Brad Mehldau
Piano Solo on
What Is This Thing Called Love

About

Brad Mehldau's four-chorus piano solo is the second of three solos on this live performance of the Porter standard. Following Konitz's extended alto statement, Mehldau takes the 32-bar AABA form at 171 BPM in C, his solo marked by the rhythmic sophistication and harmonic depth that would soon establish him as the defining jazz pianist of his generation. At 25 to 26 years old, Mehldau's four choruses demonstrate a fully formed artistic voice, his ideas feeding off the trio's continuous stream of musical conversation in the drumless format.

Brad Mehldau was 25 to 26 years old at the time.