The most stimulating pianist in contemporary jazz

Sant Feliu de Guíxols[This report is published without any photographs of the concert because Brad Mehldau banned the entry of photojournalists and television cameras, but not the use of mobile phones among the audience]

Top-notch jazz concert at the Porta Ferrada Festival of Sant Feliu de Guíxols, led by pianist Brad Mehldau, one of the most important and interesting voices on the contemporary scene. The American musician, accompanied by double bassist Felix Moseholm and drummer Jorge Rossy, delivered an extraordinary evening, offering a repertoire of beautifully arranged standards, a classy fusion of modernity and tradition. The trio's work focuses on classic songs by composers such as Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael, masters of American popular music from the first half of the 20th century, but which, under Mehldau's filter, sound absolutely deconstructed and reshaped. The versions, recorded by the pianist on a quadruple album from the 1990s, move freely on the border between free jazz and experimental music, yet without ever completely abandoning the rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic patterns of the original composition.

The music flows with the constant sensation of being on the verge of taking a leap into the void, but without ever losing its anchor, guided by a delightful performance from the three musicians. Meldhau, on the piano, does not seek pyrotechnic virtuosity or personal brilliance, but rather opts for lyricism and delicacy, establishing himself as the most gifted heir to Keith Jarrett. He glides across the keys with impressive finesse that envelops the audience in a warm and prodigious atmosphere in which melody and improvisation gently blend.

In Sant Feliu, in addition to songs by Porter and Carmichael, the trio covered songs by Sonny Rollins, Nelson Riddle and Joe Creene, interspersed with four pieces written by Meldhau himself, all with the same aura, with some variations of tempos and styles, but in tune with the evanescent atmosphere of the evening. The pianist takes the lead, but the involvement of the other two musicians is fundamental, not only in the brilliance of a round of only, but also at all times, executing the accompaniment with presence and skill. Moseholm, very young, beats the double bass strings up and down, simultaneously providing counterpoint and buried melodies, while Rossy, with the sticks, plays with every corner of the cymbals and timpani, pushing the limits of time and mishap, but without ever losing the tempo nor the reciprocal complicity with the entire trio.