Ride Into the Sun

Ride Into the Sun represents a significant milestone in Brad Mehldau's career-long exploration of the Great American Songbook, expanded here to include the indie-folk canon of Elliott Smith. Recorded over four days in early 2025, the album features sixteen tracks that bridge the gap between jazz improvisation and singer-songwriter intimacy. Ten tracks are direct interpretations of Smith's work, while four original Mehldau compositions serve as thematic mirrors. Critics from All About Jazz and UK Jazz News noted the album's emotional depth, highlighting its 'beautiful and sad' nature. The project is notable for its restraint; Mehldau eschews his typical virtuosic flourishes in favor of a skeletal, almost classical approach to melody. This record solidifies Mehldau's position as a bridge-builder between disparate musical worlds, treating Smith's 'failure's art' with the same harmonic sophistication usually reserved for Brahms or Monk.