Pat Metheny - MoonDial

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2024
Time: 58:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 138,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:23) 1. MoonDial
(4:48) 2. La Crosse
(2:38) 3. You're Everything
(4:23) 4. Here, There and Everywhere
(2:58) 5. We Can't See It, But It's There
(7:13) 6. Falcon Love
(7:12) 7. Everything Happens To Me / Somewhere
(5:03) 8. Londonderry Air
(5:28) 9. This Belongs To You
(3:14) 10. Shoga.mp3
(3:50) 11. My Love And I
(6:56) 12. Angel Eyes
(1:13) 13. MoonDial (epilogue)

With the release of Dream Box in the spring of 2023, I took off on a long solo tour around the world, sitting alone onstage for two and a half hours for the very first time. I had played a few tunes here and there by myself each night for years but had never built a presentation that focused solely on solo guitar playing for such an extended run of concerts.

This was a tour that represented not just the sound and conception of the Dream Box release but also was an opportunity for me to look at some of the other ways I have released records in a solo setting across the years.

Along with music from Dream Box, the concerts gave me a chance to revisit and extend the concepts represented on projects like New Chautauqua, Zero Tolerance for Silence, One Quiet Night, What's It All About, even a bit of Orchestrion and more, all in one setting. Each one of those solo recordings, like Dream Box, is distinct in some way and unlike the others.

The idea is to try to keep coming up with different angles and ways of thinking about music while hopefully keeping a fundamental aesthetic at work in all of it. In other words, to continue the research. Just before the tour started, I made a discovery.

Some years back, I had asked Linda Manzer, one of the best luthiers on the planet and one of my major collaborators, to build me yet another acoustic Baritone guitar, but this time one with nylon strings as opposed to the steel string version that I had used on the records One Quiet Night and What's It All About.

My deep dive into the world of Baritone guitar began when I remembered that as a kid in Missouri, a neighbor had shown me a unique way of stringing where the middle two strings are tuned up an octave while the general tuning of the Baritone instrument remains down a 4th or a 5th. This opened up a dimension of harmony that had been previously unavailable to me on any conventional guitar.

There were never really issues with Linda's guitar itself, but finding nylon strings that could manage that tuning without a) breaking or b) sounding like a banjo was difficult.

Just before we hit the road, I ran across a company in Argentina (Magma) that specialized in making a new kind of nylon string with a tension that allowed precisely the sound I needed to make Linda's Baritone guitar viable in my special tuning.

It has happened to me a few times along the way where an instrument has instantly peeled open up a whole new range of possibilities. The initial moments spent with the Roland guitar synth of the late 70s/early 80s come to mind as another example.

Literally, minutes after finally finding nylon strings that could handle this tuning and placing them on the Manzer guitar, I again experienced one of those revelatory flashes. There was suddenly a whole new palette of sound under my fingers, just like that. This all occurred just three days before the tour was set to begin. But there was no doubt that this was something that I could jump right into on the bandstand.

Across the first 50+ concerts of the tour, I gradually introduced this new instrument. At first, it was just one tune. Then two. By the time the tour's first leg ended, Linda's nylon-string Baritone guitar could be twenty or twenty-five minutes of the concert. It is a beautiful, rich, almost infinite feeling new world for me.

As soon as that first part of the tour went to break, I headed into the studio. I wanted to capture the magic of this new sound as quickly as possible and build on the immediate experiences that emerged from playing it every night for several months while it was all still fresh. The result of this journey is this recording; MoonDial.

While it fits exactly in line as a followup to One Quiet Night and What's It All About in that it is a purely solo guitar record - just me, the guitar, and a mic - but with the particular sound of nylon strings, it offers a very different kind of feeling.

These recordings took place across a few winter nights during that first brief hiatus in the Dream Box tour at the end of 2023.

The challenge was to whittle down the dozens of tunes I had found myself drawn to during the many overtime soundchecks and dressing room practice sessions spent with this new axe while on the road with it. I couldn't put the thing down.

Finally, I settled on a repertoire. Featured here are some new originals written just for this instrument, a couple of older tunes of mine revisited, a treasured Chick Corea piece dedicated here to my longtime friend, all mixed together with a few of my favorite songs by other composers from across the eras.

The feeling of this record follows the instrument's nature. The central vibe here is one of resonant contemplation. This guitar allows me to go deep. Deep to a place that I maybe have never quite gotten to before. This is a dusk-to-sunrise record, hard-core mellow.

I have often found myself as a listener searching for music to fill those hours, and honestly, I find it challenging to find the kinds of things I like to hear. As much "mellow" music as there is out there, a lot of it just doesn't do the thing for me.

This record might offer something to the insomniacs and all-night folks looking for the same sounds, harmonies, spirits, and melodies that I was in pursuit of during the late nights and early mornings that this music was recorded.

There were a lot of clear nights during that December, and in my imagination, it seemed like the moon was checking out what I was searching for up on the upstate NY mountain where I was recording.

This music is a reflection of those solitary winter hours for me. But mostly, it represents a new sonic and harmonic realm that I hope everyone will enjoy hearing as much as I have enjoyed getting to know it.https://patmetheny.com/current-release/

MoonDial

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Pat Metheny - Dream Box

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Size: 129,5 MB
Time: 56:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2023
Art: Front

1. The Waves Are Not The Ocean (5:39)
2. From The Mountains (8:20)
3. Ole & Gard (6:33)
4. Trust Your Angels (5:28)
5. Never Was Love (5:57)
6. I Fall In Love Too Easily (5:08)
7. P.C. of Belgium (5:00)
8. Morning Of The Carnival (6:42)
9. Clouds Can't Change The Sky (7:14)

Guitarist Pat Metheny pushes the boundaries of musical exploration once again with Dream Box, Featuring nine "found tracks" for the quiet electric guitar, this collection showcases Metheny's spontaneous creativity and unique musical vision. During a deep dive into his own musical archives, Metheny unearthed a folder on his laptop's hard drive containing forgotten recordings that surprised even him. As a result, Dream Box takes a departure from his previous works, presenting a blend of compositions that captures the essence of Metheny's artistic ingenuity.

