February 9-10

Bob James and Keiko Matsui

7:00 & 9:30

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Two titans of smooth jazz piano converge for two special nights!

While their styles are as different from those legends of jazz’s past as fusion is from boogie-woogie, James and Matsui are linked to the tradition of what’s called “four-hand piano,” where two players sit down at one instrument and play together. They toured the world and garnered rave reviews in 2001, now it’s time to revisit this incredible show in the intimate setting of the Dakota.

Bob James is one of the pivotal figures in smooth jazz, incorporating pop elements into Weather Report-era fusion to create something new. His efforts to push jazz in a more pop direction have led to his music being heavily sampled by hip-hop artists. His early work featured Earl Klugh on guitar, and he has worked extensively with Grover Washington, Jr., and David Sanborn. He is perhaps best known for his song "Angela, the theme from the show TAXI.

Keiko Matsui is one of the most prolific smooth jazz pianists in the last 20 years. Her style, deftly blending elements of Eastern and Western music and culture, is singular and easily identifiable, recently bordering on New Age territory. A native of Japan, she moved to the United States to record at age 19, and now has over 20 releases under her own name.

February 14

Valentine’s Day Dinner

Reservations start at 5:30

Cover Call the Box Office for Reservations

JoAnn Funk at 5:30 Debbie Duncan and Dennis Spears at 8:00 Join us for a passionate menu created by Executive Chef Jack Riebel. Reservations start at 5:30, $65. Feeling like something a little lighter on Sunday? Our "Love Nest" mezzanine seating will feature a light menu for sharing and cocktails, $15. Chef Jack's menu for the evening will be - Amuse' First Course • your choice of - Asparagus in Two Textures - white asparagus flan, green asparagus velouté, quail egg, meyer lemon add Caviar Supplement - $15 Wok Charred Ahi Tuna - five spice, baby bok choy, pineapple chutney Beef “Raviolis” - black truffle, grana padana cheese, beef consommé Maple Glazed Veal Sweetbreads - freeze dried corn, smoked pecans, house cured pancetta Stephen Pyle’s Masa Tart - jumbo lump crab, roasted garlic Second Course • your choice of - Macadamia Nut Crusted Walleye - maui sweet onion, lobster, sweet potato Pan Roasted Chicken Breast - truffle farina, brussel sprout leaves, porcini mushroom jus Red Fish in Bouillabaisse Broth - shellfish, fennel, saffron aioli Stone Bridge Farms Grass Fed Beef - wild mushroom enchilada, ancho chile Desserts • your choice of - Mascarpone Cheese Heart - berries Sampling of Petite Chocolate Desserts Passion Fruit Soufflé •••• The "Love Nest" mezzanine menu will be - Valentines love bites Stone Bridge Farms Grass Fed Beef Satay peanut sauce, pickled cucumbers 10 Vineyard Oysters on the Half Shell ruby red grapefruit-tequila ice 9     add a Caviar Supplement - $15 Ahi Tuna Tartare “Thai style” spicy tuna, mango, jasmine rice emulsion, gem lettuce leaves 12 A Selection of Artisan Cheeses brown butter honey 15 Trio of Petite Chocolate Treats 9

February 15

Robert Robinson

7:00

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“Robert Robinson is a volcanic talent who absolutely knocks an audience on its heels.” -Milwaukee Journal Sentinel This stunning gospel vocalist possesses one of the biggest voices in the region, and brings his acclaimed Christmas show back to the Dakota! The Twin Cities' "Pavarotti of Gospel" (Star Tribune) has been leading gospel choirs since he was 15, and works tirelessly in his church and community. On the heels of his last CD, I Believe, he opened his latest national tour at Carnegie Hall, and his new recording, Signature, is available for pre-order at robertrobinsonmusic.com.

February 16

Beau Soleil avec Michael Doucet

7:00 and 9:30

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“The best Cajun band in the world.” -Garrison Keillor The definitive ensemble in contemporary traditional Cajun music, Beau Soleil have nearly single-handedly sparked a renaissance in Cajun culture. Since their inception in 1975, they have taken the music of Southern Louisiana all over the world, resulting in eleven Grammy nominations, one Grammy award, and a host of firsts for Louisiana and Cajun music. Hot on the heels of Grammy-nominated Alligator Purse, their most dynamic record yet, Beau Soleil returns to near-constant touring and the promulgation of Louisiana culture and music.

