“[Mehldau is] one of our greatest living pianists” – NPR
“[McBride plays] fast-and-loose percussive subtlety and soul for days.” – Downbeat
Two of the most respected artists in contemporary jazz join forces in this duo. Brad Mehldau is hailed as “one of modern jazz’s most innovative musicians” by Glide Magazine. Christian McBride says, “Brad is justifiably revered as one of the greatest pianists of all time. I’m very proud to have been friends and cohorts with him for almost 35 years. He was one of the first people I met when I moved to NYC in 1989, and it continues to be an uplifting experience every time we play together.”
Named “one of our greatest living pianists” by NPR, Brad Mehldau says, “It is a dream come true to play with Christian in this duo setting. Playing with Christian, especially in this configuration, is both joyful and daunting all at once. His level of sophistication and swing, of emotional power and grace, is unsurpassed – not in the least on what he has achieved on his instrument, but also as one of our strongest voices in the music more generally, at the top of his game. I’m so honored to be on stage with him.”
This long-term friendship and musical camaraderie has led to various collaborations through the years. These include albums MoodSwing (1994), RoundAgain (2020), and LongGone (2023) with Joshua Redman and Brian Blade. Also, trio tour dates with drummer Marcus Gilmore. Further, a recent duo performance at the Big Ears Festival that had the crowd utterly captivated.
Recommended for fans of Joshua Redman, Keith Jarrett, The Bad Plus and John Scofield.
