Jazz & Blues

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For a taciturn man who can play several tunes before communicating with his audience, the pianist Brad Mehldau (above) is creating a lot of noise. Highly regarded for the flowing improvisations that he and his rhythm section create, he has astonished those who had him pegged as the next Bill Evans or Keith Jarrett with his latest record, Largo (WEA). With its hi-tech production and unusual instrumentation, the album seems closer to intelligent rock than jazz. But in emulating the eclecticism of many European performers, Mehldau - whose tour begins at the Lighthouse, Poole, on Thursday - could rejuvenate the US scene.

The American saxophonist Chico Freeman belongs to an …