The Art Of The Trio Recordings 1996-2001 (7-CD Box Set)

7-CD box set conatining all five original Art of the Trio albums (vol. 5 included two CDs), released between 1997 and 2001, plus a seventh disc of previously unreleased material from shows at the Village Vanguard in 1997, 1999, and 2001.

These recordings feature Mehldaus long-time trio with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy. Repertoire includes interpretations of standard tunes and modern classics as well as many original compositions. New liner notes by Bad Plus pianist Ethan Iverson include interviews with all three trio members.

With the release of The Art of the Trio, Vol. 1 in 1997, Brad Mehldau solidified his standing as the preeminent pianist of a young generation of rising jazz musicians and struck out on what would become one of the more notable recording endeavors in jazz.

In the years following, Mehldau, along with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, released a series of recordings under the Art of the Trio title, culminating with the two-CD The Art of the Trio, Vol 5: Progression in 2001.

As a whole, the series follows not only the growth of the band as a working unit, but also the development of Mehldaus compositional and improvisational voice, tracking his rise from wunderkind to superstar within a matter of years. Now, Nonesuch is reissuing the entire Art of the Trio series in a box set, bringing all the individual releases together in one package for the first time.


Tracklisting:

CD 1
The Art Of The Trio, Vol.1 (1997)
Originally issued as Warner Bros. 9362-46260-2

01. Blame It on My Youth (Heyman-Levant) 6:17
02. I Didnt Know What Time It Was (Hart-Rodgers) 6:31
03. Rons Place (Mehldau) 6:30
04. Blackbird (Lennon-McCartney) 5:00
05. Lament for Linus (Mehldau) 4:39
06. Mignons Song (Mehldau) 6:35
07. I Fall in Love Too Easily (Cahn-Styne) 7:18
08. Lucid (Mehldau)5:43
09. Nobody Else But Me (Hammerstein-Kern) 7:36

CD 2
The Art Of The Trio, Vol.2
Live At The Village Vanguard (1998)
Originally issued as Warner Bros. 9362-46848-2

01. Its All Right with Me (Porter) 12:38
02. Young and Foolish 13:06
03. Monks Dream (Monk) 11:09
04. The Way You Look Tonight (Fields-Kern) 12:32
05. Moon River (Mancini-Mercer) 10:51
06. Countdown (Coltrane) 12:40

CD 3
The Art Of The Trio, Vol.3
Songs (1998)
Originally issued as Warner Bros. 9362-47051-2

01. Song-Song (Mehldau) 6:30
02. Unrequited (Mehldau) 6:08
03. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (Hart-Rodgers) 5:58
04. Exit Music (For a Film) (Radiohead) 4:23
05. At a Loss (Mehldau) 6:20
06. Convalescent (Mehldau) 5:57
07. For All We Know (Coots) 8:02
08. River Man (Drake) 4:48
09. Young at Heart (Leigh-Richards) 6:22
10. Sehnsucht (Mehldau) 4:56

CD 4
The Art Of The Trio, Vol.4
Back At The Vanguard (1999)
Originally issued as Warner Bros. 9362-47463-2

01. All the Things You Are (Hammerstein-Kern) 13:44
02. Sehnsucht (Mehldau) 10:48
03. Nice Pass (Mehldau) 17:35
04. Solar (Davis) 9:54
05. London Blues (Mehldau) 7:37
06. Ill Be Seeing You (Fain-Kahal) 7:17
07. Exit Music (For a Film) (Radiohead) 8:53

CD 5
The Art Of The Trio, Vol.5
Progression (2001) 1st Part
A double CD set originally issued
as Warner Bros. 9362-48005-2

01. The More I See You (Gordon-Warren) 10:06
02. Dreams Monk (Mehldau) 11:21
03. The Folks Who Live on the Hill (Hammerstein-Kern) 9:50
04. Alone Together (Dietz-Schwartz) 15:01
05. It Might as Well Be Spring (Hammerstein-Rodgers) 2:48
06. Cry Me a River (Hamilton) 8:50
07. River Man (Drake) 11:30

CD 6
The Art Of The Trio, Vol. 5
Progression (2001) 2nd Part

01. Quit (Mehldau) 7:14
02. Secret Love (Fain-Webster) 10:08
03. Sublation (Mehldau) 14:58
04. Resignation (Mehldau) 8:39
05. Long Ago and Far Away (Gershwin-Kern) 14:50
06. How Long Has This Been Going On? (Gershwin-Gershwin) 10:45

CD 7
Additional Unreleased Recordings

01. London Blues (Mehldau) 12:15
02. Unrequited (Mehldau) 9:31
03. Rons Place (Mehldau) 9:21
04. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning (Hilliard-Mann) 7:26
05. Lament for Linus (Mehldau) 5:23

Personnel on all tracks:
Brad Mehldau (piano), Larry Grenadier (bass), Jorge Rossy (drums).

Recording dates:
CD 1, Recorded in Los Angeles, Sept. 4-5, 1996
CD 2, Recorded live at the Village Vanguard, New York City, July 29 - August 3, 1997
CD 3, Recorded in New York City, May 27-28, 1998
CD 4, Recorded live at the Village Vanguard, New York City, January 5-10, 1999
CD 5 & 6, Recorded live at the Village Vanguard, New York City, September 22-24, 2000
CD 7, Unreleased recordings from: 1997-2001

All sessions produced by Matt Pierson
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Notes:

"Dramatic music that leaps out of the subconscious"

-The New York Times


"A rare and special partnership"

-NPR