Lyrical and intimate – contemporary jazz pianist Brad Mehldau

Brad Mehldau, acclaimed to have one of the most lyrical and intimate voices of contemporary jazz piano, will be returning to Malta for summer’s anticipated jazz festival.

The names of world renowned pianist and multiple Grammy nominee Mehldau and drummer extraordinaire Mark Guiliana were announced on the Facebook page of the Malta Jazz Festival as one of the highlights being showcased on July 18, at Ta’ Liesse, Valletta.

Festival artistic director Sandro Zerafa said a new artist would be unveiled every week from now until the full programme is released at a press conference on April 3.

“The Brad Mehldau we’ll be seeing this year is quite different from the one we saw in 2009 in his usual acoustic trio format,” Mr Zerafa said when contacted.

The duo, known as Mehliana, will feature Mehldau on a variety of keyboards and Guiliana on drums and electronics.

I think this act will appeal to a wide audience and to lovers of electronic music alike

“With retro sounds, trance-like grooves, drum ‘n’ bass lines, I think this act will appeal to a wide audience and to lovers of electronic music alike,” Mr Zerafa added.

Pairing Mehldau and Guiliana to create Mehliana has, according to music critics, sent a seismic pulse across the musical landscape.

The configuration presents Mehldau in rare form – performing on fender Rhodes and an arsenal of vintage synthesisers, while Guiliana accompanies him on drums and effects.

The result promises to be a majestic live performance in which Mehldau displays a penchant for splitting his hands in a way no other modern pianist can.

Guiliana’s frenetic jungle beat precision and unbreakable groove touches upon modern drum ‘n’ bass, nodding back to the unbound dance-funk spirit of the early 1970s.

“A completely free-form performance with no set compositions, the sound is nothing short of what so many fans have been waiting for; two of the world’s most refreshing instrumentalists humanising live electronic music with improvisation and deft ability,” according to the duo’s official website.