Metheny's discography is a testament to his influence and talent, with 50 recordings and 20 Grammy wins across twelve different categories. From his groundbreaking album New Chautauqua, (ECM, 1979), which redefined instrumental steel-stringed Americana, to his exploration of free-improv in Zero Tolerance for Silence (Geffen Records, 1994) and the innovative use of technology in The Orchestrion Project, (Nonesuch, 2013) Metheny consistently pushes the boundaries of what a solo performer can achieve.

Dream Box follows the path of Metheny's previous solo baritone guitar recordings, One Quiet Night (Warner Bros, 2003) and What's It All About, (Nonesuch, 2011) but with a fresh twist. The album's title holds multiple meanings, symbolizing the jazz slang for a hollow-body guitar while capturing the dream-like quality of Metheny's musical vision. As he explains in the liner notes, the music in Dream Box exists in an elusive state, often discovered apart from any particular intention, resembling the dream logic that is coherent yet hard to pin down.

The album opens with "The Waves Are Not the Ocean," introducing the gentle and introspective nature of the record. Metheny's sparse chords and melodic lines create an intimate atmosphere, drawing the audience into his musical world. "From the Mountains" follows, with its majestic Latin-tinged melody, showcasing Metheny's ability to evoke a wide range of emotions through his compositions. Throughout Dream Box, Metheny displays his mastery of the electric guitar, effortlessly navigating intricate melodies and harmonies. The tracks "Trust Your Angels" and "Ole & Gard" demonstrate his lyrical and expressive playing style, paying homage to his mentors Jim Hall and Charlie Haden.

After the first four original compositions, Dream Box presents two elegantly rendered covers. The first is an inventive interpretation of Russell Vernon Longstreth's (aka Russ Long) lesser-known yacht rock classic, "Never Was Love." Metheny strips away the glossy pop artifice, revealing the intricate bluesy melody's sophisticated nature. The second cover, Sammy Cahn's "I Fall in Love Too Easily," resonates with echoes of pianist Bill Evans' rendition on his album Moon Beams (Riverside Records, 1962). Metheny's delicate use of reverb adds an extra layer of multifold voices as he skillfully navigates the single-string melody, chord changes, and innovative bridges. The album also features Luiz Bonfa's "Morning of the Carnival" ("Manha de Carnival"), a standard that Metheny approaches with fidelity to the original while infusing subtle samba and cumbia rhythms.As Metheny presents the melody, he artfully juxtaposes contrasting melodic voices, culminating in a warm and poignant solo performance. The album concludes with "Clouds Can't Change the Sky," a captivating ballad that showcases Metheny's ability to weave multiple melodic voices and create a rich sonic landscape.

Dream Box emerges as yet another standout achievement in Pat Metheny's solo discography. It showcases his ability to unveil his musical visions and demonstrate his exquisite technique on the electric guitar. The album presents a dream-like musical world, where emotions and melodies intertwine, culminating in a truly immersive sonic experience. By Nenad Georgievski https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dream-box-pat-metheny-bmg

Personnel: Pat Metheny: electric guitar, baritone guitar.

Dream Box

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Dave Liebman - The Elements: Water

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 1997/2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:01
Size: 133,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:32) 1. Water: Giver Of Life
(7:10) 2. White Caps
(4:27) 3. Heaven's Gift
(2:09) 4. Bass Interlude
(7:06) 5. Reflecting Pool
(8:56) 6. Storm Surge
(1:19) 7. Guitar Interlude
(4:13) 8. Baptismal Font
(5:58) 9. Ebb And Flow
(1:14) 10. Water Theme (Reprise)
(8:53) 11. Dave Liebman's Reflections On "Water"

Soprano sax icon and modern jazz pioneer Dave Liebman teams up with the equally talented and famous jazz guitarist Pat Metheny for their first ever recording. Liebman’s “”The Elements: Water” represents the first in a projected series of recordings dedicated to the elements. Liebman states in the liners: ...The music “all derives from the opening solo guitar theme” and continues with: “Every composition is based on a different harmonic aspect of this melody”. The first piece “Water: Giver Of Life” is where Pat Metheny subtly imposes the melody through pensive acoustic guitar passages which is a precursor for this albums recurring thematic statements. Throughout the entire project, the themes become reworked or harmonically restructured.

On “White Caps”, Liebman picks up the tenor sax as his phrasing is furious and stinging while displaying a richly textured luminous sound atop a somewhat laid back funk beat. Liebman and Metheny trade a few choruses that suggest turbulence or rapid movement. “Heaven’s Gift” is a straight four swing as Liebman, on soprano spars with Metheny while the class rhythm section of Cecil McBee (b) and Billy Hart (d) provide a rock-bottom foundation yet remain loose and flexible when called upon. “Reflecting Pool” is one of the best tracks on the album. Here, Liebman’s utilization of the wood flute projects ambiance that seems solemn or spiritual. Pat Metheny’s use of the 48 string Pikasso-Guitar enhances the already vivid imagery, which at times becomes lifelike. The stillness of a reflecting pool is captured in artistic fashion.

The albums recurring theme is generally linear, brief and simple in scope which affords Liebman and Metheny some breathing room or some extra space to implement harmonic and thematic reconstruction. Perhaps Liebman’s personalized approach was to convey “water” as an element, which represents the core substance or element of all living creatures and the earth we inhabit. This notion may correspond to the intentional similarities given to these compositions although; no two tracks sound identical yet the common bond or denominator adheres to the one theme concept.

