Chris Thile nailing “Tom Sawyer” is among the many highlights of pianist Brad Mehldau’s ambitious new Jacob’s Ladder (Nonesuch), which owes as much to the Old Testament as it does to the prog rock of Gentle Giant Yes, and Periphery, all of whom are also covered therein. Mehldau goes in search of lost childhood exuberance in the music that led him first to fusion and thence to jazzier jazz. Biblical and lyrical themes echo and inform one another in arrangements ranging from mellifluous solos and dense fugues to deftly layered keyboards sometimes suggesting a souped-up Emerson Lake and Palmer.Please enjoy this full-length feature from Relix Magazine. Not a subscriber? Show your support for only $2/month