Brad Mehldau - Elegiac Cycles

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• MEHLDAU BRAD ELEGIAC CYCLES

Music reviews of Elegiac Cycles

Music Review: Beautiful and Poignant Solo Piano Crosses Genres.
Rating: 5 Stars

The ideas underlining this production are put forward in some fascinating liner notes written by Brad which help to frame the pieces. Extra marks earned here for going to the trouble of articulating his deepest ruminations on music and art; excellent food for thought while listening to the music.

Not being a fan of solo piano I was a little reticent about this release at first but immediately had to revise that view. The compositions are all very well suited to the voice and resources of the solo piano. While the sensibilities of a Bill Evans session are evoked and developed here there are many other qalities and nuances introduced. "Memory's Tricks" raises the spirit of Rachmaninov while Liszt, Debussy and Ravel seem to be Brad's muses in other pieces such as "Bard". "Lament for Linus" is beautiful as is "Goodbye Storyteller". All the other tracks are also excellent.

Much about the nature of this music is stated in the title "Elegiac Cycle". Yes, the sound is in-line with the concept of an elegy, a mournful and heartfelt statement in music. In addition, the overall feel of the set is that of a suite or cycle with themes repeated towards the end of the piece in a to emphasise that the music has come back to it's point of embarcation.

The themes which Brad has created here are very poignant and memorable - this is music which gets it's hooks into you and doesn't let go. Interesting to note that Brad wrote all of the pieces which are uniformly excellent and musically adventurous without ever compromising on the heartfelt melacholic beauty of each piece. Material is one thing, execution another and here Brad shines also. The technique is exquisitely measured with timing and flow perfectly judged.

Having been new to Brad as a leader and soloist I have been, on listening to this fine production, fully converted. This music is now elevated to the status of required listening.

Hugely recommended!

Description of Elegiac Cycles

Jazz CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop