The things one finds while procrastinating.
I came across this movie recently while pruning an old playlist I’d made on YouTube. Posted in 2008, it was probably filmed in the late 1990s. As of this writing, it has only 25,000 views. A buried treasure.
There’s so much about this that’s interesting to me, and most of it is not the playing—though the playing is phenomenal! It’s what he has to say about his process. About the way he and his trio conceptualize time and pulse. That room in the backyard studio where the movers put his piano. What he hears in Bird and Trane. How he seems to live for playing the instrument (I recently met a neighbor of Brad’s who confirmed that when Brad is home, he’ll play piano all day long. Just him and his piano—and espresso machine—in a room all day). And dig the fun he’s having on the little toy keyboard midway through. He plays the baddest solo while holding a coffee mug!
The last few days I’ve taken to looping this (on mute) while I practice. It’s motivating.
Please enjoy Brad Mehldau – the Complete Documentary:
Subscribe to my weekly email for more things like this.
My latest album, A Message for Mobley is available now wherever you find music. There’s also a limited run of autographed compact discs here:
