But sometimes strange is good, and in this case, the unexpected turns sublime. Brad Mehldau is a master at tickling the ivories. A jazz pianist who for the most part performs and records with a trio, he has an impressive resume. Celebrated for his spontaneous and instinctive style of playing, he is champion of the improv. He has performed with the jazz greats of our time, been was appointed curator of an annual four-concert jazz series at London’s prestigious Wigmore Hall and a holder of the Richard and Barbara Debs Composer’s Chair at Carnegie Hall—the first jazz artist ever to do so. And he interprets Radiohead with such vitality and relevance, the songs are a revelation. Not that Radiohead wouldn’t hold it’s own, they are one of the greatest alternative bands of all time, in my opinion. But somehow the treatment the songs receive under Mehldaus deft fingers add a whole new layer and dimension which is thrilling to hear. How a dedicated jazz artist started covering a band like Radiohead was a happy accident by being burnt out on “buying every possible jazz record out there” so friends introduced him to “new” influences. Exit Music (for a Film),” (from the Radiohead’s “OK Computer” album) sounds almost classical through Mehldaus’s vision and paranoid android,” (also from “OK Computer” ) picks out an aching melody with a funky edge. It may be argued that by covering contemporary artists Mehldau might also be seducing a younger audience to give jazz a try, and why not? I hear he already has fervent younger fans flocking to his shows.
The master at work:
EXIT MUSIC
PARANOID ANDROID
