Brad Mehldau - Ride into the Sun (2025)

Nonesuch Records releases pianist and composer Brad Mehldau’s Ride into the Sun—a songbook recordof music by the late singer, songwriter, and guitarist Elliott Smith. Featured musicians include singer/guitarist Daniel Rossen (Grizzly Bear); singer/mandolinist Chris Thile (Punch Brothers, NickelCreek); bassists Felix Moseholm (Brad Mehldau Trio) and John Davis; drummer Matt Chamberlain (FionaApple, Tori Amos, Randy Newman, etc.); and a chamber orchestra led by Dan Coleman. Ride into the Sun’s ten Elliott Smith songs are complemented by four Mehldau compositions that he says are “inspired by, and reflect, Smith’s oeuvre.” Also included are interpretations of Big Star’s “Thirteen,” which Smith also covered, and “Sunday” by Nick Drake, who Mehldau says, “I look at in some ways assort of Smith’s visionary godfather.” Recalling how he first got to know Smith and his music, which has been a regular part of his repertoire for years, Mehldau said that after years living in New York, he moved to Los Angeles “and there was this wonderful scene of singer-songwriters that was congregating at a club called Largo. That included Elliott but it also included artists like Rufus Wainwright, Fiona Apple. And then other musicians who had been around for a while would come down every Friday night to sit in on a gig that was led by Jon Brion. I played behind Elliott on his own tunes with Jon. It felt to me like a kind of renaissance in songwriting that flourished for a number of years.”

Brad Mehldau - Piano (all songs)
John Davis – Acoustic Bass (1,11), Electric Bass (2,10,15,16)
Matt Chamberlain – Drums (1,2,3,6,10,11,12,13,14,15,16), Percussion (13,2), Backing Vocals (2)
Daniel Rossen - Lead Vocals (3,12) Acoustic Guitar (3,10,12,14,16), Electric Guitar (10), Backing Vocals (10)
Chris Thile – Mandolin (3,14) Backing Vocals (3), Lead Vocals (14)
Felix Moseholm – Acoustic Bass (3,6,12,14)

Orchestra (1,2,7,8,10,11,15)
Dan Coleman, Conductor
Jill Dell'Abate, Contractor
Jackie Thompson, Copyist
Alex Sopp, Flute, Flute Solo (15)
Jessica Han, Flute
Agnes Marchione, Clarinet
Adrian Morejon, Bassoon
Eric Reed, Horn
Ellen Depasquale, Violin 1, Violin Solo (1)
Austin Wulliman, Violin 2
Christina Courtin, Violin 3
Laura Frautschi, Violin 4
Joanna Maurer, Violin 5
Derek Ratzenboeck, Violin 6
Dov Scheindlin, Viola 1
Mario Goto, Viola 2
Nadia Sirota, Viola 3
Sophie Shao, Cello 1, Cello Solo (16)
Michael Haas, Cello 2
Caitlin Sullivan, Cello 3
David Grossman, Bass