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Pat MethenyOne of the most original guitarists from the '80s onward (he
is instantly recognizable), Pat Metheny is a chance-taking player who has gained
great popularity but also taken some wild left turns. His records with the Pat
Metheny Group are difficult to describe (folk-jazz? mood music?) but managed to
be both accessible and original, stretching the boundaries of jazz and making
Metheny famous enough so he could perform whatever type of music he wants without
losing his audience.
Metheny (whose older brother is the trumpeter Mike
Metheny) started on guitar when he was 13. He developed quickly, taught at both
the University of Miami and Berklee while he was a teenager, and made his recording
debut with Paul Bley and Jaco Pastorius in 1974. He spent an important period
(1974-1977) with Gary Burton's group; met keyboardist Lyle Mays; and in 1978 formed
his group, which originally featured Mays, bassist Mark Egan, and drummer Dan
Gottlieb. Within a short period he was ECM's top artist and one of the most popular
of all jazzmen, selling out stadiums. Metheny mostly avoided playing predictable
music and his freelance projects were always quite interesting. His 1980 album
80/81 featured Dewey Redman and Mike Brecker in a post-bop quintet; he teamed
up with Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins on a trio date in 1983; and two years
later recorded the very outside Song X with Ornette Coleman. Among Metheny's other
projects away from the group were a sideman recording with Sonny Rollins; a 1990
tour with Herbie Hancock in a quartet; a trio album with Dave Holland and Roy
Haynes; and a collaboration (and tour) with Joshua Redman. Although his Zero Tolerance
for Silence in 1994 was largely a waste (40 minutes of feedback), Pat Metheny
retained his popularity and remained a consistently creative performer. He has
recorded as a leader for ECM (starting in 1975) and Geffen.
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The
Way Up
- in the words of guitarist Pat Metheny himself, "our most ambitious undertaking
ever as a group"-a single, brilliant 68-minute piece composed by Metheny
and his collaborator of 28 years, Lyle Mays. Metheny has likened the creation
of The Way Up to making a film, and in some respects, the album feels like a vividly
rendered journey. Order
here from Amazon.com |
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One
Quiet Night
On the heels of his 15th Grammy Pat Metheny, the most honored jazz guitarist in
history, offers one of the most adventurous albums of his career. One Quiet Night
is simply Metheny and a solo baritone guitar. Completely acoustic, no overdubs,
using a rediscovered low Nashville tuning and recorded in his home studio. Slipcase.
Warner Brothers. 2003. Order
here from Amazon.com |
"Play
What You Hear" author Chris Standring has a brand new album out on Ultimate
Vibe Recordings entitled "Blue Bolero". "With
his sixth CD, Blue Bolero, Standring returns with a left-turning musical project
so daring in its scope but still so true to his sound that it is destined to be
one of the year's most-discussed projects, while certainly sure to be remembered
in years to come as a highlight of the guitarist's works. He's taking a chance
with Blue Bolero, but it's one his fans will certainly embrace as they follow
Standring's ever-evolving career. - Brian Soergel, Jazz Times Listen
to & purchase Blue Bolero
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