Seymour Reads the Constitution!

Seymour Reads the Constitution! is an album by pianist Brad Mehldau. The trio recording, with Larry Grenadier on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums, was released by Nonesuch Records in 2018. The pianist reported that the melody and name of the title track came from a dream, during which actor Philip Seymour Hoffman read to him. The album received two Grammy nominations at the end of 2018.

Seymour Reads the Constitution!
Studio album by
Brad Mehldau
ReleasedMay 19, 2018
StudioAvatar Studios, New York City
GenreJazz
Length1:04:16
LabelNonesuch
ProducerBrad Mehldau
Brad Mehldau chronology
After Bach
(2017)		 Seymour Reads the Constitution!
(2018)		 Finding Gabriel
(2019)

Background

The trio of Brad Mehldau (piano), Larry Grenadier (bass), and Jeff Ballard (drums) had recorded together since 2005;[1] their previous album was Blues and Ballads, which was released in 2016.[2] Since then, Mehldau albums had included duets with Chris Thile, and solo piano recordings of Bach pieces.[3] The title track of the new recording came from a dream that Mehldau had, in which actor Philip Seymour Hoffman read the United States Constitution to him.[4] The pianist recounted that Hoffman "read in a measured but slightly melancholic voice, resigned and stoic all at once. Behind his voice was the melody of what became 'Seymour Reads the Constitution'. When I woke up I grabbed the initial melody before it faded away and wrote the song."[4] Hoffman died less than two weeks later.[4]

Music and recording

The album was recorded at Avatar Studios, New York City.[2] It was produced by Mehldau.[2]

"Spiral" contains "a repeated motif with downward-moving harmonies and builds into a drum-feature peak".[1] "Mehldau re-harmonises and toys with the baroque opening line of 'Ten Tune' while Ballard is at full stretch; the piece plays out with the pianist unaccompanied, spinning variations with such purpose that they appear pre-composed."[1]

Release and reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz[5]
AllMusic[3]
The Arts Desk[6]
DownBeat[7]
Financial Times[1]
Jazz Forum[8]
Jazzwise[9]
PopMatters9/10[10]
RTÉ.ie[11]
Tom HullB+[12]

Seymour Reads the Constitution! was released by Nonesuch Records on May 19, 2018.[2] The AllMusic reviewer wrote that "much of the album has a balmy, laid-back quality as if it were recorded during a sunny afternoon at home."[3] The Financial Times reviewer commented that "there's no mistaking that Mehldau's piano is the lead voice. Particularly when, as on this album, the American displays the iron logic that made his recent solo album After Bach such a standout."[1] DownBeat suggested that the performance of "Spiral" "is strong enough that it might set a new bar for what counts as The Art of the Trio [the title of a series of Mehldau albums, beginning with The Art of the Trio Volume One]."[7]

The album received two Grammy nominations at the end of 2018.[13] It was nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, and the track "De-Dah" was nominated for Best Improvised Jazz Solo.[13]

Track listing
  1. "Spiral" (Brad Mehldau) – 8:33
  2. "Seymour Reads the Constitution" (Mehldau) – 8:03
  3. "Almost Like Being in Love" (Frederick Loewe) – 5:41
  4. "De-Dah" (Elmo Hope) – 8:42
  5. "Friends" (Brian Wilson) – 8:15
  6. "Ten Tune" (Mehldau) – 10:07
  7. "Great Day" (Paul McCartney) – 5:54
  8. "Beatrice" (Sam Rivers) – 8:54

Personnel

Chart performance
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14] 137
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[15] 198
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] 87

References
  1. Hobart, Mike (May 18, 2018). "Brad Mehldau Trio: Seymour Reads the Constitution! – 'Compositional Rigour'". Financial Times. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  2. "Seymour Reads the Constitution! By Brad Mehldau Trio". nonesuch.com. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  3. Collar, Matt. "Brad Mehldau / Brad Mehldau Trio: Seymour Reads the Constitution!". AllMusic. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  4. Mehldau, Brad (May 19, 2018). "Seymour Reads the Constitution". bradmehldau.com. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  5. McClenaghan, Dan (May 24, 2018). "Brad Mehldau Trio: Seymour Reads The Constitution! album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  6. Wright, Matthew (13 May 2018). "CD: Brad Mehldau Trio - Seymour Reads the Constitution". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  7. Hale, James (July 2018). "Brad Mehldau Trio: Seymour Reads the Constitution!". DownBeat. p. 51.
  8. Iwicki, Piotr (24 August 2020). "Seymour Reads The Constitution! | Jazz Forum". Jazz Forum. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  9. Ballard, Jeff (July 2018). "Reviews". Jazzwise. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  10. Ingalls, Chris (May 21, 2018). "'Seymour Reads the Constitution!' Is Brad Mehldau's 2018 Victory Lap". PopMatters. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  11. Kehoe, Paddy (9 July 2018). "Brad Mehldau Trio - Seymour Reads the Constitution". RTE. RTÉ.ie. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  12. "Tom Hull: Grade List: Brad Mehldau". Tom Hull. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  13. "Daversa, Salvant, Mehldau Nominated for Grammy Awards". DownBeat. December 7, 2018.
  14. "Ultratop.be – Brad Mehldau – Seymour Reads the Constitution!" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  15. "Ultratop.be – Brad Mehldau – Seymour Reads the Constitution!" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  16. "Swisscharts.com – Brad Mehldau – Seymour Reads the Constitution!". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
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