Meet Jazz Pianist Brad Mehldau

Meet Jazz Pianist Brad Mehldau

by Lisa Hummel

Join the Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz for their first concert of 2001. On January 21, jazz pianist Brad Mehldau is coming to the Harrisburg Hilton and Towers ballroom for a one-night only performance.

Fresh off the heels of the release of his latest album, 2000’s Places, Mehldau has been praised for his sound — a harmonious and structured style that has drawn comparison to such renowned modern piano legends as Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and Lennie Tristano. A classically trained pianist, Mehldau began playing the instrument as a child, formed his own jazz trio in 1994, and released his first album, Introducing Brad Mehldau, a year later. Since that time, Mehldau has released six albums, including his series, Art of the Trio, a collection that has been released in four parts to date.

Currently fronting the trio of bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, Mehldau and company have made a name for themselves with their adventurous play, incorporating a blend of other genres, such as rock, with the traditional jazz format. Perhaps the leading modern jazz pianist of this generation, Mehldau is no stranger to other works of contemporary media — he has performed on the soundtracks for a variety of recent films, including Space Cowboys, Eyes Wide Shut, and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Although still at an early stage in his career, if the accolades Mehldau has received in the past three years are any indication, his future is a bright one. In 1997 alone, he was honored as Debut Artist of the Year by the New York Jazz Awards, Best New Artist by the Jazz Times Readers Poll, Jazz Album of the Year for The Art of the Trio, Vol. 1 in the UPI Top 10, and was named a Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo. And the awards and honors have done nothing but continue. The precursor to Places, 1999’s Elegiac Cycle, was named among the top ten albums of that year by Time Magazine.

Brad Mehldau will be at the Hilton Ballroom on January 21 at 5 p.m. For tickets and information, call 540-1010.