February 17-18

Marilyn Maye

7:00

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“Calling her a cabaret singer is like calling Pablo Picasso a painter; it’s true all right, but it leaves a lot out!” -Philadelphia Inquirer "As Marilyn Maye threaded her way from the stage through a packed house of cheering admirers at the Metropolitan Room at the end of Friday’s opening-night performance of “Mercer... the Maye Way,” I overheard comparisons to Judy Garland’s 1961 concert at Carnegie Hall." -Stephen Holden, NY Times, 6-15-09 Marilyn Maye may be in her 80s, but she has the voice and showmanship of a singer half her age. A native of Kansas City, Maye has been a ubiquitous presence on the Midwest and National scene for most of her life, and slows down only occasionally to enjoy it. In addition to her record 76 appearances on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, a recording of hers is included in The Smithsonian Institute's Best Performers of the Best Compositions of the 20th Century permanent collection. "...Maye is a pro's pro. ...she's clearly having so much fun, the act never feels stale for a second." David Wiegund, San Francisco Chronicle, 9-17-09 Taking singing and dancing lessons from her mother, Maye became something of a sensation in the Topeka, KS area as a child, winning talent contests left and right. In addition to cash prizes, she was also awarded a featured spot on a local radio show. Originally a 13-week engagement, the 11-year old held the job for two years. "The woman is purely electrifying on stage." Sandi Burell, Cabaret Scenes After hosting her own radio show, "Marilyn Entertains," throughout high school, she took a job as staff vocalist at Louisville's WHAS, performing half of each show with full orchestra. When her contract ran out, she took her show on the road, touring the Midwest incessantly for several years before being discovered by television personality Steve Allen. She performed on Allen's variety show several times, which led to a recording contract with RCA. "Marilyn Maye should be designated a national treasure... It was especially interesting watching Anne Hampton Calloway watching Marilyn Maye and being mesmerized. As we all were... There is only one word to describe Marilyn Maye. Perfection." -Oscar E. Moore, talkentertainment.com Her RCA contract netted seven albums, 34 singles, a Grammy nomination, TV commercial opportunities, and the ear of Ed McMahon, who asked Maye to perform on "The Tonight Show." She was so well received that host Johnny Carson granted her an open invitation to perform whenever she was in New York (where the show was then based) or later, in Los Angeles. “Marilyn Maye sets the standard for the way any jazz, pop, or big band singer would like to sound,” Peter Nero, conductor, Philadelphia Pops Orchestra Recent decades have found Maye moving her show from the disappearing nightclubs to theaters and performing arts centers, either with her trio or occasional big band and orchestra appearances. She even took to the stage, performing in several acclaimed musical theater shows. As the awards keep piling up and the shows keep her traveling, Maye is finding it easier to cement her status as “the greatest white female singer in the world.” - Ella Fitzgerald

February 21-23

Ahmad Jamal

7:00 and 9:30

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A true American original: jazz piano legend Ahmad Jamal returns to the Dakota for six shows!

“…his playing is as sensitive, as passionate and as hypnotic as it's ever been. –Marc Meyers, All About Jazz

Ahmad Jamal is one of the most distinctive and influential pianists in jazz history. His use of space and ability to create moments of tension and release through dynamics are trademarks of his style. Jamal’s elegant touch, muscular and lissome, is instantly recognizable, and his classic “Poinciana” has become a major landmark in the history of jazz and popular music.

Jamal was raised in Pittsburgh, a city revered for its rich musical heritage and home to such jazz luminaries as Errol Garner and Billy Eckstine. (As a boy, Jamal delivered papers to Billy Strayhorn’s family!) He got his first piano job with the George Hudson Orchestra at the age of 17, and began his recording career in 1951. Jamal’s early records had an impact on a young Miles Davis, who insisted that pianist Red Garland sound like him on his classic Quintet recordings from the 1950s. The Davis recordings also feature some early Jamal originals, “New Rhumba” and “Ahmad’s Blues.”

So much more than “the guy who influenced Miles,” Jamal has evolved the piano trio into a single telepathic entity with graceful synergy, and has done so without compromising or losing his musical identity. Jamal’s technique is dazzling, and few pianists can deliver a ballad with the same understated ease he has.

