Brad Mehldau: I Didn't Know What Time It Was

You may not know what time it is either. But count along, you will pick up the 5/4 groove very nicely played by the Mehldau trio. A punning reference to the name of the song, perhaps? And while were talking about names: how daring to call your recording the art of the trio! especially for a 26-year-old performer still at an early stage of his career as combo leader. But the Mehldau-Grenadier-Rossy triumvirate lives up to the claims of the name. This trio would continue to expand its musical vocabulary over the next several years, but even in 1996 it demanded respect as one of the finest bands in jazz. All the right ingredients are here: precociously smart but also swinging and emotionally aware. Highly recommended.