All That Jazz

What if all the great musicians recalled the songs that made them good? They would understand the drum solos and key changes and godhead glimpses that pushed them toward mastery. And we would understand the nonlinear paths of storied careers such as that of Brad Mehldau, who started as a pre-teen drummer thrashing along with Rush in his Connecticut basement and now leads majestic jam sessions in concert halls worldwide.

Mehldau’s is an American epic that sneaks past gay bullies, predatory principals, and smack pushers. Then he shares Holy Communion with jazz elders, just before they pass. And it all started with “Tom Sawyer.” I mean Geddy Lee’s, not Mark Twain’s.