Mehldau Gives a Minimalist Presentation

It’s probably not too far off base to refer to the ‘90s as the Decade of the Jazz Piano. It’s hard to remember a period in which so many performers, at so many different stages in their careers, were playing at such a high level of achievement--from veterans such as Hank Jones and Kenny Barron to the rush of younger names that includes Benny Green, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Eric Reed, Marcus Roberts and Billy Childs, to name only a very few.

All of which places a fairly significant burden upon anyone who has hopes of rising above the pack. And Brad Mehldau, in his two latest albums--one an impressive solo effort, the other a live date with his trio--has suggested a real desire to do just that.

But on Tuesday, in the opening performance of a three-night run at Largo, his playing, surprisingly, was framed in such a narrow context that it was difficult to understand why he would choose to offer such a minimalist presentation.

Appearing with his regular accompanists--bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy--Mehldau worked his way through a set consisting of a few standards and several originals, some so new they were still untitled. And it would be a fair estimation to note that Mehldau’s right-hand playing remained within an octave and a half, or so, for perhaps 95% of his set. Given the fact that he does most of his exposition with his right hand, the result was an increasing, and dulling, sameness, as he kept working and reworking the same area of pitch and tone.

One can hardly argue with Mehldau’s technique or his imagination, both of which were particularly well-displayed in a cadenza-like introduction to “Long Ago and Far Away.” But this was not a performance that could approach some of the fine work he has done in the past.

* The Brad Mehldau Trio at Largo, 432 N. Fairfax. Tonight at 9, $10. Mehldau also performs in the Jazz Club at the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Founders Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Ticket prices: $40 for 7:30 p.m. performances and $28 for 9:30 p.m. performances.