'Largo' too inconsistent

What we have here is a headline musician whose band is noticeably better than he is. The thing is, you have to give Mehldau an 'A' for effort in this offering, but he just comes up short of creating the jazz masterpiece he was looking to bestow upon the world. \nThe rhythm that should be found in jazz piano is missing from Mehldau\'s playing, but you almost don't notice because the band that backs him up is just that good. \nLargo starts out with "When It Rains," a so-so introduction into the world of jazz piano. It goes on being mediocre until "Dusty McNugget," where Mehldau shines and the band just about blows you away. It's followed by "Dropjes" which is fast-paced jazz fusion of just about every instrument around. It sounds like the intro music of "Cowboy Bebop" (I know I'm not the only one who watches the Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim"). \nThe next song is the jewel of the album. In a brave move, Mehldau covers the Radiohead song "Paranoid Android." Not only does he do it, he does it convincingly. His band is unbelievable in converting the song into jazz, with Mehldau playing piano in place of the lyrics and keeping the tempo during the breaks. It's hands-down one of the best adaptations from a different genre you may come across. That is where Mehldau ceases to amaze you. \nThe album's only other offering worth any mentioning is "Free Willy," in which not only Mehldau shines -- the drummer on the bongos goes absolutely bananas and almost puts Mehldau to shame on his own song.\nMehldau's originality starts to leave something to be desired, as he often mirrors other jazz musicians. His song "Franklin Avenue," is a slight perversion of Herbie Hancock's "Rocket," and the songs "Dear Prudence," "Sabbath" and the aforementioned "Paranoid Android" aren't even his. \nAdmire Mehldau for what he tries to do -- produce a classic jazz album to be played over and over again. But he does it with such inconsistency, going from boring to brilliant within the span of two tracks, that you end up hitting the forward button on the CD player before you get the chance to get into a vibe.