Brad Mehldau - Largo

2007-11-16T20:30:44-05:00

It's been too long since I've had a music post, so here's one. If you like jazz, specifically piano jazz, the album Largo by Brad Mehldau is one you have to pick up. It has a mix of originals and covers, but the covers have a unique feel. The first track is "When it Rains", an aptly titled song that gets the album off to a somber mood, but builds energy throughout the track. The next track "You're Vibing Me" features extensive use of a vibraphone. It's not my favorite song the album, but it does fit within a common motif, a common sound that is throughout the album, which I like. I don't like albums that aren't cohesive and sound like a collection of songs, rather than one body of work.

So the next track "Dutsy McNugget" is one of my favorites. It has a catch lick and upbeat tempo. After that is the tune "Dropjes", which has kind of an odd, Avant-garde sound. The next track is a cover of Radiohead's "Paranoid Android". I think it's a fantastic rendition that has a dramatic feel. "Franklin Avenue" is nice, but doesn't particularly stand out. "Sabbath" breaks from the mood of the album a bit with a heavy, industrial, rock sound.

Up next is another cover, this time it's the Beatles "Dear Prudence", which much like "Paranoid Android" has a dramatic feel, giving a different sounds than the original. "Free Willy" starts of with some ambient sounds, then adds a frenetic bass line, and maintains a quirky style throughout the song. "Alvarado" has a tribal beat and a somber feel. The next track is titled "Wave / Mother Nature's Son". It is fast paced, features the vibraphone again and eventually transitions into another Beatles White Album cover "Mother Nature's Sun". The final track "I Do" is solo piano, in stark contrast to the drum and bass grooves present on every other track on the album. It's a great closer to a great album and you owe to yourself to check this album out.

PaulBarry.com - Brad Mehldau - Largo

Brad Mehldau - Largo