two piano maestros have raised my attention this week, one is an already acclaimed international star, the other will become one very shortly. Brad Mehldau and Michael Wollny.

At the evening of Manfred Eicher`s (ECM) 70th birthday this year I had the chance listening to Keith Jarrett while performing at a concert in Munich. I remember an easygoing and brillantly playing Keith Jarrett. For me he is still a benchmark among the Jazz piano players.

Brad Mehldau is another heavy weight. He just published solo live performances of a ten year period in Europe coming on eight records. None Such, his label, does press the vinyl at the Pallas Factory in Diepholz, Germany, the same pressings Pat Metheny uses. This is perfect vinyl! As is the music!

In Michael Wollny we see one of the shooting stars in the Jazz scene. Playing with other Jazz musicians like Heinz Sauer, Iiro Rantala a.o. he is leading his trio since quite a while. But it is now after his last two releases, Weltentraum and also Nachtfahrten that he is internationally noticed, winning prices in the UK etc. In these days Wollny has started his “Nachtfahrten Concert Tour”.