Pat Metheny & Brad Mehldau

Biography

Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau are renowned jazz musicians whose collaboration began with mutual admiration, leading to the landmark duo album Metheny Mehldau released in 2006 by Nonesuch Records, featuring intimate guitar-piano duets and select quartet tracks with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard.[1][2][5] Pat Metheny, born and raised in Lee's Summit, Missouri, started playing guitar at age 13, quickly developing prodigious talent that led to teaching positions at universities while still young; his career includes the long-running Pat Metheny Group spanning 30 years and diverse projects blending jazz, pop influences, and compositional forms.[1][4][6] Brad Mehldau, a pivotal pianist of his generation, pioneered jazz interpretations of modern pop songs from artists like Radiohead, the Beatles, and Paul Simon, favoring acoustic trio and solo formats while drawing from jazz, classical, and rock minimalism.[1][7]

Their partnership stemmed from shared values: balancing detailed composition with improvisational freedom, stable long-term bands (Metheny's Group and Mehldau's 12-year trio), unexpected collaborations, and innovative harmonies often suggested via single-note clusters rather than full chords.[1] Sessions in December 2005 produced 24 tracks, yielding Metheny Mehldau (2006) with nine duos and two quartets, followed by Quartet (2007) with seven quartets and four duos; they toured worldwide in 2007 with Grenadier and Ballard.[1][2] Both artists connect to popular culture—Metheny via post-Hendrix guitar tones, Mehldau through pop reimaginings—and embrace unusual rhythms and forms.[1]

Their work evokes the guitar-piano intimacy of Jim Hall and Bill Evans' Undercurrent, yet preserves distinct voices: Metheny's broad palette from Ornette Coleman to contemporary jazz, Mehldau's brooding lyricism and Gen X perspective.[2][3] Larry Grenadier bridged their worlds, having played in both Metheny's Trio 99>00/Trio>Live and Mehldau's trio since 1995.[1] This collaboration solidified their legacies as influential figures pushing jazz boundaries.

Fun Facts

• Metheny first noticed Mehldau on Joshua Redman's 1994 track 'Chill,' while Mehldau became a fan hearing Metheny Group's 'Are You Going With Me?' from Travels (1983).[2]
• They recorded 24 tracks in December 2005, with three quartet tracks still unreleased.[1]
• Larry Grenadier uniquely connected their bands, playing in Metheny's Trio 99>00/Trio>Live and Mehldau's trio since 1995.[1]
• Their mutual admiration grew via email and score exchanges before studio sessions.[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Jim Hall and Bill Evans - Stylistic influences for guitar-piano duo intimacy (Undercurrent (1960s)) [1960s influence]
• Theodor Adorno - Intellectual influence on Mehldau's classical vs. jazz choice (Perennial Fashion – Jazz essay) [Pre-career]

Key Collaborators

• Larry Grenadier - Bassist in quartet sessions and link between leaders' trios (Metheny Mehldau (2006), Quartet (2007), Trio 99>00, Trio>Live) [1995-2007]
• Jeff Ballard - Drummer in quartet sessions and Mehldau's trio (Metheny Mehldau (2006), Quartet (2007), Day Is Done (2005)) [2005-2007]
• Lyle Mays - Longtime keyboardist in Metheny's group (The Way Up (2005)) [Long-term pre-2005]

Artists Influenced

• Joshua Redman - Mehldau's playing impressed Metheny on Redman's album (Moodswing (1994), track Chill) [1994]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia