Nonesuch Releases Brad Mehldau’s Jacob’s Ladder on March 18
Above: click to view the video for“maybe as his skies are wide” – out today
“Mehldau can truly translate his thoughts and feelings into complex and lasting music. He is one of those people whose brain and fingers and musical ability is all one beautiful entity.” —Jamie Cullum
Nonesuch Records releases Brad Mehldau’s Jacob’s Ladder on March 18, 2022 on CD; a vinyl LP version will be released later in the year (exact date TBD). The album features new music that reflects on scripture and the search for God through music inspired by the prog rock Mehldau loved as a young adolescent, which was his gateway to the fusion that eventually led to his discovery of jazz. Featured musicians on the album include Mehldau’s label mates Chris Thile and Cécile McLorin Salvant, as well as Mark Guiliana, Becca Stevens, Joel Frahm, and others. A video for ‘maybe as his skies are wide’ is available today here. The song builds off an interpolation of one portion of Rush’s classic “Tom Sawyer.” Nonesuch Store pre-orders include an exclusive signed, limited-edition print.
Mehldau explains, “We are born close to God, and as we mature, we invariably move further and further away from Him on account of our ego. Jacob’s Ladder begins at that place closer to God with the voice of child, and then moves into the world of action. God is always there, but in our discovery and conquest, and all the joys and sorrows they bring, we may lose sight of him. He sets a ladder before us though, like in Jacob’s dream, and we climb towards him, to find reconciliation with ourselves, to stitch up all those worldly wounds and finally heal. The record ends with my vision of heaven—once again as a child, His child, in eternal grace, in ecstasy.
“The musical conduit on the record is prog,” Mehldau continues. “Prog—progressive rock—was the music of my childhood, before I discovered jazz. It matched the fantasy and science fiction books I read from C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L’Engle and others at that time, aged ten through twelve. It was my gateway to the fusion of Miles Davis, Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra and other groups, which in turn was the gateway to more jazz. Jazz shared with prog a broader expressive scope and larger-scale ambitions than the rock music I had known already.
“The prog from Rush, Gentle Giant, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer here only hints at the genre’s conceptual, compositional and emotional range. These bands and others have continued to influence newer groups that bring prog impulses into the arena of hard rock and screaming math metal, like Periphery, whose music is included here, and also inspired the screaming vocals on ‘Herr und Knecht.’ I tried to avoid a direct tribute approach to all the songs, and opted in some cases for excerpts, or reworking of themes.”
Although Brad Mehldau is best known as a jazz composer and improviser, he has made several albums that fall outside of the mainstream jazz genre, including his 2001 Largo, produced by Jon Brion. Wide-ranging in texture and big in scale, it features woodwind or brass ensembles are on several tracks, as well as a heavy emphasis on powerful drums. In 2010, Nonesuch released his second collaboration with Brion, Highway Rider, which includes performances by Mehldau’s trio—drummer Jeff Ballard and bassist Larry Grenadier—as well as drummer Matt Chamberlain, saxophonist Joshua Redman, and a chamber orchestra led by Dan Coleman. Mehldau also orchestrated and arranged the album’s fifteen pieces for the ensemble.
Mehldau’s 2014 collaboration with Mark Guiliana, Mehliana: Taming the Dragon featured Mehldau on Fender Rhodes and synthesizers and Guiliana on drums and effects, playing twelve original tunes—six by the duo and six by Mehldau. His 2019 album Finding Gabriel featured performances by him on piano, synthesizers, percussion, and Fender Rhodes, as well as vocals. Guest musicians included Ambrose Akinmusire, Sara Caswell, Kurt Elling, Joel Frahm, Mark Guiliana, Gabriel Kahane, and Becca Stevens, among others.