“Storm Surge” is a fast paced burner while “Baptismal” features Liebman on Tenor Sax as his lush sound is optimized by a dash of reverb on top of Metheny’s endearing steel string acoustic guitar work. Everyone let’s loose on the free jazz romp “Ebb & Flow”. Here, Cecil McBee stirs the pot with super quick walking bass lines, which catapults this piece into forward motion. One minor gripe lies with Pat Metheny’s “Synclavier” or Synth-Guitar. This reviewer feels that Metheny needs to find a new toy or digital guitar. Metheny has worn out his welcome with this contraption that sounds jaded and predictable. On the other hand Metheny’s acoustic and straight-ahead electric guitar work is fabulous throughout this recording.

The last track is an interview with Liebman conducted by Bob Karcy of Arkadia Records. Here, Liebman provides insight about the mindset, music and musicians regarding this particular project as “The Elements: Water” is all about lucid imagery rendered through composition and fine ensemble work. *** 1/2 By Glenn Astarita
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-elements-water-dave-liebman-arkadia-jazz-review- glenn-astarita

Personnel: Dave Liebman, soprano, tenor saxophones, wood flute; Cecil McBee, bass; Billy Hart, drums; Pat Metheny, guitars.

The Elements: Water

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Abbey Lincoln - A Turtle's Dream

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:11
Size: 158,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:44)  1. Throw It Away
(6:29)  2. A Turtle's Dream
(8:49)  3. Down Here Below
(5:05)  4. Nature Boy
(5:40)  5. Avec Le Temps
(7:58)  6. Should've Been
(5:43)  7. My Love Is You
(4:21)  8. Storywise
(7:13)  9. Hey, Lordy Mama
(5:47) 10. Not To Worry
(6:17) 11. Being Me

This release continued Abbey Lincoln's '90s resurgence. As with her preceding Verve releases, A TURTLE'S DREAM features notable guest musicians (including Pat Metheny, Kenny Baron, and Lucky Peterson), all of whom add grace to the proceedings. Her core backing trio comprises Rodney Kendrick on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. The set features primarily her originals, along with a pair of covers, including Eben Ahbez's "Nature Boy." The opening song, "Throw It Away," has a melancholy resonance that is utterly inviting as Lincoln pours herself into the lyrics with deep passion and subtle dramatics. The addition of a string section on a couple of numbers especially "Down Here Below" makes for some elegant blues. http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-turtles-dream-mw0000173450

Personnel: Abbey Lincoln (vocals); Julien Lourau (soprano & tenor saxophones); Roy Hargrove (trumpet); Pierre Blanchard, Vincent Pagliarin, Sandra Billingslea (violin); Frederic Fymard (viola); Anne-Gaelle Bisquay, Marc Gilet, John Robinson (cello); Rodney Kendrick, Kenny Barron (piano); Pat Metheny (acoustic & electric guitars); Lucky Peterson (guitar, background vocals); Christian McBride, Charlie Haden, Michael Bowie (bass); Victor Lewis (drums).

A Turtle's Dream

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Anna Maria Jopek & Friends With Pat Metheny - Upojenie

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 80:00
Size: 191,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:32) 1. Cichy zapada zmrok
(4:50) 2. Przyp³yw, odp³yw, oddech czasu
(3:50) 3. Tam, gdzie nie siêga wzrok
(3:25) 4. Biel
(5:16) 5. Czarne s³owa
(2:46) 6. Letter From Home
(8:39) 7. Are You Going With Me?
(3:57) 8. Zupe³nie inna ja
(3:43) 9. Mania mienia
(6:58) 10. By on by³ tu
(4:49) 11. Upojenie
(3:54) 12. Piosenka dla Jasia
(3:22) 13. Me jedyne niebo
(2:26) 14. Polskie drogi
(4:31) 15. Je¿eli kochasz, to nie pamiêtaj mnie
(3:24) 16. Na d³oni
(4:30) 17. Nienasycenie
(3:14) 18. I pozostanie tajemnica
(2:44) 19. Licho

A cult favorite amongst Pat Metheny fans, Upojenie originally released by "Anna Maria Jopek & Friends with Pat Metheny" in the singer's native country of Poland by Warner Music in 2002 has been long overdue for greater international availability. The Nonesuch edition hasn't been remastered (it doesn't need it), but will still be of interest to Metheny fans for the inclusion of three bonus tracks (one studio, two live) that flesh it out to nearly 75 minutes. In contrast to the same-day reissue of Metheny's more spontaneous trio disc with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Roy Haynes, Question and Answer (Nonesuch, 2008), Upojenie's heavy production work more closely resembles a Pat Metheny Group project, although Metheny has never had a singer with as lovely a voice as Jopek's. Reworking material from Metheny's own back catalog in addition to traditional Polish songs and originals by Jopek, co-producer Marcin Kydrynski and other Polish writers, it's a soft, accessible album that spotlights Metheny's innate lyricism and Jopek's appealing tone. While others have put words to Metheny's music, most notably Kurt Elling's version of "Minuano" on Man in the Air (Blue Note, 2003), nobody has made it the focus of an album.

