Brad Mehldau’s eclecticism is now something of a given – recent releases such as Jacob’s Ladder and Finding Gabriel have pushed the boundaries into avant-jazz territory, math metal and dark electronica – and of course his Mehliana duo with drummer Mark Guiliana has celebrated analogue synths and broken beats in unfettered, free-wheeling style.

Yet 20 years ago, when the keyboardist’s Largo was first released, it was something of a shock to the system.

With its headline-grabbing take on Radiohead’s anthemic ‘Paranoid Android’ and Jon Brion’s highly textural alt.rock production, Largo provided tangible technicolour proof of Mehldau’s love of a galaxy of sounds, which he expertly juxtaposes against his angular piano work. Recorded in 2001 at Capital Recording Studios, Hollywood, the work of EST and The Bad Plus could well have informed Brad’s approach here, yet it’s Brion’s colourisation with layered horns, distorted piano through a wah-wah pedal and analogue emulation of Ringo’s thudding drums on a lo-fi take on ‘Dear Prudence’ that offer knowing nods to the fine line between jazz and other genres.

The fact that by side four of this very welcome 20th anniversary reissue, Mehldau has grabbed some mallets and happily attacks the vibes for a break-beat driven splicing of Jobim’s ‘Wave’ and Lennon and McCartney’s ‘Mother Nature’s Son’, should therefore come as no surprise at all.

This version (on vinyl for the first time) features artwork adorned with a sheepskin jacketed Mehldau doing his best ‘pensive 1960s rocker’ impression, while the large double-page inner sleeve is packed with detailed personnel/track info with a note stating, “All music recorded live on the floor. There were no overdubs”.

For all its expansiveness, Largo is an earthy, powerfully honest album, and it’s a joy to have it in its full gatefold glory.