The New York Times named him the most influential jazz pianist of the last 20 years. Brad Mehldau is hailed by both purists and music enthusiasts, as seen by a sold-out performance at the Teatro Ristori, where he will give a solo piano concert next Sunday, May 17.
Mehldau was born in Jacksonville in 1970, and he began his musical career at an early age. Following classical formation, he quickly transitioned to jazz but continued to experiment with new forms. Brad Mehldau has collaborated with various artists, including Pat Metheny, Renee Fleming, and Joshua Redman, resulting in pieces that mix different types of music. He has experimented with both trios (the Brad Mehldau Trio), featuring Larry Grenadier on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums, and solo arrangements, resulting in outstanding variations of songs by current songwriters such as The Beatles, Cole Porter, Radiohead, Paul Simon, Gershwin, and Nick Drake.
Mehldau continues to win prizes, including a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album with Finding Gabriel. At the same time, he remains highly regarded by music lovers for albums such as Largo and Anything Goes, as well as the evergreen Elegiac Cycle and Places.
