the band members "share a fondness for sleek convolution and introspective groove. As on their impressive new debut, self-titled and on the Nonesuch label, they’ll reach here for a cohesive and conscientiously eclectic sound."

James Farm, the collaborative band featuring Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman, and Eric Harland, launches its world tour this weekend in Tel Aviv, Israel. The tour continues over the next month with performances throughout Europe, before returning to the States for four-nights at NY's Jazz Standard plus summer festival sets at Caramoor, Newport, and Monterey. "The power from these four dynamos throbs beneath the surface," says Arts Journal. Their "album has a fine balance between peacefulness and strength."

James Farm, the self-titled debut album from the collaborative band featuring Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman, and Eric Harland, is out now. The album uses traditional acoustic jazz quartet instrumentation for its song-based approach to jazz and incorporates the members’ myriad influences: rock, soul, folk, classical, electronica. The New York Times calls it "a model of dazzling proficiency." The Times of London and the Financial Times give the album four stars.

Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman, Timothy Andres and others join forces for the world premiere of Mehldau's Rock 'n' Roll Dances No. 3 and 4 at Carnegie Hall and at the Sanders Theatre in Cambridge this weekend; Mehldau and Andres also perform excerpts from Andres's Shy and Mighty. The BBC says of Mehldau's "excellent" new album, Live in Marciac: "After repeated hearings, the music sounds as fresh as ever ... His music is so rich that at times it is possible to believe two players are at work." All About Jazz says it "stands out as a signpost on Mehldau's evolutionary path." PopMatters calls it "100 minutes of pure uninterrupted piano virtuosity" through which "Mehldau is able to show off the full scope of his sickening talents."

Following their US tour, Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau have brought their duo set to Europe for the coming week, with performances in Norway, Italy, Turkey, Belgium, France, and Switzerland. Mehldau was featured on BBC Radio 3's Radio 3 Requests, which played the Mehldau Trio's take on Oasis' "Wonderwall" from Live and spoke with Mehldau about his Guest Request Choice for the week.