Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau

Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau
Studio album by Chris Thile, Brad Mehldau
Released	January 27, 2017
Recorded	December 30, 2015, January 2–3, 2016
Studio	Avatar (New York City)
Length	63:25
Label	Nonesuch
Producer	Chris Thile, Brad Mehldau
Brad Mehldau chronology
Seymour Reads the Constitution! (2012–14) Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau (2015–16) After Bach (2017)

Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau is an album by Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau. It was released by Nonesuch Records on January 27, 2017.

Background

Mandolinist and vocalist Chris Thile and pianist Brad Mehldau first played together in 2011 when Mehldau had a residency at London's Wigmore Hall. ^[1] Their first tour as a duo was two years later. ^[1] They performed together again in 2015, after which they recorded this studio album. ^[1]

Music and recording

The album contains a mix of originals and covers. The latter "include Bob Dylan's 'Don't Think Twice It's Alright', Joni Mitchell's 'Marcie', Elliott Smith's 'Independence Day' as well as a composition by late 16th /early 17th century Irish harpist and composer Ruaidri Dáll Ó Catháin". ^[1]

Thile's singing covers a range of effects, including "invoking an ethereal falsetto, the imploring call of a '50s teenage crooner, a nasal Dylanesque snarl, or a rural bluesman's grouchy defiance". ^[2]

The music was recorded in Avatar Studios in New York City on December 30, 2015, and January 2–3, 2016. ^[3] The album was released by Nonesuch Records on January 27, 2017. It is available as two CDs, two LPs, or as a download. ^[4]

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	78/100 [5]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[6]
The Australian	[7]
DownBeat	[8]
The Guardian	[2]
The Irish Times	[9]
laut.de	[10]
Mojo	[5]
PopMatters	7/10 [11]
The Times	[12]
Tom Hull	B− [13]

The Irish Times' reviewer commented that the songs on the album "dig down into the roots of American music, touching the common ancestry of jazz and country but coming up fresh and turned boldly to the post-genre future". ^[9]

Lloyd Sachs of JazzTimes stated "...this 64-minute, two-CD set is so idiosyncratic in its selection and treatment of material, it’s difficult to compare it to anything else... Throughout, the duo exploits the close relationship between keys and strings, achieving a seamless oneness on tunes such as Mehldau’s sprightly “Tallahassee Junction.” In exploring the world of Americana, Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau is sometimes cozy, sometimes haunting and sometimes, unexpectedly, both". ^[14]

Track listing

Disc 1

1. "The Old Shade Tree" (Brad Mehldau, Chris Thile) – 6:26
2. "Tallahassee Junction" (Mehldau) – 5:54
3. "Scarlet Town" (David Rawlings, Gillian Welch) – 6:03
4. "I Cover the Waterfront" (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman) – 7:00
5. "Independence Day" (Elliott Smith) – 3:10
6. "Noise Machine" (Thile) – 4:50

Disc 2

1. "The Watcher" (Mehldau) – 5:27
2. "Daughter of Eve" (Thile) – 8:58
3. "Marcie" (Joni Mitchell) – 4:50
4. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" (Bob Dylan) – 6:02
5. "Tabhair dom do Lámh" (Ruaidri Dáll Ó Catháin) – 4:19

LP bonus track: "Fast As You Can" (Fiona Apple) – 6:07

Source: ^[3]

Personnel

• Chris Thile – mandolin, vocals
• Brad Mehldau – piano, vocals

Charts

Chart (2017)	Peak position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [15]	110
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [16]	133
Irish Albums (IRMA) [17]	46
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [18]	83
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard) [19]	1
US Top Bluegrass Albums (Billboard) [20]	1

References

1. Gallacher, Alex (November 16, 2016) "Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau Announce Album". Folk and Roots Music Webzine.
2. Fordham, John (January 26, 2017) "Thile/Mehldau: Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau Review – Remarkable Rapport as Bluegrass Meets Jazz". The Guardian.
3. "Chris Thile + Brad Mehldau". Nonesuch Records. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
4. "Nonesuch Releases Duo Album from Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau 1/27" (November 15, 2016). Glide Magazine.
5. "CHRIS THILE & BRAD MEHLDAU by Chris Thile". Metacritic . metacritic.com. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
6. Collar, Matt. "Chris Thile / Brad Mehldau Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau". Allmusic . allmusic.com. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
7. Hillier, Tony (February 4, 2017). "Reviews: Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau; Ponce guitar sonatas; Morten Schantz". The Australian . theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
8. Hale, James (March 2017). "Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau: Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau". DownBeat . Retrieved May 31, 2020.
9. Larkin, Cormac (January 26, 2017) "Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau Album Review: A Meeting of Masterly Minds". The Irish Times.
10. Benassi, Giuliano. "Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau" (in German). laut.de . Retrieved July 27, 2020.
11. CONATON, CHRIS (February 1, 2017). "Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau: Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau". PopMatters . popmatters.com. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
12. Bungey, John (January 27, 2017). "Jazz: Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau: Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau". The Times . The Times. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
13. "Tom Hull: Grade List: Chris Thile". Tom Hull . Retrieved July 27, 2020.
14. Sachs, Lloyd (June 2, 2017). "Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau: Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau (Nonesuch)". JazzTimes . jazztimes.com. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
15. "Ultratop.be – Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau – Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
16. "Ultratop.be – Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau – Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
17. "Irish Albums Chart: 24 March 2017". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
18. "Swisscharts.com – Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau – Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
19. "Brad Mehldau Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
20. "Brad Mehldau Chart History (Top Bluegrass Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2018.