About
Brad Mehldau's three-chorus piano solo is the second of three solos on this live performance of the Kern standard. Following Konitz's alto statement, Mehldau takes the 64-bar AABA form at 239 BPM in C, pushing the tempo higher with extraordinary harmonic imagination and rhythmic complexity. Three choruses over this expansive form represent a substantial improvisational statement, and Mehldau's lines weave through the changes with a logic that demonstrates the formidable technique and harmonic daring that would define his career. The gradual acceleration reflects the natural momentum of an inspired live performance at Birdland.
Brad Mehldau was 25 to 26 years old at the time.
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