Modern Music (Brad Mehldau and Kevin Hays album)

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

Modern Music
Studio album by
Brad Mehldau, Kevin Hays
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)

Background

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

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

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]

Track listing
  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

References
  1. Jurek, Thom "Brad Mehldau / Kevin Hays / Patrick Zimmerli – Modern Music". AllMusic. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  2. "Brad Mehldau + Kevin Hays + Patrick Zimmerli – Modern Music". Nonesuch Records. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  3. 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.
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