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Modern Music (Brad Mehldau and Kevin Hays album)

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Modern Music
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 20, 2011
RecordedOctober 2010
StudioMechanics Hall (Worcester, Massachusetts)
GenreClassical, avant-garde
Length47:43
LabelNonesuch
ProducerPatrick Zimmerli
Brad Mehldau chronology
Love Songs
(2010)
Modern Music
(2010)
Ode
(2008–11)

Modern Music is an album by pianists Brad Mehldau and Kevin Hays.

Background

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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

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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

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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]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Financial Times[3]
The Guardian[4]
Tom HullB−[5]

Track listing

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  1. "Crazy Quilt" (Patrick Zimmerli) – 6:21
  2. "Unrequited" (Brad Mehldau) – 6:27
  3. "Generatrix" (Zimmerli) – 5:12
  4. "Celtic Folk Melody" (Zimmerli) – 2:58
  5. "Excerpt from Music for 18 Musicians" (Steve Reich) – 5:20
  6. "Lonely Woman" (Ornette Coleman) – 6:31
  7. "Modern Music" (Zimmerli) – 4:59
  8. "Elegia" (Kevin Hays) – 6:20
  9. "Excerpt from String Quartet No. 5" (Philip Glass) – 3:45

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Jurek, Thom "Brad Mehldau / Kevin Hays / Patrick Zimmerli – Modern Music". AllMusic. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Brad Mehldau + Kevin Hays + Patrick Zimmerli – Modern Music". Nonesuch Records. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Hobart, Mike (September 17, 2011) "Brad Mehldau & Kevin Hays: Modern Music". Financial Times.
  4. ^ Fordham, John (September 29, 2011) "Brad Mehldau/Kevin Hays: Modern Music – Review". The Guardian.
  5. ^ "Tom Hull: Grade List: Brad Mehldau". Tom Hull. Retrieved 13 July 2020.