Brad Mehldau – Ride into the Sun [CD]

Description

Nonesuch Records releases pianist and composer Brad Mehldaus Ride into the Suna songbook record of music by the late singer, songwriter, and guitarist Elliott Smith. Featured musicians include singer/guitarist Daniel Rossen (Grizzly Bear); singer/mandolinist Chris Thile (Punch Brothers, Nickel Creek); bassists Felix Moseholm (Brad Mehldau Trio) and John Davis; drummer Matt Chamberlain (Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Randy Newman, etc.); and a chamber orchestra led by Dan Coleman.

Ride into the Suns ten Elliott Smith songs are complemented by four Mehldau compositions that he says are inspired by, and reflect, Smiths oeuvre. Also included are interpretations of Big Stars Thirteen, which Smith also covered, and Sunday by Nick Drake, who Mehldau says, I look at in some ways as sort of Smiths visionary godfather.

Recalling how he first got to know Smith and his music, which has been a regular part of his repertoire for years, Mehldau said that after years living in New York, he moved to Los Angeles and there was this wonderful scene of singer-songwriters that was congregating at a club called Largo. That included Elliott but it also included artists like Rufus Wainwright, Fiona Apple. And then other musicians who had been around for a while would come down every Friday night to sit in on a gig that was led by Jon Brion. I played behind Elliott on his own tunes with Jon. It felt to me like a kind of renaissance in songwriting that flourished for a number of years.

Tracklist:

1. Better Be Quiet Now
2. Everything Means Nothing to Me
3. Tomorrow Tomorrow (feat. Daniel Rossen)
4. Sweet Adeline
5. Sweet Adeline Fantasy
6. Between the Bars
7. The White Lady Loves You More
8. Ride into the Sun: Part I
9. Thirteen
10. Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands
11. Somebody Cares, Somebody Understands *
12. Southern Belle (feat. Daniel Rossen)
13. Satellite
14. Colorbars (feat. Chris Thile)
15. Sunday
16. Ride into the Sun: Conclusion

UPC: 075597896206
Label: Nonesuch
Release Date: 8.29.25
Format: CD