Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman return to the road together for a two-and-a-half-week run of duo performance dates. The tour starts at the Flynn Center in Burlington, Vermont, tonight, and, after two more shows in the States, heads to Europe for stops in Norway, Italy, Turkey, Belgium, and France, before coming to a close at the Stadtcasino in Basel, Switzerland, on May 16. For complete tour dates, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.

Earlier this month, the two played a number duo dates together in the States, before Redman joined up with his new quartet, James Farm, for a few performances of their own. The duo sets featured standards, reimagined grunge hits, and originals, including songs from Mehldau's latest Nonesuch release, Highway Rider, on which Redman performs as well.

When Redman and Mehldau stopped at the Zankel Music Center at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, in mid-April, "the twosome played with an unerring touch," says Albany Times Union reviewer Greg Haymes. "Mehldau is an acknowledged master of the piano, every bit Redman's equal."

All About Jazz reports from the Skidmore event as well, saying, "Duets are not an uncommon format in jazz, but what might be less common is the supreme level of synergy and empathy that saxophonist Joshua Redman and pianist Brad Mehldau have for one another." Reviewer R.J. DeLuke insists that "those that have the opportunity to see these two jazz masters should not pass it up ... They are so in-tune with one another that whatever jump they make, they land on their feet. They are both exquisite improvisers and yet they are hand-in-glove as they move along." Read more at allaboutjazz.com.

Vermont's Barre Montpelier Times Argus previews tonight's concert at the Flynn Center by "two of the brightest stars in jazz." Arts correspondent Tom Huntington calls Highway Rider "Mehldau's most ambitious project to date." The composer-pianist, Huntington writes, is "widely regarded as the greatest and most compelling jazz pianist of his generation, redefining the jazz trio while deftly fusing the genre with rock, pop and classical influences." It makes for a great pairing with Redman, "who is also considered one of the best and most influential musicians of his generation on his instrument." Read more at timesargus.com.

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Not long after the release of Highway Rider, Mehldau spoke with PBS NewsHour correspondent Jeffrey Brown for his Art Beat blog to talk about the new album.

Discuss the overarching narrative idea and the musical theme that binds the songs across the two discs; the wide range of instrumentation Mehldau employed, bringing in Redman, Mehldau's own regular trio, plus drummer Matt Chamberlain and even, at times, a full chamber orchestra; and working with producer Jon Brion.

"What I like about this record is that you can listen to it and you can get the feeling of a bunch of people in a big room playing," says Mehldau of having recorded all of the musicians together in a live studio setting. "I wrote the music with that idea of the orchestra more merging with the jazz players and everybody being intertwined, rather than ... the sort of orchestra as a sweetener to enhance what's already there. I really wanted it to be an integral part of the musical fabric."

You can listen to the complete interview and read the transcript at pbs.org.