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Brad Mehldau Trio

  • The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Kay Theatre @ UMD 8270 Alumni Drive College Park, MD, 20742 United States (map)

ABOUT THE EVENT

Brad Mehldau, Piano
Larry Grenadier, Bass
Jeff Ballard, Drums

One of the most lyrical and intimate voices of contemporary jazz piano, Brad Mehldau has forged a unique path that embodies the essence of jazz exploration, classical romanticism and pop allure. From critical acclaim as a bandleader to major international exposure in collaborations with Pat Metheny, Renée Fleming and Joshua Redman, Mehldau continues to garner numerous awards and admiration from both jazz purists and music enthusiasts alike.

The Grammy Award winner’s forays into melding musical idioms, in both trio (with Larry Grenadier on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums) and solo settings, has seen brilliant reworkings of songs by contemporary songwriters like The Beatles, Cole Porter, Radiohead, Paul Simon, Gershwin and Nick Drake; alongside the ever-evolving breadth of his own significant catalog of original compositions. With his self-proclaimed affection for popular music and classical training, “Mehldau is the most influential jazz pianist of the last 20 years” (The New York Times).