When great minds come together, great things happen, as is evident with the Brad Mehldau trio. After all, in the last few decades, this trio has made its way up the rankings, making waves wherever it goes. We look at what makes it special and why everyone has been raving about their Blues and Ballads album.
Is Three a Crowd
They say two’s company and three’s a crowd. But this could not be further from the truth when it comes to this amazing jazz ensemble. At the top, we have Brad Mehldau, an amazing jazz pianist who grew up playing the piano, participating in concert bands, and has formal jazz training. Add his eagerness to try new things and his ear for detail and voila, you have innovative jazz music that takes expression to the next realm.
But as any good jazz musician will tell you, it takes more than one talented person to keep the music coming. So, Brad works with a team. In the past, his go-to people were Larry Grenadier, his bassist, and Jorge Rossy, his drummer. While Rossy is no longer with the team, Brad can now count on Jeff Ballard to keep the drum harmony going.
This trio is known for its unique approach to jazz. Rather than go with just the traditional elements you can expect of any music in this genre, the team also works with other genres, including rock, pop, and classical music. They are also great at improvising melodies to make them even more signature and have been known to work with other artists to achieve even more unique rhythmic variations.
It’s clear that teamwork makes the dream work, seeing as the trio has released tons of amazing albums, including Live in Tokyo and Brad Mehldau Trio Live. Of course, we would be remiss not to mention the album that is our focus – Blues and Ballads.
Blues and Ballads – Peeling Away the Layers
ROn 3rd June 2016, the Brad Mehldau trio announced that they had a new album featuring Larry on bass, Jeff on the drums, and Brad on the piano. And the focus? Well, the trio went for the twofer by combining blues and ballads. Such a combo requires musicians to connect with their emotions at a deep level, as was the case in this album. The seven songs all had a unique yet profound message that connected with the audience as follows:
- Since I fell for you—Have you been through the ups and downs of love? This song, which focuses on romantic relationships, captures these moments.
- I concentrate on you—Part of being in love is to devote yourself to your lover. The trio highlighted this in this Cole Porter song, improvising a tune that has proven to be timeless.
- Little person—Self-acceptance is a huge theme in our world right now. The trio took on this Jon Brion song, pushing people to find their place in the world.
- Cheryl—Love has a fun side, as Charlie Parker portrayed in this upbeat song. The trio did a good job of bringing out this playfulness in this lyric-free but catchy tune.
- These foolish things remind me of you – Nostalgia is a powerful feeling. If you’re hoping to go down that road of longing, this tune will take you there.
- And I love her—Can you ever go wrong with The Beatles? As this trio proved, not at all! This gentle song is all about conveying affection for a lover.
- My Valentine—Paul McCartney did a stellar job with this song. Brad and his team found a way to preserve its timelessness while bringing out the nuances of gratitude and affection.
All the songs in the album are covers of songs that are well-known in the industry. As such, the trio had quite a task to ensure that what they did was outstanding enough to warrant a second listen from their audience. How did they do it?
- They made the storytelling personal. Covers are not supposed to be copies of the original work. And the trio understood this all too well. By listening to their work, you can tell that they injected their own experiences into the songs, resulting in a refreshing new take.
- They pushed their skills to the next level. Everyone put their best foot forward. Brad was at the piano, exploring harmonies and rhythms to create unique melodies. Larry was at the bass, ensuring that his work was the perfect foundation, and Jeff was at the drums, adding complexity to the rhythms and lending energy to the ensemble.
- They maintained the core elements. Every song is special, and artists must respect this when working on covers. The trio brought in their perspectives without overshadowing what the original artists had done.
Conclusion
Thanks to their unique skills and roles, the trio was able to complement each other such that the final album fit like a glove. And with the critics throwing positive reviews their way, it was clear that their project was a success!