Nonesuch records have announced a new release: ‘Modern Music’ a collaboration between pianists Brad Mehldau and Kevin Hays and composer/arranger Patrick Zimmerli, all longtime friends, on September 20, 2011. The album features pieces written by each of the three musicians as well as works by Steve Reich, Ornette Coleman, and Philip Glass, performed by the two pianists in arrangements by Zimmerli.
According to New York based composer, Zimmerli’s website:
Carnegie Hall Premiere. Jazz Pianist Brad Mehldau will be premiering a piece written by Zimmerli for him and jazz pianist Kevin Hays at Carnegie Hall in March of 2011. The performance will be part of Mehldau’s residency at the hall, the first ever such residency by a jazz musician.
Production Complete on Modern Music. In October Zimmerli, Hays, and Mehldau went to Mechanics hall in Worcester, Mass, one of the best acoustic spaces in the country, to record. In addition to originals by Hays, Mehldau, and Zimmerli, the two pianists, produced by Zimmerli, recorded arrangements of works by Steve Reich, Richard Strauss, Glass, Part,Gorecki, and Ornette Coleman, which featured improvisation. Legendary engineer Tom Lazarus got an unbelievable sound on the two matching Hamburg Steinways.
Here is an example of Zimmerli’s writing for piano:
The nonesuch website has the following tracklist for the new release:
| 1 | Crazy Quilt (Patrick Zimmerli) | 6:21 |
| 2 | Unrequited (Brad Mehldau) | 6:27 |
| 3 | Generatrix (Patrick Zimmerli) | 5:12 |
| 4 | Celtic Folk Melody (Patrick Zimmerli) | 2:58 |
| 5 | Excerpt from Music for 18 Musicians (Steve Reich, arr. Patrick Zimmerli) | 5:20 |
| 6 | Lonely Woman (Ornette Coleman, arr. Patrick Zimmerli) | 6:31 |
| 7 | Modern Music (Patrick Zimmerli) | 4:59 |
| 8 | Elegia (Kevin Hays) | 6:20 |
| 9 | Excerpt from String Quartet No. 5 (Philip Glass, arr. Patrick Zimmerli) | 3:45 |
