Jazz Review: Brad Mehldau Trio - Anything Goes

Anything Goes is a continuation of the form which has seen Brad Mehldau win praise from the biggest names on the contemporary jazz scene. Backed by drummer Jorge Rossy and bassist Larry Grenadier, Mehldau moves through a selection of standards and more modern works, infusing them with his own offbeat sense of musical progression.

First and foremost an improviser, Mehldau wears his classical training very much on his sleeve. His fascination with challenging the formal architecture of music fuels everything he plays, lending his playing a sense of theatre, as if each piece were a doorway into a fairytale world where the usual restrictions of music do not apply.

The album is packed with highlights, beginning with a version of Harold Arlen’s Get Happy that flirts with the carefree bounce of the original, before accelerating into a whirling dervish of an interpretation. As ever, Mehldau flits between the serene and the frenzied with remarkable poise, his transitions so smooth that the listener is barely aware of a change in pace.

Languid Bossa Nova number Tres Palabras slinks along like a femme fatale in a cocktail dress, seductive and exotic. The bass and drums take a back seat and Mehldau shows off his unparalleled sensitivity of touch, conjuring visions of Latin romance with millipede-like fingers. It is a tune that begs to be enjoyed in front of a glowing fire, with a glass of rich red wine and a tender embrace.

The Connecticut-born pianist is also a self-confessed fan of Oxford rock innovators Radiohead. Previous versions of Exit Music (For a Film) and Paranoid Android brought new possibilities to already complex compositions. On Anything Goes, he turns his hand to Everything in its Right Place, taking an essentially simple theme and expanding it to the point where the tune is recognisable only in atmosphere.

This is Mehldau’s greatest skill. He has the ability to take a piece of music and make it into everything it can be within the space of one interpretation. Gradually, his own improvisational genius takes over until a once familiar composition is swallowed whole. Then, without the slightest warning, he brings the theme back effortlessly and the tension is resolved. The listener has been taken on a seamless journey and arrived back in the comfort zone.

The communication between the three musicians is superb. Rossy’s tranquil brushwork creates the impression of gentle rainfall, complementing the often melancholy Mehlday beautifully. Grenadier’s bass provides a deep, rich platform for the piano, occasionally pushing to the front and making its presence known. The result is a finely balanced trio which might just be the best in the world at the moment.

Anything Goes is the latest in a series of triumphs from Brad Mehldau. While the jazz scene remains marginalised, Mehldau will never be a star. But in years to come, this album will be recognised as one of the towering successes of modern jazz.