Leave it to Brad Mehldau; over 300 minutes of solo piano are presented here in formats of vinyl, digital and cd. But, since this is one of jazz’s most important pianists, even the concept of a collection of music performed by himself is taken as a suite of sorts. The various themed subsets are, in order, Dark/Light, The Concert, Intermezzo/Ruckblick and E Minor/E Major. More than anything else, it makes this overflowing of personal music more digestible in smaller doses. As with similar opuses by the likes of Art Tatum, Earl Hines and Keith Jarrett, this was not music to be imbibed in one sitting, but tasted and returned to over and over again.
Even as a whole unit, certain observations arise. There is a plethora of material from Paul McCartney and John Lennon, including “Blackbird,” “And I Love Her” and “Junk.” Baby Boomer material such as The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows,” Pink Floyd’s “Hey You” and The Kinks’ “Waterloo Sunset” and Gen X pieces such as “Knives Out” by Radiohead and “Holland” by Sufjan Stevens fit right with standards “On The Street Where You Live” and bop classics such as “Countdown,” “Monk’s Mood” and “Think of One.” The fact that all of this is sandwiched between classical, bossa nova and originals reveals much about how ecumenical Mehldau has been over the years in terms of what message he has been trying to convey via his medium.
Then there is his delivery. Except for a handful of instances, most of the material is mid tempo or just a dash below. Even the normally torrid “Countdown” is downshifted and Bobby Timmons’ “This Here,” while retaining its gospel feel, comes across more as a recitative than a prep for the sermon. Reflective melodies are in abundance, and Mehldau dissects them with a conscious precision and concentration that lets his fingers cut down to the marrow of a softly translated “My Favorite Things” and contemplative “I’m Old Fashioned.” Where Tatum is Titian Blue Rococo, Hines is smoky gin joint and Jarrett is rhapsodic, Mehldau is introspective. The fact that he is able to communicate through his inward journeys is commendable, and it makes this marathon able to be absorbed with appreciation.
Nonesuch Records