Sung in Polish, the meaning of the lyrics can only be gleaned from the liner notes, but what's most important is Jopek's voice. She's a star at home who deserves to be better-known abroad, with her ability to deliver in a pure, unaffected and subtly nuanced fashion making "Przyplyw, Odplyw, Oddech Czasu," based on Metheny's tender "Tell Her You Saw Me," from Secret Story (Nonesuch, 1992), all the more poignant. Metheny's often-covered ballad "Farmer's Trust" begins as a spare duet with Metheny on classical guitar, taking on a gentle, slightly bossa groove when bassist Darek Oleskiewicz and drummer Cezary Konrad enter, setting the stage for a beautifully constructed, melodic solo from pianist Leszek Mozdzer and a more dramatic build to the song's conclusion. Another Metheny favorite, "Are You Going With Me?" and a more radical, balladic reworking of "Me Jedyne Niebo" "Another Life" from Speaking of Now (Warner Bros., 2002) feature Metheny with his signature horn-like guitar synth, while "Zupelnie inna Ja" Secret Story's "Always and Forever" adopts a folksier vibe with the baritone guitar Metheny used exclusively on One Quiet Night (Warner Bros., 2003). In addition to the bonus tracks the balladic Polish Christmas Carol "Lulajze Jezniu," the spare duet "Na Calej Poloci Snieg" and considerably brighter album closer, "Szepty I Lzy" like Metheny's reissue of his classic Song X (1985, reissued by Nonesuch, 2005), the running order has been completely changed. There will be those who prefer the original sequence, but this version is improved by a certain seamless inevitability and narrative flow. Upojenie will appeal to fans of Metheny's more lushly produced Pat Metheny Group efforts, and bring overdue attention to Jopek a singer of pristine clarity and deserving of far greater recognition.~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/upojenie-pat-metheny-nonesuch-records-review-by-john-kelman

Personnel: Pat Metheny: 42 string Pikasso guitar (1, 6), electric guitar (2, 8), baritone guitar (3, 9), classical guitar (3, 7, 13), soprano guitar (4, 14), Roland guitar synthesizer (5, 6, 12), keyboards (5, 10), acoustic guitars (6, 10, 15), guitar synth (17), soprano acoustic guitar (16, 17); Anna Maria Jopek: voices (1-10, 12, 13, 15-17), choirs (4), "soap opera" vocals (5), backing vocals (6, 8, 12, 15), Fender Rhodes (6); Leszek Mozdzer: piano (2, 4-8, 11, 13, 15, 17), Pawel Bzim Zarecki: keyboards (2, 4-6, 8, 12, 15, 17), percussion (4), loops (4, 5), keyboard programming (10); Bernard Maseli: vibes (2); Darek Oleszkiewicz: acoustic bass (2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 12-14); Cezary Konrad: drums (2, 4-8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17); Piotr Nazaruk: backing vocals (2), recorder (2), flute (4-6, 15), additional shaker (4), hammered dulcimer (5), additional male voices (15); Wojeich Kowalewski: shakers (2, 4-6, 15), temple blocks (2, 6), timpani (4), crotales (4, 6, 12), bongos (4, 6), tambourine (5), bells (5), vibraslap (5,12), congas (6), claves (6); Mateusz Pospieszalski: keyboards (2), loops (2, 12), orchestral chart (2, 12), conductor (2, 12); Marek Pospieszalski: turntables (2), classical guitar (8); String Ensemble: strings (2, 12); Marcin Pospieszalski: Fender jazz bass (5, 6, 15), loops (15); Henryk Miskiewicz: soprano saxophone (8, 9); Mino Cinelu: udu drum (8), triangle (8), shakers (8, 12), crotales (8), conga (12), wavedrum (12), percussion (17); Marek Napiorkowski: classical guitar (8), strumming guitar (17); Robert Kubiszyn: double-bass (17).

Upojenie

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Pat Metheny - Trio 99->00

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:22
Size: 150,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:37) 1. (Go) Get It
(7:54) 2. Giant Steps
(4:43) 3. Just Like The Day
(8:28) 4. Soul Cowboy
(4:35) 5. The Sun In Montreal
(6:19) 6. Capricorn
(5:30) 7. We Had A Sister
(5:24) 8. What Do You Want?
(5:29) 9. A Lot Of Livin' To Do
(5:30) 10. Lone Jack
(5:48) 11. Travels

There's really no surefire way to avoid all the hyperbole when discussing the exploits of the multi-faceted Pat Metheny. He is a genuine musician in all sense of the word, capable of distinguishing himself in everything he does, from soundtracks to avant-garde jazz. That he also happens to hit on a judicious mix that finds him popular with those who probably couldn't tell the difference between John Coltrane and Sonny Stitt is not an accident. For all his technical proficiency and ingeniousness, Metheny is at once a very emotionally-based player, able to bring a tear to the eye or a rousing shout to the voice. Over the course of some 20 years of recording, Metheny has utilized the trio format on only three other occasions prior to Trio 99-00 - on 1975's Bright Size Life, Rejoicing from the mid-'80s, and the more recent Question and Answer. And as distinguished as each one of these releases is in Metheny's catalog, arguably this latest trip into "trio land" is his finest hour.Taking nothing away from his venerable sidemen on the previous albums, it occurs to this reviewer that the talents of Larry Grenadier and Bill Stewart, both a bit younger than Metheny, inspire him in a fresh and distinct manner. Obviously the connection was there, because all the tracks were first takes that were committed to tape without so much as a listen to the playback.

