Brad Mehldau : NPR

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'After Bach' Offers Brad Mehldau's Well-Tempered Jazz

On Brad Mehldau's new album, he alternates keyboard works by J.S. Bach with his own jazz-inflected explorations. Michael Wilson/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Michael Wilson/Courtesy of the artist

Review

Deceptive Cadence

'After Bach' Offers Brad Mehldau's Well-Tempered Jazz

March 27, 2018 • Inspired by J.S. Bach, jazz pianist Brad Mehldau alternates originals from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier with his own reinventions.

'After Bach' Offers Brad Mehldau's Well-Tempered Jazz

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Chris Thile And Brad Mehldau On World Cafe

Brad Mehldau (left) and Chris Thile (right) have released a new self-titled duo album. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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World Cafe

Chris Thile And Brad Mehldau On World Cafe

XPN

January 30, 2017 • The mandolin virtuoso and renowned pianist have connected over a shared love of improvisation and disregard of genre.

Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau On World Cafe

25:15

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Watch Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau Perform 'The Old Shade Tree' Live

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YouTube

All Songs TV

Watch Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau Perform 'The Old Shade Tree' Live

WBGO

January 26, 2017 • There's an Elliott Smith-ian sensibility to the duo's original song, played here live at the Bowery Ballroom just before Mehldau and Thile went into the studio.

Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau's forthcoming, self-titled album is on World Cafe's radar for 2017. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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World Cafe

World Cafe Next: New Year, New Music

January 9, 2017 • Hosts David Dye and Talia Schlanger share their most anticipated upcoming releases of 2017.

New Year, New Music On World Cafe

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The Fred Hersch Trio performs at Blue Note Beijing on Oct. 28, 2016. Zhang Dongdong hide caption

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Zhang Dongdong

Jazz Night In America

Ring In The New Year With Jazz

WBGO

December 30, 2016 • Celebrate the New Year from Blue Note venues around the world. The lineup includes The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Joshua Redman and Brad Meldau, Fred Hersch, Ron Carter, Buika and Dee Dee Bridgewater.

Review

Song Of The Day

Brad Mehldau Trio: Rebuilding 'Wonderwall'

September 24, 2008 • With this live version of "Wonderwall," Mehldau reduces Oasis' most famous song to a post-bop stride-piano exercise.

Wonderwall

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Best Music of 2007

Top 10 Jazz Jewels of 2007, from WDUQ

90.5 WESA

December 13, 2007 • WDUQ's Shaunna Morrison Machosky picks her Top 10 jazz CDs of 2007. All meet these criteria: The albums feature solid, engaging and interesting compositions, they're not simply collections of same-old jazz standards, and they're worth repeated listens.

Best Music of 2007

Top 10 Jazz CDs of 2007, from KPLU

KNKX Public Radio

December 7, 2007 • Nick Morrison, a DJ at Seattle's KPLU, selects 10 of the year's best jazz CDs from instrumental legends and up-and-coming vocalists.

Review

Director's Cuts

Holiday Gift Picks for 2006

November 26, 2006 • Ned Wharton, musical director for Weekend Edition Sunday, offers a collection of recordings offbeat enough to surprise your favorite music lover this holiday season.

Holiday Gift Picks for 2006

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Concerts

Jazz Pianist Brad Mehldau with Renee Fleming

September 6, 2005 • Pianist Brad Mehldau and reigning American soprano Renee Fleming present a concert of surprises, including a new commission from Carnegie Hall based on the work of German poet Rainer Maria Rilke.

Music Interviews

Brad Mehldau Translates Nick Drake to Piano

October 25, 2004 • NPR's Noah Adams joins NPR's Alex Chadwick in an interview with jazz pianist Brad Mehldau. They talk about Mehldau's rendition of "River Man" on his new solo CD, Live in Tokyo. The song was originally written by the late British pop songwriter Nick Drake.