“Ahmad Jamal must be, to a listener unfamiliar with his music, a revelation. Even to those who know his music, each performance comes as a fresh and exciting discovery.” Simon Jay Harper, All About Jazz

“I can think of only one other artist in jazz music I could mention in the same category of awesomeness, Duke Ellington, and he needed sixteen people. Mr. Jamal does it with three guys." Monty Alexander

Music critic Stanley Crouch consider's Mr. Jamal's distinctive style as having had an influence on the same level as "Jelly Roll Morton, Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Count Basie, Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver and John Lewis, all thinkers whose wrestling with form and content influenced the shape and texture of the music, and whose ensembles were models of their music visions."



• His classic "Poinciana"

• He hasn't lost a step from this 1959 recording

February 24

Shemekia Copeland

7:00 and 9:30

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For more than a decade, Shemekia Copeland has been paving a road that will inevitably lead to her reign as Queen of the Blues. By some standards – numerous blues awards in the U.S. and elsewhere, a Grammy nomination, a resume that includes work with musical titans like Dr. John and Steve Cropper and film giants like Martin Scorsese and Wim Wenders – she may already be there.

For as appealing as that regal title may sound, though, and for as much as she respects the rich legacy of artists like Bessie Smith, Etta James or Koko Taylor, Copeland insists that there’s more to who she is and what she does than a twelve-bar ballad or a Chicago shuffle could ever convey.

Copeland's new record, Never Going Back, was released in February 2009, and features Copeland stretching the boundaries of the blues. She stays true to her roots and explores uncharted territory; this prodigiously talented vocalist is just getting better.

February 26-27

Nachito Herrera

8:00

Cover $15

Nachito is one of the world's great Cuban pianists. His jaw dropping technique and the rich, powerful soulfulness of his playing blend in what is often an amazing display of musical power and emotion. Although he has been residing in Minnesota for the past few years, his renown is growing. He has played at the preeminent piano festival in North America, the Gilmore Festival, twice in a row and they are bringing him back. He performed recently at Joe's Pub in New York, and just completed a 40 city tour of American performing arts centers and theaters as the pianist in the Afro-Cuban All-Stars. We don't know how much longer his historically regular Dakota performances will last, as he is traveling more and more. In June, he was flown to Singapore for one 90 minute show.

Nachito • Show Stopping Solo with the Afro Cuban All-Stars at Town Hall in New York on You Tube

Nachito Herrera's pianistic prowess was recognized early on, performing Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Havana Symphony Orchestra at age 12. Combining Western Classical music with traditional Cuban rhythms, Hererra has been at the forefront of an exciting renaissance in Cuban music. While in his twenties, Hererra took the job of Musical Director at the famous "Tropicana" nightclub in Cuba, playing every night and deepening his repertoire. He spent the late 1990s touring with Cubanissmo, serving as lead pianist, arranger, and musical director and touring the world. Since moving to the Twin Cities in 2001, Hererra has been an invigorating presence in the music community, and a fixture here at the Dakota. His most recent recordings, Live at the Dakota, Vol 1 and 2, are available here.

“Hotter than the burning tip of a contraband Cuban cigar. Stronger than a straight shot of Havana rum. As exciting as a World Series game, with ‘El Duque’ on the mound. Explosive. Crowd pleasing. Rhythmically intense. Romantic. Dynamic. Jaw-droppingly good.” - Tom Surowicz, Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Nachito will be re-joined this weekend by his daughter, Mirdalys, whose maturing talent is starting to echo Nachito's powerful performances.

"His 18-year-old daughter, Mirdalys Herrera, began the show with grand, soaring vocals, her pianist father creating a storm beside her. Herrera made use of a grand piano, a synthesizer and even a cowbell. Yohannes Tona plucked out heavy funk on electric bass, and Kevin Washington backed it all with solid drumming. The musical stew, with Mirdalys' amazing voice, was evocative of a funky Cuban mysticism." - Mark Wedel, Kalamazoo Gazette 7/30/08 Read the entire review of this Gilmore Keyboard Festival performance ... "As magnificent as is Nachito throughout this set, he is nearly upstaged by his daughter’s vocal incantation on Mercedita Valdes’ 'Babá Fururú.' Hayo starts off on congas, providing a tribal/folk vibe of anticipation; he is joined by Nachito’s solemn, almost hymnal phrases that hint of thunder, a passage reminiscent of Gonzalo Rubalcaba. Sounding like a cantorial sorceress conjuring the Gods, Mirdalys Herrera gives a ceremonial performance, her voice powerful and penetrating. One can imagine a mythical Yoruban Princess, especially when her only accompaniment is the congas. The rest of the cast serves as the chorus; the piano sounds the final benediction as the crowd erupts." - Andrea Canter, Jazz Police Hear Nachito on You Tube • 1 Hear Nachito in Los Cabos on You Tube • 2 Yohannes Tona • "Sand from the Desert"

"Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera steps onto the national stage as a fully evolved artist, brimming with confidence, in total command of a vast array of traditional and contemporary Cuban idioms" - AllAboutJazz

February 28

John Hammond

7:00

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With a career that spans over three decades, John Hammond is one of a handful of white blues musicians who was on the scene at the beginning of the first blues renaissance of the mid-'60s. That revival, brought on by renewed interest in folk music around the U.S., brought about career boosts for many of the great classic blues players, including Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, and Skip James. Some critics have described Hammond as a white Robert Johnson, and Hammond does justice to classic blues by combining powerful guitar and harmonica playing with expressive vocals and a dignified stage presence. Within the first decade of his career as a performer, Hammond began crafting a niche for himself that is completely his own: the solo guitar man, harmonica slung in a rack around his neck, reinterpreting classic blues songs from the 1930s, '40s, and '50s.

March 1

Charlie Hunter

7:00 and 9:30

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"…a man who [has] built his badass reputation by conquering hairy bass lines and heady post-bop melodies simultaneously on custom eight-string instruments… Hunter is still a musical beast." - Guitar Player

With a career spanning 16 years and almost 20 albums, Charlie Hunter consistently ups his game as an innovative writer and bandleader. He has worked with the likes of Norah Jones, Mos Def, John Mayer, D’Angelo and countless others. He is widely considered the authority on the seven and eight-string guitar, and continues to stun audiences with his ability to simultaneously bust out tasty bass parts, melodic leads and swinging rhythms. Hunter's signature style of writing and performing has secured his place as one of today's great guitarists.

March 2-3

Angelique Kidjo

7:00

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"Africa's premier diva" -Time Magazine

“Her spirit is irrepressible, and she brings life to everything she touches.”
– Peter Gabriel

Grammy Award-winning vocalist/activist Angelique Kidjo is the African continent's most internationally celebrated female musical exponent. And yet, the Grammy-winning artist has lived outside Africa for more than two decades. She currently resides in New York City, where she is an exceptionally active member of the music scene, and she reaches people around the world with her recordings, tours and philanthropic work. On her new album, Kidjo revisits the music that was instrumental in her artistic formation in Benin, the country whose communist dictatorship she fled in the early ‘80s. The disc, entitled Oyo, is set for release on February 9, 2010.

Although Oyo is primarily comprised of covers, the music is instantly recognizable as Kidjo’s: the tantalizing blend of African songs with American soul and funk permeates the album. Recorded and mixed by Russell Elevado (D’Angelo, The Roots, Erykah Badu) and produced by Kidjo and longtime collaborator Jean Hebrail, Oyo features a band of highly accomplished musicians, including another Benin-born, New York-based artist, the guitarist Lionel Loueke, as well as Christian McBride on upright bass, Kendrick Scott on drums and Thiokho Diagne on percussion. The trumpeter Roy Hargove makes a memorable appearance on “Samba Pa Ti.” While not a part of her touring band, these artists give the record a collaborative edge that fits Kidjo's musical vision perfectly.



• She displays her powerful vocals on "Malaika"

• Kidjo's high-energy show is on display in this 1994 TV appearance

March 7

Marcia Ball

7:00 & 9:30

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Singer/pianist Marcia Ball knows how to raise roofs and tear down walls with her infectious, intelligent and deeply emotional brand of southern boogie, rollicking, roadhouse blues and heartfelt ballads. Her exquisite piano playing and passionate, playful vocals fuse New Orleans and Gulf Coast R&B with Austin’s deep songwriting tradition into a sound No Depression described as “a little rock, a lot of roll, a pinch of rhythm and a handful of blues.” Ball’s groove-laden New Orleans R&B, heart-wrenching ballads and driving Gulf Coast blues have made her a one-of-a-kind favorite of music fans all over the world. Her music mixes equal parts simmering soul fervor and rollicking Crescent City piano. Over the course of her career, Ball’s infectious, intelligent and deeply emotional songs have won her a loud and loyal fan base. PEACE, LOVE & BBQ is Ball’s fourth release for Alligator Records, and her third to receive a Grammy nomination. Ball has also collected seven Blues Music Awards since 2001, including the 2009 Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Of The Year award, and was voted “Most Outstanding Musician” in the 2007 Living Blues Readers’ Poll.