As with all of Metheny's work, much thought was given to the selection of tunes. The majority of the cuts are originals, some new and others making a repeat performance, such as "Travels", "Lone Jack", and "We Had a Sister". In addition, there's the Metheny take on such standards as "Giant Steps" (with shifting accents over a light bossa groove), Wayne Shorter's "Capricorn", and the showtune "A Lot of Livin' To Do". On three of the disc's ten tracks, Metheny utilizes the acoustic guitar in an almost folkloric manner. Bringing to mind similar efforts from the Travels album (the title track of which is reprised here), one can't help but be moved by the shear beauty and heartfelt timbre the guitarist achieves. Completing the triumvirate, "We Had a Sister" was written for Joshua Redman's second record, Wish, while the dark and brooding "Just Like the Day" was inspired by the trio's tour of Italy. Throughout the proceedings, Grenadier and Stewart are fully-participating partners and each gets the lion's share of solo space as well. Stewart's forays, in particular, seem so well suited to Metheny's modus operandi- quirky and pointed and far from the customary (check out his spots on "What Do You Want?" and "Lone Jack"). As refined as Trio 99-00 is, it wouldn't be a surprise if this one made it on a lot of people's lists as a highpoint of the jazz year 2000.~C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/trio-99-00-pat-metheny-warner-bros-review-by-c-andrew-hovan

Personnel: Pat Metheny: guitar; Larry Grenadier: bass; Bill Stewart: drums.

Trio 99->00

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Pat Metheny - Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV)

Styles: Guitar Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:45
Size: 144,5 MB
Art: Front

(13:47) 1. It Starts When We Disappear
( 5:26) 2. Better Days Ahead
( 7:12) 3. Timeline
( 5:34) 4. Bright Size Life
( 6:16) 5. Lodger
( 5:07) 6. Sirabhorn
( 7:43) 7. Turnaround
(11:37) 8. Zenith Blue

Pat Metheny burst onto the jazz scene in the 1970s as a guitar wunderkind, playing in vibraphonist Gary Burton’s band before establishing a career as a leader that’s been successful and influential by every conceivable metric. Now, with his new band Side-Eye, the 67-year-old guitarist is working with a rotating group of younger musicians. In the press materials for Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV), he explains that when he was a young player himself he’d benefited from older musicians like Burton hiring him and giving him a chance to develop through what he described as “the prism of their experiences.” He’s now interested in playing with those of a different generation “where there seems to be some kind of kinship happening.”

A live album recorded in New York City before the pandemic hit, Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV) spotlights two gifted rising stars: pianist/keyboardist James Francies and drummer Marcus Gilmore. More than half the album contains new material, and the rest features novel takes on some of Metheny’s older compositions. The trio enthusiastically dives into and explores a range of musical styles, bookending the collection with two new pieces: the electronica-tinged “It Starts When We Disappear” and the kaleidoscopic “Zenith Blue.” Originally featured on saxophonist Michael Brecker’s 1999 album Time Is of The Essence, “Timeline” gets turned into a soul-jazz outing here, and Metheny delivers some ferocious rock guitar on “Lodger.”

Metheny and his bandmates bring energy and fresh perspectives to the music on this album, whether it’s previously unheard or a decades-old favorite. The Side-Eye concept is a great setting for the leader, and a dream gig for any young musician who gets to play in the group and benefit from Metheny’s experience the way he benefited from his elders all those years ago.~ Lucy Tauss https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/pat-metheny-side-eye-nyc-v1-iv-modern/

Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV)

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Pat Metheny - Down In Texas (Live Houston '81)

Styles: Guitar Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 147:55
Size: 339,3 MB
Art: Front

( 8:10) 1. Phase Dance
( 7:44) 2. Better Days Ahead
( 8:41) 3. The Windup
(11:40) 4. James
( 8:29) 5. Offramp
( 9:12) 6. It's For You
( 7:48) 7. The Bat Part ll
( 7:27) 8. Ozark
( 9:07) 9. Turnaround
(18:18) 10. Goin' Ahead
( 9:16) 11. Jaco
(15:53) 12. Au Lait (Suite)
(13:14) 13. San Lorenzo
( 8:41) 14. (Cross The) Heartland
( 4:08) 15. American Garage

In jazz terms, the Missouri born guitarist Pat Metheny is a global superstar. A musician who has always divided opinion, his forty eight album releases in a forty five year career to date have attracted thirty six Grammy Award nominations.

He has been the recipient of twenty outright Grammy awards, and is the only person to win in ten different categories. The sixty five year old’s musical career began in 1974 and his first major release, a trio recording “Bright Size life” with Jaco Pastorius on bass and drummer Bob Moses two years later, remains to this day a “go-to” album for legions of guitar enthusiasts. Total World wide sales of his albums exceed 20 million, his major period of success being with his fusion based group, known as “The Pat Metheny Group” or” PMG”, which was in existence for over three decades from 1977 and regularly filled large arenas and festival fields across the globe.

As well as “PMG”, plus his own duo’s, trio’s and quartet’s, Pat has also co-led bands with many other major players including Brad Mehldau, Ornette Coleman and Christian McBride, but it was with the recently departed Wisconsin born pianist and composer Lyle Mays that he formed a career long musical relationship, including this album, with its intriguing title that has been remembered by most jazz enthusiasts, whether they are Pat Metheny devotees or not. Its a mighty album throughout, with the Brazilian percussionist Nana Vasconcelos having a major part to play and elevating it to an iconic level.

The centre piece is of course the title track which occupies the whole of side one. It manages to be an ambient low tempo work while at the same time being both exciting and having the rare capacity to draw the listener into the somewhat mysterious musical landscape. From the leaders double bass intro’ (on an instrument he played only rarely) its easy to get hooked on the ethereal and mysterious musical conversations that abound between the twelve instruments at the trio’s disposal. There is no sense of urgency in the music, there doesn’t need to be, with nearly twenty one minutes of playing time, just constant invention and re-invention including a passage at high tempo and volume for three minutes or so half way through before calmer waters are revisited. Its a piece that gives much to the attentive listener and continues to expose more of its secrets with every listen.

