The Lyrical Collaboration: Pat Metheny and Brad Mehdau

From: Metheny/Mehldau(Nonesuch Records - 2006).

Not since the days in the 60’s when Bill Evans and Jim Hall were producing piano/guitar duets, has there been a more perfect musical match with those instruments than the combination of Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau. Now that they are both on the Nonesuch label, a collaborative recording has finally been put together. Recorded last December, Metheny/Mehldau features ten tracks; eight of them in duo situation, and two in a quartet setting, with the addition of Larry Grenadier’s bass and Jeff Ballard’s drums.

The stength of the disc lies in the elegant interplay and flow between the players. Guitars and pianos both have the capability of filling a lot of musical space; it’s very easy to create something that too tense and cluttered; but these guys have a way of complementing each other and working out a musical dance of sorts. It’s quite astounding.

The only thing that I think hurts the disc is the presence of any memorable compositions. With the exception of the disc’s final track, Making Peace, the tunes sound way too much like they were made on the spot. But this is truly secondary to the overall way the music flows and how these two navigate around and through each other.

I’m featuring four tracks on the audio file; Summer Day, followed by Say The Brother’s Name, the aforementioned Make Peace, and Legend.

Chick Corea - New Selections

From: The Ultimate Advenure(Stretch Records - 2006).

Chick Corea has one of the largest musical palettes of any jazz musican I know; his recording career has been filled with a wide variety of musical styles and moods. His latest effort harkens back to the 70’s, with a very electric and exotic blend of melody, groove, and atmosphere. If you’re an old Return To Forever fan, or enjoyed 70’s solo offerings like My Spanish Heart, you’ll enjoy this new disc a lot. He even has a few RTF alumni (Steve Gadd, Airto) playing with him on the session.

Miles Davis Quintet On The Tonight Show - November 1955

From: The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions (4-CDs) (Concord Records - 2006).

Here’s a little blast from the past; a recording from Miles Davis’s 1955 appearance on the Tonight show, with the show’s original host, Steve Allen. This clip is a special feature within a new 4-CD box set being released this week, featuring all the studio recordings from the Miles Davis Quintet between 1955 and 56 that were recorded for Prestige Records. The band of course is legendary: John Coltrane on tenor, Red Garland on Piano, Philly Joe Jones on drums and Paul Chambers on bass.

The thing that gets me about this recording is how incredibly uncomfortable and nervous Steve Allen was in introducing the band. He was stumbling all over himself, with a strong sense of trepidation in his voice. Probably because this was one of the first nationally televised programs to ever feature bebop, which was considered way far-out to the American mainstream audience of the time. Also, it should be noted that there were very few black entertainers visible on TV in those days, particularly anyone with such an uncompromising attitude as Miles Davis. (Props to Steve Allen for having the balls to bring these guys on.)

The band rips right into it from the start, with a hard-driving rendition of Max Is Making Wax. Allen then comes on and tries to make a little smalltalk with Miles, which doesnt go anywhere, followed by Allen awarding Davis a 1955 Downbeat Award. The quintet then goes into a sweet rendition of It Never Entered My Mind.

A compelling piece of musical and TV history.