This is Brad Meldau’s second release this year with his trio with Larry Grenadier/b and Jeff Ballard/dr. His previous one, Ode, emphasized the group’s interplay on original compositions, while this bookend is comprised of covers of music that truly covers the waterfront, speaking to listeners from multiple generations. For the old time jazz aficionado, Mehldau demonstrates his chops and backbone on some classic hard bop with Sonny Rollins’ “Airgin” and Clifford Brown’s “Brownie Speaks.” On these tunes, the band shows incisive assertiveness, and Ballard’s hand work stands up against anything Max Roach could have thrown at him. On the other side of the spectrum, Mehldau interprets material from contemporary indie writers such as Sufjan Stevens, Chico Baraque and Nick Drake, and makes it work exceedingly well, creating a whole new canon of standards right before our eyes. Mehldau’s fingering on “Baby Plays Around” is as poignant and lyrical as you’d ever find on a Bill Evans album, and “Time Has Told Me” has agonizing harmonies that the lyrics only hint about. And if you want to know if Mehldau can play the blues, just check out his take of Jimi Hendrix’s “Hey Joe,” and have some fun seeing where he takes it. Mehldau, unlike some political leaders, chooses to lead from the front.
Nonesuch Records