Side two of the album is a little more upbeat and in line with the output we have expected from the Metheny fusion groups down the years. Ozark is a strong dramatically themed number with Lyle’s keyboards to the fore, followed by the Bill Evans tribute September 15th,(the day that the great pianist died in 1980). There is an orchestral backdrop to this with profound and poignant exchanges between piano and guitar. From the acoustic opening from the leader on Its For You the mood is very laid back and light with background vocals and broad low key chords from the synthesizer preceding an amplified solo from Pat that pointed the way to his expansive guitar style of future decades. The final track is the brief but melodic Estupenda Graca, another low key excursion to conclude an album that stands on its own, due in part to the impact of its title track, but also begins to form the style that has led to the continued success of all Pat Metheny Groups. http://jazzbluesnews.com/2021/05/26/cd-review-pat-metheny-down-in-texas-live-houston-81-2021-video-cd-cover/

Personnel: Pat Metheny (electric & acoustic six & twelve string guitars, bass); Lyle Mays (piano, synthesizer, organ, auto harp); Nana Vasconcelos (berimbau, percussion, drums, vocals)

Down In Texas (Live Houston '81)

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Pat Metheny Group - We Live Here

Styles: Guitar Jazz 
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:04
Size: 154,8 MB
Art: Front

( 7:38)  1. Here to Stay
( 7:52)  2. And Then I Knew
( 5:29)  3. The Girls Next Door
(12:14)  4. To the End of the World
( 4:13)  5. We Live Here
( 8:45)  6. Episode D'Azur
( 7:03)  7. Something to Remind You
( 7:35)  8. Red Sky
( 6:11)  9. Stranger in Town

Returning to the dual-vocal septet line-up of Still Life (Talking) (released in 1987; reissued this year by Nonesuch) with percussionist Luis Conte replacing Armando Marçal, We Live Here's use of programmed rhythm loops and easy-on-the-ears grooves could be considered a concerted commercial attempt by Metheny to expand his already substantial audience. But it also represented its own kind of risk.  Metheny Group fans are typically drawn to the strong sense of melody that's defined the majority of Metheny's writing alone and with constant collaborator and Metheny Group keyboardist since inception, Lyle Mays. But the opening one-two-three punch of "Here to Stay," "And Then I Knew" and "The Girls Next Door," threatens, at least on the surface, to cross the fine line that Metheny and Mays sometimes straddle between music of depth and substance and mere ear candy.  Many longtime Metheny fans feared that he'd gone too far. But while the album's production values are as close to pop as anything Metheny has ever done, the strength and commitment of the playing elevates the music beyond simple confection. And while much of the music lacks, for example, the tricky time signatures that are oftentimes part of the Metheny/Mays writing approach, there's far more here than immediately meets the ear. The majority of the songs on the album reflect an interest in soul and R&B that, given Metheny's already broad purview, should come as no surprise. But while the soft ballad "Something To Remind You" bears the ear-marks of groups like Earth Wind & Fire with its clear verse- chorus form, it's still undeniably filtered through Metheny and Mays' own musical sensibilities. 

The verse is longer than most pop tunes would allow, and while it certainly sounds effortless, its changes are anything but. Similarly, the more insistent and up-tempo "Red Sky" possesses a singable chorus featuring the lyricless vocals of David Blamires and Mark Ledford (who, sadly, passed away in 2004). But the changes of its equally lengthy verse would again challenge most players. Just because something sounds this easy doesn't mean it is easy and, in some ways, We Live Here could be considered the Pat Metheny Group's most subversive record. Despite the album's glossy veneer, there are tracks that despite groove being an essential component are anything but smooth. The tribal rhythm of the title track is a logical expansion of ideas first explored on "Barcarole," the opening track on Offramp (ECM, 1981). "Episode D'Azur," sporting a knottier theme as well as shifting bar lines that are more in character, doesn't exactly swing but it comes closer to what Metheny Group naysayers consider to be "real" jazz, despite Mays' layering of string washes and signature synthesizer tone. And the album closer, "Stranger in Town," is a more pedal-to-the-metal burner than anything else found on the record, featuring some of Metheny's most lithe playing especially during the brief middle section that's more-or-less an interactive trio spot for Metheny, drummer Paul Wertico and Conte. One of the biggest criticisms of the Pat Metheny Group is that, as it has evolved over the past three decades, it's become less and less about the risk that many feel to be a defining characteristic in jazz. And it's true that there's a significant distance between albums like We Live Here and Metheny's collaboration with free jazz legend Ornette Coleman on Song X (released 1985; reissued by Nonesuch in 2005). But the finely-detailed, through-composed approach of the Pat Metheny Group on We Live Here and earlier records has been at least partially responsible for a paradigm shift allowing jazz artists to explore more complex ideas while, at the same time, remaining completely accessible not to mention incorporating contemporary production values in ways that need not be inherently paradoxical or antithetical to the spirit of jazz. And while We Live Here was met with a certain amount of surprise and disappointment on original release, even from longtime Metheny Group fans, it's weathered the test of time extremely well. Taken in context of the group's overall body of work, it is ultimately another signpost along its long and varied journey. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/pat-metheny-group-reissues-we-live-here-and-quartet-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Pat Metheny: guitars, guitar synth; Lyle Mays: piano, keyboards; Steve Rodby: acoustic & electric bass; Paul Wertico: drums; Luis Conte: percussion; David Blamires: vocals; Mark Ledford: vocals, whistling, flugelhorn.

