Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny - Metheny Mehldau Quartet
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Free Music Notes for Metheny Mehldau Quartet
Free Music Review: A wonderful combination
Hit: 5 Stars
This is a second Metheny Mehldau experience which combines the genius ability of a world class guitar player with a shining star piano player. The result? stunning and interesting!Free Music Review: A Satisfying and Accessible Collaboration
Hit: 4 Stars
I've been a Pat Metheny fan for a long time and have seen him play in many different configurations. While I prefer his group recordings best - the richness and texture it brings to the music cannot be matched - I found Quartet to be a very enjoyable and worthwhile recording.
I approached this album with a little trepidation because I found Metheny and Mehldau's duet album from last year to be a little too sparse and laid back for my tastes. Fortunately, the addition of bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard to the mix this time around gives the album a fuller sound. The songs are all very good but there are three or four that stand out in particular: "A Night Away" was co-written by Metheny and Mehldau and is a very lively number with a catchy melody and some great solos. "The Sound of Water" is a duet with features the unique and unmistakable sound of Metheny's 42 string Picasso guitar interwoven with some solid comping by Mehldau. "Towards the Light" is a number that would easily fit within The Pat Metheny Group's discography and features an imaginative pairing of Mehldau's piano and Metheny's signature guitar synth sound. Secret Beach is another amazing tune; it starts out as a slow, languid ballad and after some inspired soloing, Metheny turns it on its ear by belting out another amazing guitar synth solo.
While I still prefer the signature sound of The Pat Metheny Group, there is no denying that Quartet is a solid effort by two very gifted musicians with some great songs and memorable solos.
Free Music Review: thoughtful, melodic, inventive return for Mehldau, well tuned quartet with Methany
Hit: 4 Stars
I am please to announce that with Pat Methany as a stabilizing influence, Brad Mehldau has triumphantly returned to make the most listenable enjoyable album he has made in years. The quartet format seems to suit both artists well!
When Brad Mehldau first appreared I thought he was the best thing since Bill Evans. In his Art of the Trio series he penned and played a lot of Jazz classics somewhat on the melancholy side, but I like that. Recently tho he's made a lot of albums with what I can only call a maniacal, driven quality where he often repeat phrases over and over hoping something new will drop out of them, with far too much force and dissonance.
Methany, on the other hand, seem to have invented the synth guitar - certainly has for 25 years or more found more textures than anyone else. The 42 string guitar is a revelation in sound. He has made the guitar sound like any other instrument you can name. His sound is more laid back.
The tunes herein rely on Methany's melodic sense with Mehldau working hand in glove with Methanys direction. The only song I didn't like, the Kafka/Kierkegaard-esq "Fear and Trembling" , turned out to be a Mehldau original... But the rest is thoughtful, melodic, inventive and shows both, if not all musicians listening carefully together toward an organic whole. Most of the tunes come from Methany or other musicians which frees up the quartet to improvize!
Free Music Review: Pretty decent album, grows on you real fast
Hit: 4 Stars
"It is not Metheny's best album" - we can pretty much say this of any artist/band that puts out an album these days - we each have our own favorite (Watercolors, Wichita Falls, Imaginary Day, Travels, American Garage, Still Life, etc.). However, this IS a strong album, a real strong one. Mehldau isn't as good as Lyle Mays, I agree, when you blend it in this sort of context - not taking anything away from his incredible talent - I just think that Lyle Mays fits better with Metheny, but anyways, we are talking about a different lineup here. The music is refreshing. Mehldau does a fantastic job on this album. He isn't trying to dominate the lineup at all. His playing comes across as honest.
Yes, this sounds a bit like a Metheny album. Part of the reason is the unmistakable sound of Metheny's guitar synth and the slight pop flavor. The music flows very well, the songs -- all new compositions, I think -- are very, very solid, and you'll find plenty of great guitar solos and cool comping. It's not as energetic as the album "I can see your house from here", but it's not Musaak either. It's something in between. There's plenty of interesting musical moments, if not on the chops, then in the texture of the music. It's got its own Watercolors moments...
Metheny's playing on this album is a combination of his early style and a lot of Wes Montgomery.
Free Music Review: Better Than The First One
Hit: 4 Stars
The first collaboration between these label mates and jazz giants seemed a little tentative. Like both men were afraid of stepping on each other toes. It was pleasant enough but in my mind fell a little short. I'm willing to admit that my expectations from these two men are probably unreasonably high. However, outing number two seems like Pat and Brad are more comfortable with each other and have found a groove. The proceedings tend to be dominated by Pat but Brad doesn't exactly slip into the roll of sideman. He is given the opportunity to show why he's probably the best jazz pianist out there today. Pat is, well Pat. A sublime, deeply satisfying experience and the very model of understated brilliance. Cool!Metheny Mehldau Quartet