CD review: Brad Mehldau – O Ephraim 2019: Video, CD cover

Brad Mehldau has released “O Ephraim,” a song from his new album, Finding Gabriel, which is out next Friday, May 17, on Nonesuch.

On the song, Mehldau performs on OB-6 Polyphonic synthesizer, vocals, Steinway C grand piano, drums, Fender Rhodes, Musser Ampli-Celeste, and Morfbeats gamelan strips. A video for the song, featuring artwork by Dima Drjuchin animated by Robert Edridge-Waks, premiered on WBGO this morning. You can watch it below.”The often-senseless chaos of our present age has inspired every form of new artistic expression, from television dramas to realist novels,” writes WBGO’s Nate Chinen. “For pianist and composer Brad Mehldau, it yielded a striking and unorthodox album, Finding Gabriel.”

Finding Gabriel comprises nine thematically related songs by Mehldau and includes guest performances from Ambrose Akinmusire, Sara Caswell, Kurt Elling, Joel Frahm, Mark Guiliana, Gabriel Kahane, Becca Stevens, and others. Nonesuch Store pre-orders include an instant download of “O Ephraim” and the opening track, “The Garden,” and an exclusive, limited-edition print.

Brad Mehldau is on tour with his Trio in Europe before heading to Asia at the end of the month. He and his Quintet hold a week’s residence at the Village Vanguard in New York City in june. For details and tickets, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.