Pat Metheny: Speaks of Now

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Pat Metheny: Speaks of Now

#1 It’s been five and six years since the releases of the conceptual stretches of “Imaginary Day” and “Quartet”. In that time much has happened regarding the entity known for the past 25 years as The Pat Metheny Group. After an extensive interim world tour and recording both live and studio albums in a trio project with the extraordinary rhythm section of Larry Grenadier and Bill Stewart, Metheny decided it was again time to write and record new group material to bring on the road. Though mainstays pianist/keyboardist, Lyle Mays and bassist Steve Rodby have remained, for the first time in 15 years, a core member has moved on to pursue his own group. An exceptional drummer and sonic counterbalance for the group, Paul Wertico had become an integral part of the group’s sound and left a large shadow to fill.
Consequently, Pat first heard drummer Antonio Sanchez (w/ Danilo Perez, Burton, Liebman) while sharing the bill with the Danilo Perez trio and was impressed by his fluency with the musical language they share. As luck would have it, percussion/vocal/ bass phenom, Richard Bona (w/ Mike Stern, Joe Zawinal, Mike Brecker) was also available and along with soulful trumpeter/vocalist, Cuong Vu (w/ David Bowie, Dave Douglas, Laurie Anderson) extend, extrude, elicit, surround and support the core of this group in a new but familiar way.
Though all substantially younger than the remaining members and all from vastly different cultures and geographies, all three grew up with a shared affinity with the group’s music, that is at once apparent. As in past reorganizations, you sense the energy of the new beginning and few limits to it’s potential.
For Metheny, it’s been a long and eventful journey. The latest necessitation of change. Among the notable events that complete his bio include being the youngest teacher ever at both the prestigious Berklee College and University of Miami (19 & 18), releasing contemporary classics, “Bright Size Life”, (w/ Jaco & Bob Moses), “Question and Answer” (w/ Dave Holland & Roy Haynes) and “Rejoicing” (w/ Charlie Haden & Billy Higgins) and nearly redefining the guitar trio and the possibilities for guitar in improvised music. This meant fusing the one time disparate elements of rock, folk, Brazilian, experimental, even chamber, neo-classical and gospel influences, and filtering all through the context of a very driven, unique jazz sensibility. It also meant choosing players as carefully as orchestrations and instruments, for what they alone could bring to the table.
#2 In the search for distinctive sonorities and textures Metheny commissioned various custom instruments: the 42 string Pikasso guitar (double neck w/ sympathetic strings), a fretless nylon string guitar, a sitar guitar and employed the Synclavier and Roland guitar synth and odd tunings. Digitally delayed signal effects for ambient enhancement became a much emulated hallmark of his guitar sound. Along with Ibanez, he also developed his own distinctive signature model guitar, the PM-100. And after 13 years in the making, the new “Pat Metheny Songbook”, containing 167 original scores, is now available.
In the meantime, Metheny has been awarded 14 Grammies to date (with an unprecedented 7 consecutive awards), scored major films (“A Map of the World” and “Falcon and the Snowman” etc) and performed with an overall creative pantheon of the music industry. Among them: David Bowie, Mike Brecker, Gary Burton, Ornette Coleman, Jack Dejohnette, Donald Fagan, Bill Frisell, Charlie Haden, Herbie Hancock, Roy Haynes, Billy Higgins, Dave Holland, Joni Mitchell, Joshua Redman, Sonny Rollins and John Scofield.
So, what’s next? Both update and selective retrospective, “Speaking of Now” probably best sums and captures the spirit of the Metheny group perspective: without compromise, to honestly and sonically comment on the moment; where they are now.

AuthorMike Brannon
2018-08-21T17:23:24+00:00 September 1st, 2004|Categories: Reviews, Sound, Blesok no. 38|0 Comments