Jacob’s Ladder
1 maybe as his skies are wide
Luca van den Bossche: treble voice
Brad Mehldau: Steinway D grand piano, glockenspiel, Akai S-950 Sampler, Korg MS-20 synthesizer
Mark Guiliana: drums
John Davis: Elektron Octatrack
2 Herr und Knecht
Joel Frahm: soprano saxophone
Tobias Bader: screaming metal Hegel vocals
Brad Mehldau: Yamaha CP-80, Moog modular synthesizer, Emu Emulator II, Dave Smith OB-6, Wurlitzer electric piano, Therevox, Steinway C grand piano
Mark Guiliana: drums
Becca Stevens/Tinkerbell: additional vocals
3 (Entr’acte) Glam Perfume
Brad Mehldau: Steinway D, Mellotron, Moog modular synthesizer
Becca Stevens: vocals
Lavinia Meijer: harp
4 Cogs in Cogs, Pt. I: Dance
Brad Mehldau: Steinway D, Fender Rhodes, harmonium, Emu Emulator II, Moog Little Phatty synthesizer, Hammond organ bass pedals, xylophone, drums, tambourine, vocals
John Davis: drum programming
5 Cogs in Cogs, Pt. II: Song
Becca Stevens: lead vocals
Brad Mehldau: Steinway C, Emu Emulator II, Musser Ampliceleste, Korg MS20, back vocals
Motomi Igrashi-de Jong: linore
Mark Guiliana: drums
John Davis: drum programming
6 Cogs in Cogs, Pt. III: Double Fugue
Brad Mehldau: Moog modular synthesizer, OB-6
7 Tom Sawyer
Chris Thile: Vocals, mandolin
Luca van den Bossche: treble voice
Joel Frahm: soprano and tenor saxophones
Brad Mehldau: Steinway C, Moog modular synthesizer, Dave Smith Prophet 08, Moog Little Phatty, Roland Juno 60, Emu Emulator II, Yamaha CP-80, Korg MS-20, additional vocals
Mark Guiliana: drums
John Davis: drum programming
8 Vou correndo te encontrar / Racecar
Pedro Martins: Brazilian Portuguese vocals, acoustic guitar
Brad Mehldau: English vocals, Steinway D, OB-6, Korg MS-20, drums, tambourine
Tinkerbell: high voice at end
9 Jacob’s Ladder, Pt. I: Liturgy
In order: Safia McKinney-Askeur, Luca van den Bossche, Becca Stevens, Timothy Hill, Damien Mehldau, Brad Mehldau: spoken word
text from Bible in English/Dutch: Genesis 28:10-19
10 Jacob’s Ladder, Pt. II: Song
Safia McKinney-Askeur: vocals
Motomi Igrashi-de Jong: linore
Brad Mehldau: Steinway D, Steinway C, Mellotron Mk VI, Yamaha Upright Piano, sleigh bells, Musser Ampliceleste, Korg MS-20, Moog Little Phatty
Mark Guiliana: electronic drums, drums
11 Jacob’s Ladder, Pt. III: Ladder
Treble: Luca van den Bossche
Soprano/alto: Becca Stevens, Safia McKinney-Askeur
Tenor: Brad Mehldau
Bass: Timothy Hill
Bass Clarinet: Joris Roelofs
Spoken Voice: Brad Mehldau, Fleurine
Wind Machine, Korg MS-20, Orchestral Bells: Brad Melhdau
12 Heaven: I. All Once – II. Life Seeker – III. Würm – IV. Epilogue: It Was a Dream but I Carry It Still
Cécile McLorin Salvant: opening wordless vocals
Luca van den Bossche: back and lead vocals
Safia McKinney-Askeur: lead vocals
Becca Stevens: “follow…” back vocals
Brad Mehldau: back vocals, Steinway D, Steinway C, Fender Rhodes, Roland Juno 60, Dave Smith Pro2, Musser Ampliceleste, Crumar Performer, Casio Casiotone 101, Korg MS-20, drums, shaker
Lavinia Meijer: harp
Pedro Martins: electric and acoustic guitars
Mark Guiliana: drums
Paul Pouwer: subby heartbeat bass drum
For more information, visit publicity.nonesuch.com or bradmehldau.com, or contact:
Melissa Cusick, Nonesuch Records, 212.707.2912 or melissa.cusick@nonesuch.com
# # # #
