Brad Mehldau (born August 23, 1970) is an American jazz pianist. Life Mehldau was born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1970, grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut and graduated from Hall High School in 1988.http://www.jazzatlincolncenter.com/about/news/050202b-news.html He played piano from an early age, and discovered jazz at the age of twelve, when a friend played him a live recording of John Coltrane. Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker [LINK: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/iviews/bmehldau.htm] [1], who were early influences. He went on to play in his high school's jazz band. The first jazz record he purchased was Coltrane's Blue Train[LINK: http://www.bradmehldau.com/mehldau/words/interview_jazzonline.html] [2]. Mehldau moved to New York in 1988 to study jazz at The New School, studying under Fred Hersch, Junior Mance and Kenny Werner, and also playing with Jacki