Brad Mehldau Translates Nick Drake to Piano

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Music

Tom Moon Review: Brad Mehldau, 'Largo'

September 24, 2002 • Music critic Tom Moon reviews the latest CD by jazz pianist Brad Mehldau, called Largo. Moon says it's the best blend of rock and jazz he's heard in a long while.

Tom Moon Review: Brad Mehldau, 'Largo'

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Fishko Files

Playing Five Beats To The Measure

WNYC Radio

September 26, 2008 • One of the appealing things about Lalo Schifrin's theme to Mission Impossible is that it's written in 5/4 time: five beats to the measure, instead of the more commonplace three or four. WNYC's Sara Fishko explores the atypical time signature's usage in music by Tchaikovsky, Dave Brubeck and more.

Listen Now

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Brad Mehldau: (Unlikely) Songs By Other People

Brad Mehldau's latest covers project, Where Do You Start, came out Tuesday. Michael Wilson /Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Michael Wilson /Courtesy of the artist

Review

Music Reviews

Brad Mehldau: (Unlikely) Songs By Other People

Fresh Air

September 18, 2012 • The jazz trio returns to covering classic rock, folk and pop tunes on its latest album, Where Do You Start. Fresh Air critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the band's take on Elvis Costello, Nick Drake, Sonny Rollins and more.

Brad Mehldau: (Unlikely) Songs By Other People

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Wayne Shorter's 2003 album Alegria finds the saxophonist and composer matching his quartet with orchestral textures. Thomas Dorn/Verve Records hide caption

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Thomas Dorn/Verve Records

A Blog Supreme

5 Great Works Of Modern Chamber Jazz

June 25, 2012 • Bassist Matt Ulery, whose new album displays an affinity for strings, picks some of his favorite mergers of classical and folk music with the blues. Hear songs from Brad Mehldau, Chico Hamilton, Dave Douglas, Anne Mette Iversen and Wayne Shorter.

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Take Five: A Jazz Sampler

Jazz Covers Rock: The New Standards

90.5 WESA

September 15, 2008 • Virtually every band plays a few cover songs. In the jazz world, the term "jazz standard" is code for a classic song that's been covered many times by many artists over the course of many years. Here are five artists that break away with more modern-day fare like Radiohead and Bjork.

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Take Five: A Jazz Sampler

Make Peace, Make Jazz

Jazz24

September 8, 2008 • In 1982, the UN began observing "Peace Day" every September at the opening of its General Assembly. In 2002, it officially declared Sept. 21 as a permanent date for the International Day of Peace. In preparation, here are five beautiful jazz performances that celebrate the spirit of the occasion.

Horace Silver on the cover of his record Song for My Father. Courtesy of Blue Note hide caption

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Courtesy of Blue Note

Take Five: A Jazz Sampler

Songs for Dad: Father's Day Jazz

Jazz24

June 12, 2008 • Sunday is Father's Day. If you're a dad, congratulations; these songs are for you. If you're a son or a daughter, here's a list of dad-friendly jazz songs to let your father know you're thinking of him.

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Take Five: A Jazz Sampler

Jazz For Summer's End

90.5 WESA

August 25, 2008 • As August ends, so do the carefree days of summer. School begins, recent vacations are a fond memory and the temperature begins its slow and steady descent. Don't be sad, though: As Labor Day Weekend approaches, these songs are here to bring summer to a close on a positive note.

All You Need Is Love (And Peace): The Beatles In Jazz

Ringo Starr's gold-plated snare drum will be on display at New York's Metropolitan Museum until December. Express Newspapers/Hulton Archive hide caption

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Express Newspapers/Hulton Archive

Take Five: By Artist

All You Need Is Love (And Peace): The Beatles In Jazz

July 21, 2010 • "What a drag it is getting old" might be a sentiment appropriate for Mick Jagger's birthday, but Beatles drummer Ringo Starr celebrated his 70th with boyish enthusiasm earlier this month. Join the celebration with five Beatles songs, as interpreted by jazz musicians.