Bill Evans and Brad Mehldau. I'd be hard-pressed to pick my favorite albums by these brilliant artists, but these two are up there.
I was thinking today how little I know about Evans. Played with Miles. Perhaps at his peak in a trio with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. Motian's still alive and playing in NYC, bless him, but LaFaro died in a car crash while that trio was together, and his loss apparently crushed Evans. Heroin and coke addict, which contributed to an early death at age 51. I have an outline. But relative to what I know about Coltrane, Louis Armstrong...he's a cipher. There's so much love and tenderness in his music, perhaps the most of any jazz artist I listen to, but he seems like a sad and haunted man.
Thanks to Amy, I was lucky enough to see Mehldau on the tour that produced Live in Tokyo, and the recording faithfully reproduces the thrill of his live performance. The 20-minute version of "Paranoid Android" is a standout that showcases Mehldau's interpretive chops while taking nothing away from Radiohead's brilliance. (At some point I have to pick up the import, which looks to be about twice as long as the domestic release.) Probably my favorite contemporary player--but ironically, I know even less about him than I do about Bill Evans. I know that Evans is believed to be Mehldau's major influence, which is enough for me.
tags: bill evans brad mehldau