Brad Mehldau

It's a golden moment for Brad Mehldau, who seems unable to put a foot wrong. Fresh off a doblete in Downbeat's prestigious readers poll, in which his "Live in Marciac" was named album of the year and he himself was voted best jazz pianist, the Jacksonville-born pianist carries on undeterred with his live activity, aided by Joshua Redman, a longtime friend and the world's foremost champion of the tenor sax. The two know each other well (it was Redman himself who, in the early 90s, gave a young Brad Mehldau his first big break in the scene that matters), and it's exactly that sense of complicity the two convey in every piece, every phrase, every note they play, despite the absence of a proper rhythm section.

A full, rich sound, with Redman able to make the notes of his sax echo through the entire auditorium, delighting the chilly crowd at Bremen's Die Glock with his warm phrasing. Mehldau provides the rhythmic backbone, the true driving force of the duo, always perfectly at ease juggling the art of comping with his by-now legendary solo spots, loaded with tension and melodic beauty. If on "The Falcon Will Fly Again" the balance between the two is total, on their rendition of the Parker-esque "Cherokee" it's Redman who steals the show, with an adrenaline-fuelled solo capable of stirring even the not-exactly-rowdy German crowd, while Mehldau, note after note, weaves the web of an intricate harmonic tapestry that hypnotizes the audience.

Time flows smoothly through sumptuous renditions of standards, original compositions (mostly drawn from Mehldau's "Highway Rider", on which Redman himself played), and the occasional moment of levity, with the saxophonist smiling and winking at the audience during yet another extraordinary solo turn from his partner. There's also room for a touch of class in an intense rendition of "Pyramid Song", one more example of the pianist's immense ability to absorb and masterfully rework pop-rock-flavoured pieces, which effectively makes Mehldau one of the pioneers in shaping what will become the standards of the new millennium.

Mehldau and Redman make the two-hour set (rounded off by two encores and a good two minutes of closing ovation from the crowd) fly by on the wings of uncommon inspiration and rapport, fully confirming the world-class status the two have now held - steadily, and deservedly - for some years.

Ride the wave of great music

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