We Live Here

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Burton-Corea-Metheny-Haynes-Holland - Like Minds

Styles: Vibraphone And Piano Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:24
Size: 156,8 MB
Art:

( 6:23)  1. Question and Answer
( 5:21)  2. Elucidation
( 6:17)  3. Windows
(10:41)  4. Futures
( 5:50)  5. Like Minds
( 6:26)  6. Country Roads
( 6:33)  7. Tears of Rain
( 6:24)  8. Soon
( 5:23)  9. For a Thousand Years
( 9:01) 10. Straight Up and Down

Talk about all-star groups this quintet date matches together vibraphonist Gary Burton with pianist Chick Corea, guitarist Pat Metheny, bassist Dave Holland, and drummer Roy Haynes. Burton and Corea have recorded frequently through the years, while Metheny gained some early fame working with Burton; Holland was with Corea in Miles Davis' late-'60s group, and Haynes was formerly with both Burton and Corea. However, not all of these musicians had played together before  Corea had never worked with Metheny previously, nor Burton with Holland. No matter, the masterful players fit together quite well. The vibraphonist is the lead voice in the ensembles, where Metheny at times sounds close to Jim Hall and seems a bit restrained, but everyone gets a chance to contribute to the success of the CD. Metheny contributed five songs (including "Question and Answer" and "Elucidation," which deserves to be a standard), while Burton brought in two; Corea's three contributions include his classic "Windows." The lone standard is George Gershwin's "Soon." The music is modern straight-ahead jazz; the solos are concise and the rhythm section is quite tight. In fact, this sounds like a regularly working band. Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/like-minds-mw0000045247

Personnel: Chick Corea (piano); Gary Burton (vibraphone); Pat Metheny (guitar); Roy Haynes (drums).             

Like Minds

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Pat Metheny - Day Trip

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:08
Size: 156,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:49)  1. Son Of Thirteen
(8:00)  2. At Last You're Here
(5:21)  3. Let's Move
(6:01)  4. Snova
(7:31)  5. Calvin's Keys
(4:36)  6. Is This America?
(9:08)  7. When We Were Free
(7:47)  8. Dreaming Trees
(4:50)  9. The Red One
(9:03) 10. Day Trip

While the trio format isn't new to guitarist Pat Metheny, Day Trip does represent a number of firsts. And with only one minor quibble, if it's not the best trio record he's released since Bright Size Life (ECM, 1976), it's pretty darn close. It's his first trio record to consist of all-original material. And, with the exception of the simmering waltz "When We Were Free," from Pat Metheny Group's Quartet (Nonesuch, 1996) and the rock/reggae-tinged "The Red One," from I Can See Your House from Here (Blue Note, 1994), Metheny's collaboration with John Scofield, the remaining eight tunes appear on a Metheny album for the first time. True, the bossa nova-inflected "Snova" and fierier "Son of Thirteen" first surfaced on Alex Sipiagin's Returning (Criss Cross, 2005); but these stripped down but no less harmonically rich versions contrast with the trumpeter's twin-horn quintet takes, opening up in completely different ways, especially on "Snova," where Metheny's warm, hollow-body electric creates a more expansive feel than Adam Rogers' nylon-string acoustic on Sipiagin's version. Day Trip and Returning are also linked by the common element of Antonio Sanchez who, appearing here and with Metheny on last year's reunion tour with Gary Burton, is the first Metheny Group drummer recruited by the guitarist for a variety of other projects. It's no surprise that the ever-flexible and vibrant Sanchez is Metheny's drummer of choice these days. 

He may bristle with energy on the knotty and high-speed "Let's Move," but he's equally capable of gentle brushwork on the Americana-informed "Is This America? (Katrina 2005)," further evidence of Metheny's innate ability to write lyrical and instantly memorable song forms.  Bassist Christian McBride fleshes out the group and, while one hesitates to draw comparisons to illustrious bassists in previous Metheny trios, he's undeniably the perfect closing side to this equilateral triangle. His robust tone anchors "When We Were Free" and the ambling swing of the blues-based "Calvin's Keys," and he's the first acoustic bassist to go arco with Metheny, delivering an economically melodic solo on "Is This America?" As ever, Metheny manages to sound unmistakably, well, Metheny, while continuing to break new ground gradually; his increasing ability to self-accompany sounds occasionally overdubbed despite this being a live in the studio recording made in just one day. His hollow-body tone dominates, but he brings out nylon-string and steel-string acoustics respectively for "Is This America?" and the more harmonically complex ballad, "Dreaming Trees." Only "The Red One" and the latter half of "When We Were Free" both using his horn-like guitar synth seem out of place amidst the lush textures heard throughout the rest of the album. This is, however, a minor criticism on an album recorded unlike previous trio studio discs after significant road-testing of the material. Day Trip's distinguishing characteristics aside, it's the guitarist's most well-honed trio to date, and if a minor misstep prevents it from being his definitive trio disc, it's still a fine addition to the half dozen trio records he's released since 1976. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/day-trip-pat-metheny-nonesuch-records-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Pat Metheny: guitars, guitar synth; Christian McBride: acoustic bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums.

Day Trip

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Jimmy Greene - Beautiful Life

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz

Year: 2014

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 49:11

Size: 113,4 MB

Art: Front

(5:12)  1. Saludos / Come Thou Almighty King

(6:38)  2. Last Summer

(3:22)  3. When I Come Home

(7:14)  4. Ana's Way

(5:21)  5. Your Great Name

(4:35)  6. Where Is The Love?

