Brad Mehldau Finds a Key to Happiness in Los Angeles

For decades, the commonly held notion was that West Coast jazz musicians went to New York to make a name for themselves. Now, that brain-drain theory of jazz is beginning to work in reverse as musicians, drawn by work in the entertainment industry or simply by the promise of sunshine and greener pastures, leave New York for Los Angeles.

Some, like guitarist Kevin Eubanks, drummer Marvin “Smitty” Smith and saxophonist Ralph Moore of “The Tonight Show” band, fall into the first, work-calls category. Pianist Brad Mehldau, who moved here last April, is of the latter. Best known for a nearly two-year stint with saxophonist Joshua Redman and a critically acclaimed 1995 release on Warner Bros. titled “Introducing,” Mehldau says he was just looking to escape the hectic life in the Big Apple.

“I get asked why I came out here a lot,” the 26-year-old pianist says. “And I never know what to say except, ‘Why not L.A.?’ ”

Born in Jacksonville, Fla., and raised in New Hampshire and Connecticut, the aspiring pianist moved to New York soon after high school. He enrolled in New York’s New School for Social Research, where he studied with pianists Fred Hersch, Junior Mance, Kenny Werner and drummer Jimmy Cobb and began appearing around town with Cobb’s ensemble, Cobb’s Mob, gaining a reputation as an up-an-comer with great technical facility and a developing instrumental voice.

He recorded with saxophonist Jesse Davis and guitarist Peter Bernstein, then was picked up by sax idol Redman in 1993 (he’s heard on Redman’s ’94 CD “Mood Swings”). The job brought him to the attention of both the jazz world at large and Redman’s record label, Warner Bros., which released the pianist’s inaugural recording last year.

But after several years in New York, Mehldau says he found the scene there “a drag.”

“It was just getting too intense for me. There are a lot of great musicians in town, but there are a lot of crummy ones too. And there’s a lot of negative energy in New York. I made some bad associations. And it’s really expensive living.”

So, “on a whim” and with no more Southern California connection than a few nonmusical friends, Mehldau pulled up stakes last April. He’s been accepted into the L.A. jazz community as quickly as he was in New York. “I don’t feel that I’m missing out on anything being out here instead of in New York.”

Going against the accepted thinking, Mehldau says that there are advantages in the fact that Los Angeles doesn’t have a localized scene, as does New York in Greenwich Village. “Everyone’s spread out here. Musicians don’t tend to clique together like they do in New York, where you have one group of guys who are bebop purists out of the Barry Harris school, another group into Blue Note hard-bop and other guys into the outside [electric guitarist] Bill Frisell thing.”

Nor does he see a shortage of top-shelf players. “A couple weeks ago I heard [Los Angeles-based saxophonist] Teddy Edwards play. He blew me away with his tone and his swing. And to have someone like Billy Higgins in town. There’s a lot of older players here like them who are on that jazz-masters level. And then there’s guys like [drummer] Joe LaBarbera, Darek Oles, who’s an incredible bass player, [bassist] Dave Carpenter, [saxophonist] Bob Sheppard, guitarist Anthony Wilson. There’s no shortage of creative possibilities.”

Here in L.A., Mehldau has worked with Moore, San Francisco-based saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, LaBarbera and, most recently, saxophonist Lee Konitz and bassist Charlie Haden in a five-day stint at the Jazz Bakery.

But despite all this work, he doesn’t plan to make his entire salary in Southern California. “The place where you live is never the place where you make your living,” he says. “I could never make enough money to survive playing exclusively in New York. It’s like that for musicians everywhere. You make money by going out on the road, traveling to Europe and Japan, doing festivals.”

And making albums. Mehldau’s second Warner Bros. CD, with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, is set for release in January. The collection of standards, Mehldau originals and a single Beatles’ tune (“Blackbird”) is modestly titled “The Art of the Trio, Vol. 1.”

Mehldau is looking to become a regular feature on the Los Angeles scene with an ongoing series of Wednesday night shows at the Club Brasserie in West Hollywood’s Bel Age Hotel, beginning Jan. 8, with fellow East Coast expatriates Moore, Smith and bassist Robert Hurst. The name of the band? What else but Escape From New York.

Information for the Club Brasserie: (310) 854-1111.

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Scene and Heard: Dr. Art Davis’ quartet, in an appearance last Friday at LACMA, was enlivened by the contrast of Davis’ straight-ahead bass work with pianist Horace Tapscott’s swirling, dissonant style on such tunes as “My Favorite Things” (which featured saxophonist Phil Vieux’s Coltrane-inspired soprano) and Sonny Rollins’ “Waltz Hot.” The same quartet appears at the museum again today at 5:30 p.m., (213) 857-6000. . . . The Phil Norman Tentet, which has been making Monday night performances all this month at the Cinegrill in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, has featured the smart arrangements of its pianist, Bob Florence, the hard-driving drumming of Frank Capp, fine trumpet work from Ron Stout and, in their Nov. 14 appearance at the Baked Potato Pasadena, the wily play of trombonist Andy Martin. The tentet will close its run at the Cinegrill, Monday at 8:30 p.m., (213) 466-7000. . . . With about 250 people in attendance, saxophonist Dale Fielder premiered his big, impressionistic jazz suite for nine-piece ensemble, “Ocean of Love and Mercy,” last Sunday at First Lutheran Church in Glendale’s monthly “Jazz Vespers” series. The date was recorded for possible future release on Fielder’s Clarion Jazz label. The church’s next monthly concert, Jan. 19, features bassist Pat Senatore’s combo; (818) 240-9000.