The 28th Langnau Jazz Nights offered a first class program in many aspects, and Brad Mehldau crowned it with his first visit in rural Berne in Switzerland. A special mention belongs to the festival’s careful engagement for young jazz musicians.
I saw Brad Mehldau live for the second time now. A solo concert in Berne, 10 years ago, was just mind-blowing. He’s one of the most versatile jazz musicians ever, so I expected to see these many sides also in this trio concert in Langnau. And it was an amazing concert finally, in a certain way. The songs played were mostly classics from the real book, and Mehldaus own compositions ranged between traditional jazz and modest modern creations.
Every song took almost 10 minutes and showed the trios excellence in interplay and improvisation. So to have enough air to breathe and a temperature somewhat below 30` C. would have made the concert experience perfect in its traditional outlook. But the very uneasy physical atmosphere in the concert hall and the rather conservative piano mixing took their poll, so this concert wasn’t an update for me after the first one when I heard him solo. Every musical aspect of the show was totally fine in the mentioned classical way of jazz, but unfortunately
they didn’t really chime together with the actual circumstances at this very hot summer evening.
Still it was an amazing experience to listen to Brad Mehldau in Emmental! Many thanks to the organisators who deliver enormously every year to present world-class Jazz in a beautiful landscape.
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