TWO SPRING SHOWS THAT WERE OFF THE CHARTS

Within the past week, I had the pleasure of taking in two fantastic shows within the span of two days.  Brad Mehldau and his trio with Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard took the stage at Finney Chapel in Oberlin for a rare and deeply satisfying set.  Touching on material from their upcoming release Ballads and Blues, the generous performance was something to behold.  Then, it was off to Ann Arbor for a performance of The Bad Plus and Joshua Redman.  I haven't really followed The Plus, but was amazed at how good the show turned out to be.  Deep and emotionally charged, despite it also being very cerebral.  What a great way to kick off spring!

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