Influencias e innovaciones en el piano jazz: Brad Mehldau

Abstract

This article discusses current trends in jazz piano through the figure of Brad Mehldau, who made his appearance in the early nineties. The importance of Mehldau lies in how he’s managed to assimilate the jazz tradition while he’s also been able to incorporate new strategies when addressing the rhythmic, melodic and harmonic aspects of improvisation. The article analyzes the influences on Mehldau, from jazz as well as from classical and popular music, in order to assess which have been the strategies used by Mehldau on improvisation and what have been his contributions to jazz piano literature. Thus, it is easier to evaluate how his music has affected subsequent generations of musicians and, therefore, the evolution of the history of jazz.

Key words

Piano, jazz, piano jazz, Mehldau, improvisation.