Brad Mehldau's new 2CD/DVD solo album Live in Marciac is out today on Nonesuch. The Los Angeles Times says: "Mehldau's technical mastery can be enough to make your head spin, but the feeling is invigorating." The Financial Times gives four stars to the "enthralling" album, as does the Daily Telegraph. The Boston Globe says it showcases "what he does best." The Independent on Sunday calls it "a triumph of imagination and structure. Quite simply, he's on fire, inspired, out there, playing with the gods." The Irish Times gives the album a perfect five stars. "A joy at every level—and another contender for the year’s best." Watch an excerpt of Mehldau improvising on "My Favorite Things" here.
Brad Mehldau's Live in Marciac, a double CD and DVD live album, is out today on Nonesuch. The new release captures a solo performance by Mehldau at the 2006 Jazz in Marciac festival in France and includes original tunes by Mehldau as well as interpretations of songs by Kurt Cobain, Lennon/McCartney, Cole Porter, Radiohead, and others.
The Los Angeles Times says "Mehldau is distilled to his barest essence" on the new double disc and its "intimately shot DVD." Reviewer Chris Barton concludes: "Sounding almost like a piano duet more than a few times, Mehldau's technical mastery can be enough to make your head spin, but the feeling is invigorating." Read more at latimes.com.
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The Independent on Sunday calls it "a triumph of imagination and structure. Quite simply, he's on fire, inspired, out there, playing with the gods." Read the review at independent.co.uk.
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The Financial Times gives the album four stars. "Brad Mehldau’s flowing lines, rhythmic loops and drawn-out thematic development are seamlessly captured on this enthralling two-CD solo piano concert from 2006," says reviewer Mike Hobart; "the accompanying DVD confirms the intensity of the performance." Read more at ft.com.
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"Brad Mehldau is back in his comfort zone with Live in Marciac," suggests the Boston Globe. Reviewer Steve Greenlee sees such solo projects from Mehldau, as well as his trio work, as "what he does best," and says: "This program lets him explore the undersides of familiar tunes." Read the review at boston.com.
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The Daily Telegraph gives the album four stars as well. "He includes original numbers alongside his trademark Radiohead and Nick Drake songs," writes reviewer Ivan Hewett, "and, as always, his technical control is astounding." Read more at telegraph.co.uk.
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The Irish Times gives the album a perfect five stars. "Mehldau’s awesome ability to keep several ideas on the go simultaneously is among the features of this phenomenal solo piano concert" captured on the new album. "And the technique to serve his ideas is abundantly illuminated in the DVD of the concert. A joy at every level—and another contender for the year’s best." Read the five-star review at irishtimes.com.
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For a taste of the Live in Marciac DVD, check out this excerpt of Mehldau improvising on Rodgers & Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things" via the Nonesuch YouTube channel and also available at nonesuch.com/media:
To pick up a copy of the Live in Marciac CD/DVD, head to the Nonesuch Store, where order include high-quality, 320 kbps MP3s of the album at checkout.
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