March 8-9

Hiromi-Solo Piano

7:00 and 9:30

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Stunning keyboard virtuoso Hiromi Uehara took the jazz world by storm with her 2003 debut, Another Mind. Since then her blinding technique has just gotten better, her songwriting is more focused, and her band is that much more unbelievable. Mentored by jazz piano legend Ahmad Jamal, Hiromi is taking her music into uncharted territory, quite an accomplishment before one's 30th birthday. While she has wowed audiences in past years with her trio and quartet performances (who can forget her appearance here in October 2009 with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White?), this will be an intimate night of solo piano pyrotechnics.

"whenever and wherever Hiromi performs, jaws routinely drop..."

read the rest of this Jazz Times feature here



• Hiromi pays tribute to Oscar Peterson with "I've Got Rhythm"

• "The Tom & Jerry Show"

March 16-17

Larry Coryell & Bombay Jazz

7:00 and 9:30

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Larry Coryell, Guitar
George Brooks, Saxophone
Ronu Majumdar, Bansuri
Vijay Ghate, Tabla


BombayJazz, four internationally renowned musicians performing 21st century global jazz, made their debut in India in 2003, receiving critical and popular acclaim. A whirlwind tour of Europe in the fall of 2004 and US performances in 2005 solidified the group’s relentless pursuit of compositional and improvisational excellence.

BombayJazz performs a dynamic blend of Jazz and classical Indian music. Each member of the group is and accomplished performer and composer, with each contributing his own spices to the fragrant mix. BombayJazz explores the melodic richness of raga and the dynamic rhythmic interplay that is common to both Indian classical music and jazz, while pioneering a harmonic exploration rarely heard in east – west fusions of any kind.

As one of the pioneers of jazz-rock — perhaps the pioneer— Larry Coryell deserves a special place in the history books. He is equally at home on the classical stage, on the cutting edge of fusion or trading ferocious jazz licks with James Moody or Jimmy Smith. Larry has performed alongside the likes of Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, John McLaughlin, Paco De Lucia, Pat Metheny and Al Di Meola and has toured India with L. Subramanium and Shakti.

Saxophone virtuoso George Brooks has collaborated with jazz and blues titans Etta James, Steve Smith, Anthony Braxton and Albert Collins and Indian classical gurus Hariprasad Chaurasia, Zakir Hussain, Sultan Khan, L.Subramaniam and Aashish Khan. The Telegraph, Calcutta called his CD Night Spinner, “one of the finest Indo-jazz fusion albums ever.” CD Baby gave his Summit CD five stars, denoting it “…a beacon of jazz excellence, among the best in our warehouse.”

In the hands of world-renowned flutist, Ronu Majumdar, the bansuri, a simple bamboo flute, becomes an instrument of tremendous power, virtuosity and versatility. A Grammy nominee, Ronu has performed with international superstars, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Beatle George Harrison and guitarist Ry Cooder.

Vijay Ghate is recognized as one of the most brilliant and exciting tabla players of the present generation. He has toured the world accompanying some of India’s most important classical artists including Pandit Jasraj, Vilayat Khan, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Amjad Ali Khan, and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. Vijay has gained global recognition in world music through performances with Al Jarreau, George Duke, Larry Coryell, Egberto Gismonti, George Brooks, and Danny Gottleib.

March 19-20

Mike Doughty

7:00 and 9:30

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In some ways, Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Mike Doughty is still living under the shadow of his old band, Soul Coughing. Mind you, that isn't a terrible place to be. One of the most unique bands of the 1990s, Soul Coughing became part of the soundtrack to the decade with a fusion of rock, Doughty's beatnik-inspired lyrics, and elements of hip-hop and electronic music. Doughty's signature syncopated guitar playing and off-kilter vocals were integral to the band's sound. After breaking up the band in 2000, Doughty rented a car and toured the country by himself, covering 9000 miles while rediscovering his acoustic roots. With his latest record, Sad Man Happy Man, he is returning to those roots once again, touring as an acoustic duo with long-time bassist Andrew Livingston on cello.

