Brad Mehldau’s Art of the Trio Recordings: 1996–2001 is due out on Nonesuch in just one week, December 6, and is featured in an extensive analysis from All About Jazz. "As an essential document of jazz in the late 1990s," writes All About Jazz's John Kelman, it explains "how Mehldau so quickly became one of his generation's most influential pianists ... [R]eissues like The Art of the Trio: Recordings 1996–2001 make abundantly clear that, when the history book of the latter part of the 20th century/early part of the new millennium is written, Mehldau will, no doubt, take a well-deserved place alongside predecessors such as Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett as one of the most important pianists of any generation."
Brad Mehldau’s Art of the Trio Recordings: 1996–2001 is due out on Nonesuch in just one week, December 6. The set includes the five original Art of the Trio albums (the fifth volume includes two CDs), released over a prolific four year period from 1997 to 2001; a seventh disc of previously unreleased material from shows at the Village Vanguard completes the box. These recordings feature Mehldau’s longtime trio with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy.
All About Jazz has published an extended-analysis review of the collection. The box set "serves as a refresher course on how to properly treat an artist who appears, seemingly out of nowhere, with a fresh perspective on a well-worn tradition," writes All About Jazz managing editor John Kelman in the piece.
"Listening to Mehldau and his trio evolve [over the course of the box set] ... is also a refresher on just how powerful yet understated this group could be," says Kelman, "and what a fine collective interpreter of songs, ranging from well-known standards to what was the beginning of a now-regular habit covering more contemporary sources like Nick Drake and Radiohead."
Kelman describes the trio format as "the mother ship" for Mehldau, the foundation of which is showcased on The Art of the Trio Recordings: 1996–2001. His All About Jazz piece concludes of the collection:
As an essential document of jazz in the late 1990s, it also explains—in one place and over the course of more than seven consistently engaging hours—just how Mehldau so quickly became one of his generation's most influential pianists. As he moves into his mid-40s, showing no signs of slowing down or settling into any kind of predictable norm, reissues like The Art of the Trio: Recordings 1996–2001 make abundantly clear that, when the history book of the latter part of the 20th century/early part of the new millennium is written, Mehldau will, no doubt, take a well-deserved place alongside predecessors such as Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett as one of the most important pianists of any generation.
There's much more in the complete piece, available at allaboutjazz.com.
To pre-order Brad Mehldau’s Art of the Trio Recordings: 1996–2001 and take advantage of the Nonesuch Store anniversary sale discount of 34% off SRP, head to the Nonesuch Store now.
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