Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau

Mandolinist and vocalist Chris Thile and pianist Brad Mehldau first played together in 2011 when Mehldau had a residency at London's Wigmore Hall.Gallacher, Alex (November 16, 2016) [http://www.folkradio.co.uk/2016/11/chris-thile-brad-mehldau-announce-album/ "Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau Announce Album"]. Folk and Roots Music Webzine. Their first tour as a duo was two years later. They performed together again in 2015, after which they recorded this studio album.

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".

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".

The music was recorded in Avatar Studios in New York City on December 30, 2015, and January 2–3, 2016. The album was released by Nonesuch Records on January 27, 2017. It is available as two CDs, two LPs, or as a download.[http://www.glidemagazine.com/175546/nonesuch-releases-duo-album-chris-thile-brad-mehldau-127/ "Nonesuch Releases Duo Album from Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau 1/27"] (November 15, 2016). Glide Magazine.

{{Music ratings

| MC = 78/100{{cite web |title=CHRIS THILE & BRAD MEHLDAU by Chris Thile |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/chris-thile-brad-mehldau/chris-thile |website=Metacritic |publisher=metacritic.com |accessdate=8 June 2018}}

| rev1 = Allmusic

| rev1score = {{rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web|last1=Collar|first1=Matt|title=Chris Thile / Brad Mehldau Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/chris-thile-brad-mehldau-mw0003003468/releases|website=Allmusic|publisher=allmusic.com|accessdate=30 January 2017}}

| rev2 = The Australian

| rev2score = {{rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web |last1=Hillier |first1=Tony |title=Reviews: Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau; Ponce guitar sonatas; Morten Schantz |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/reviews-chris-thile-brad-mehldau-ponce-guitar-sonatas-morten-schantz/news-story/271651827e6b532b573123d6ec000939 |website=The Australian |publisher=theaustralian.com.au |accessdate=8 June 2018 |date=4 February 2017}}

| rev3=DownBeat

| rev3score={{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |last1=Hale |first1=James |title=Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau: Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau |url=https://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/chris-thile-brad-mehldau |website=DownBeat |accessdate=31 May 2020 |date=March 2017}}

| rev4 = The Guardian

| rev4Score = {{rating|4|5}}Fordham, John (January 26, 2017) [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jan/26/chris-thile-brad-mehldau-review-nonesuch "Thile/Mehldau: Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau Review – Remarkable Rapport as Bluegrass Meets Jazz"]. The Guardian.

| rev5 = The Irish Times

| rev5Score = {{rating|5|5}}Larkin, Cormac (January 26, 2017) [http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/chris-thile-brad-mehldau-album-review-a-meeting-of-masterly-minds-1.2947717 "Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau Album Review: A Meeting of Masterly Minds"]. The Irish Times.

| rev6 = laut.de

| rev6score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |last1=Benassi |first1=Giuliano |title=Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau |url=https://www.laut.de/Chris-Thile-Brad-Mehldau/Alben/Chris-Thile-Brad-Mehldau-105943 |publisher=laut.de |accessdate=27 July 2020 |language=de}}

| rev7 = Mojo

| rev7score= {{rating|3|5}}

| rev8 = PopMatters

| rev8score = 7/10{{cite web|last1=CONATON|first1=CHRIS|title=Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau: Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau|url=https://www.popmatters.com/chris-thile-and-brad-mehldau-chris-thile-and-brad-mehldau-2495402409.html|website=PopMatters|publisher=popmatters.com|accessdate=8 June 2018|date=1 February 2017}}

| rev9 = The Times

| rev9score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|last1=Bungey|first1=John|title=Jazz: Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau: Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/jazz-chris-thile-amp-brad-mehldau-chris-thile-and-brad-mehldau-rgpqs9b7l|website=The Times|publisher=The Times|access-date=30 January 2017|date=January 27, 2017}}

| rev10 = Tom Hull

| rev10score = B−{{cite web |title=Tom Hull: Grade List: Chris Thile | url=http://tomhull.com/ocston/nm/get_gl.php?n=chris+thile | publisher=Tom Hull |accessdate=27 July 2020}}

}}

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".

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".{{cite web |last1=Sachs |first1=Lloyd |title=Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau: Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau (Nonesuch) |url=https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/chris-thile-brad-mehldau/ |website=JazzTimes |publisher=jazztimes.com |accessdate=8 June 2018 |date=2 June 2017}}

;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:[http://www.nonesuch.com/albums/chris-thile-brad-mehldau "Chris Thile + Brad Mehldau"]. Nonesuch Records. Retrieved December 2, 2016.

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

{{Reflist}}

{{Brad Mehldau|state=autocollapse}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau}}

Category:2017 collaborative albums

Category:Brad Mehldau albums

Category:Chris Thile albums

Category:Nonesuch Records albums