Modern Music (Brad Mehldau and Kevin Hays album)
Modern Music is an album by pianists Brad Mehldau and Kevin Hays.
| Modern Music | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 20, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | October 2010 | |||
| Studio | Mechanics Hall (Worcester, Massachusetts) | |||
| Genre | Classical, avant-garde | |||
| Length | 47:43 | |||
| Label | Nonesuch | |||
| Producer | Patrick Zimmerli | |||
| Brad Mehldau chronology | ||||
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Background edit
The three protagonists for the album – composer and arranger Patrick Zimmerli, and pianists Brad Mehldau and Kevin Hays – were friends.[1] Mehldau was already known for mixing elements from forms of music other than jazz into his performances, and Hays had more recently extended "from his signature, intelligent, hard swinging post-bop approach to include compositions with modern classical touches".[1]
Music and recording edit
The album was recorded in October 2010 at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts.[2] Zimmerli composed four of the pieces and arranged the others, which included an original each from Mehldau and Hays.[1] The three Zimmerli pieces have "busy palettes, intricate cross-keyboard dialogues, and contrapuntal studies".[1]
Reception edit
The album was released by Nonesuch Records on September 20, 2011.[2] The AllMusic reviewer concluded that "it's not a jazz album, but one in which new considerations of harmonic composition and intra-instrument dialogue are readily apparent and delivered upon with discipline as well as verve".[1] The Financial Times reviewer commented on the two pianists' awareness of what they were doing together and the positive impact of the structure of their playing.[3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Financial Times | [3] |
| The Guardian | [4] |
| Tom Hull | B−[5] |
Track listing edit
- "Crazy Quilt" (Patrick Zimmerli) – 6:21
- "Unrequited" (Brad Mehldau) – 6:27
- "Generatrix" (Zimmerli) – 5:12
- "Celtic Folk Melody" (Zimmerli) – 2:58
- "Excerpt from Music for 18 Musicians" (Steve Reich) – 5:20
- "Lonely Woman" (Ornette Coleman) – 6:31
- "Modern Music" (Zimmerli) – 4:59
- "Elegia" (Kevin Hays) – 6:20
- "Excerpt from String Quartet No. 5" (Philip Glass) – 3:45
Personnel edit
- Brad Mehldau – piano
- Kevin Hays – piano
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f Jurek, Thom "Brad Mehldau / Kevin Hays / Patrick Zimmerli – Modern Music". AllMusic. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- ^ a b "Brad Mehldau + Kevin Hays + Patrick Zimmerli – Modern Music". Nonesuch Records. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- ^ a b Hobart, Mike (September 17, 2011) "Brad Mehldau & Kevin Hays: Modern Music". Financial Times.
- ^ Fordham, John (September 29, 2011) "Brad Mehldau/Kevin Hays: Modern Music – Review". The Guardian.
- ^ "Tom Hull: Grade List: Brad Mehldau". Tom Hull. Retrieved 13 July 2020.