Doughty's solo career overlapped his Soul Coughing days by quite a bit: his first tour in 2000 featured music from a then-unreleased solo album from 1995, Skittish. This was recorded like it was presented, acoustic numbers with minimal instrumentation. His relationship with Minneapolis is well documented. His 2002 bootleg Smofe and Smang: Live in Minneapolis, was a limited edition pressing that caused an internet sensation on Napster. Songs from this record would be fleshed out with his next two full-band efforts, 2005's Haughty Melodic and 2008's Golden Delicious, both produced by Minneapolis native Dan Wilson.

While Soul Coughing was moderately popular in their heyday, Doughty has amplified his visibility considerably in recent years. In addition to songs of his being featured on TV shows "Grey's Anatomy" and "Veronica Mars," he has contributed vocals to BT's club hit "Never Gonna Come Back Down," and collaborated with John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants for a CD that accompanied an issue of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern.

His blog is widely read; check it out here.


• "27 Jennifers" from The Current's Studios

• "Looking At the World" was used in a "Grey's Anatomy" Episode

• "I Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress to Keep Dancing"

March 21

Cowboy Junkies

7:00 and 9:30

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This quartet from Canada has quietly spent the last 25 years crafting achingly beautiful folk-pop music. Aside from an alternative radio breakthrough in the mid 1990s, the family Timmons (Margo sings, Michael plays guitar, Peter plays drums) and bassist Alan Anton have established themselves the old-fashioned way- near-constant touring and recording. Their new record is "Trinity Revisited," a reinterpretation of their 1988 "Trinity Session" album. It features the band at it's best: carefully constructed songs, subdued sounds, lovely singing.

March 22-23

Arturo Sandoval

7:00 and 9:30

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"... arguably the most prodigious trumpeter of his generation... imperiously and dashingly in charge of the resources of his trumpet." - The Guardian

A man of many musical hats, Arturo Sandoval is much more than one of the most technically brilliant trumpeters alive. This protege of Dizzy Gillespie stepped out from under the bebop master's long shadow years ago, and has compiled an impressive catalog of Latin jazz, classical trumpet work, original compositions, and solo piano recordings. His recording and film work has netted him 4 Grammy Awards, 6 Billboard Awards and an Emmy Award. The standard bearer for Latin music as well as trumpet playing, he has recently been seen on the Grammy Awards performing with pop star Justin Timberlake as well as on the Latin Billboard Awards with the gifted Alicia Keys, where he was awarded his 6th Billboard Award for “Best Latin Jazz Album”.

In the late 1970s Sandoval was a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning group Irakere, whose explosive mixture of jazz, classical, rock and traditional Cuban music was well received throughout the entertainment world. In 1981, he left Irakere to form his own band, and was voted Cuba’s Best Instrumentalist from 1982 to 1990. In 1990 he relocated to Miami, and currently resides there while teaching at Florida International University. Very active in education, he teaches clinics and classes around the country, and Hal Leonard Publishing has released several Arturo Sandoval method books with instructional CDs.

April 6-7

Brad Mehldau Trio

7:00 and 9:30

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Brad Mehldau piano Larry Grenadier bass Jeff Ballard drums "A graceful and sonorous acoustic jazz combo" - New York Times One of the elite pianists of his generation, Brad Mehldau has recorded and performed extensively since the early 1990s. While appearing as a sideman on several high-profile recordings, Mehldau's most consistent output over the years has taken place in the trio format. Starting in 1996, his group released a series of five records on Warner Bros. entitled The Art of the Trio. His latest recording, Brad Mehldau Trio: Live, was nominated for a Grammy award in 2008. There is often an intellectual rigor to Mehldau's music, a real density of information in his writing and soloing that is often exciting and challenging. He has attracted a sizable following over the years, one that has grown to expect a singular, intense experience in his performance. "Mehldau creates gently undulating soundscapes of gradually gathering intensity. Starting with the simplest of motifs, he develops an intricate tapestry of melodic details, chordal voicings and dense cross-rhythms." - Mike Hobart, London Financial Times • "Exit Music (for a film)" Radiohead • "The Way You Look Tonight"