(6:16)  7. Seventh Candle

(3:06)  8. Maybe

(4:03)  9. Prayer

(3:23) 10. Little Voices

Two years after the death of his six-year-old daughter, Ana Grace Marquez-Greene, in the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, saxophonist Jimmy Greene returns with 2014's Beautiful Life. Both a direct response to Ana's death and a celebration of her life, Beautiful Life is a gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting album. Backed by a stellar rhythm section featuring pianist Renee Rosnes, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Lewis Nash, as well as a handful of guests and many close friends, including NBC's The Voice season one winner (and fellow Hartt School graduate) Javier Colon, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, and singer Kurt Elling, Greene has crafted an album of deep spiritual grace, imbued throughout with Ana's exuberant personality and wide-eyed joy in life. With his warm, burnished saxophone tone and swinging improvisational lines, one might expect Greene to stick to a straight-ahead jazz approach here. Certainly, while his concept is grounded in soulful post-bop jazz, he displays an open-hearted, cross-genre love of music, reworking a contemporary Christian worship song into a small-group jazz number, as he does on "Your Great Name," and setting "The Lord's Prayer" to music, as he does on the orchestral "Prayer" with vocalist Latanya Farrell. Whether it's his lyrical duet with pianist Kenny Barron on "Where Is Love?" from the musical Annie or the spoken word soliloquy set against a children's choir in "Little Voices," delivered here by The Princess and the Frog actress Anika Noni Rose, Greene incorporates songs and artists Ana loved. And it's not just Ana's spirit that's present on all of Beautiful Life; working with guitarist Pat Metheny, Greene begins the album in poignant fashion, weaving together recordings he made of Ana singing both the traditional Puerto Rican holiday song "Saludos" and the hymn "Come Thou Almighty King." Although born out of tragedy, Beautiful Life is surprisingly never sad or, as one might understand, angry. On the contrary, by celebrating his daughter's unconditional love for her family, music, and life, Greene transforms his personal anguish into something that's as inspirational to the soul as it is beautiful to the ears. ~ Matt Collar http://www.allmusic.com/album/beautiful-life-mw0002757119

Personnel:  Jimmy Greene - tenor and soprano sax, flute;  Lewis Nash – drums;  Renee Rosnes - piano (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10);  Isaiah Marquez-Greene - piano (track 1);  Kenny Barron - piano (tracks 6 and 8);  Cyrus Chestnut - piano (track 9);  Pat Metheny - acoustic guitar (track 1);  Jonathan DuBose - guitar (track 10); Christian McBride – bass;  Jeffrey Krieger and Peter Zay - cello (tracks 3 and 9);  Michael Wheeler and Sharon Dennison - viola (tracks 3 and 9);  Leonid Sigal, Cyrus Stevens, Karin Fagerburg, Millie Piekos, Yuri Kharenko-Golduber, Candace Lammers, Krzysztof Gadawski, Lu Sun Friedman, Michael Pollard - violins (tracks 3 and 9);  Javier Colon - vocals (track 3);  Kurt Elling - vocals (track 4);  Latanya Farrell - vocals (track 9);  Ana Marquez-Greene - vocals (track 1);  Anika Noni Rose - spoken word (track 10)

Beautiful Life

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Pastorius, Metheny, Bley, Ditmas - Jaco

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop, Fusion
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:39
Size: 84,2 MB
Art: Front

(9:55)  1. Vashkar
(1:00)  2. Poconos
(6:28)  3. Donkey
(7:14)  4. Vampira
(1:04)  5. Overtoned
(3:45)  6. Jaco
(5:12)  7. Batterie
(0:28)  8. King Korn
(1:29)  9. Blood

Although listeners often think of Jaco Pastorius' first solo album as 1976's Jaco on Epic, producer/keyboardist Paul Bley actually gave Pastorius his first official chance at professional recording two years earlier. Coincidentally titled Jaco (originally titled Pastorious/Metheny/Ditmas/Bley), this spontaneous set is also significant for being among guitarist Pat Metheny's first recordings; completing the quartet are Bley on electric piano and drummer Bruce Ditmas. The music consists of three songs by Bley, five from Carla Bley, and "Blood" by Annette Peacock. Pastorius sounds quite powerful, but Metheny's tone is kind of bizarre, very distorted, and not at all distinctive at this point. The recording quality is a bit shaky throughout the electronic set, and the group does not quite live up to its potential, but Pastorius shows that he was already an innovative player, making this an LP of historic interest. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/jaco-mw0000759043

Personnel:  Drums – Bruce Ditmas;  Electric Bass – Jaco Pastorius;  Electric Guitar – Pat Metheny;  Electric Piano, Producer – Paul Bley

Jaco

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Michael Brecker - Tales From The Hudson

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:26
Size: 142,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:20)  1. Slings And Arrows
(7:18)  2. Midnight Voyage
(5:45)  3. Song For Bilbao
(7:38)  4. Beau Rivage
(8:13)  5. African Skies
(1:13)  6. Introduction To Naked Soul
(8:45)  7. Naked Soul
(8:13)  8. Willie T.
(6:59)  9. Cabin Fever

In the crowded field of excellent tenor players, Michael Brecker rises to the top of my list. I think the thing that gives Brecker an edge over the others is the fact that he is a master of so many genres of jazz. Many people are no doubt familiar with the electric, funky side of Michael Brecker as the co-leader of the Brecker Brothers and former member of Steps Ahead. He has done significant pop dates with Paul Simon, Carly Simon, and Joni Mitchell. One could easily fill a CD collection with albums on which he has performed as a sideman in many jazz contexts. Yet this is only his fourth CD as a leader. All of them have been in the modern, progressive, straight-ahead jazz vein. This one is, to my ears, his most successful outing yet. I think the difference is that this one is a little less "progressive" or "outside." The melodies here are a little more accessible and memorable, yet the soloing is just as creative and adventuresome as we have come to expect from Brecker and the other jazz luminaries on this CD. 

The top-notch team of sidemen here are Pat Metheny on guitar, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Dave Holland on bass, and Joey Calderazzo on piano. Pianist McCoy Tyner and percussionist Don Alias are added on two tunes. Six of the nine compositions are Brecker's. They are varied, thoughtful, and provide great vehicles for improvisation. Metheny contributes "Bilbao" from his Travels album, Calderazzo contributes a medium tempo swinger, and "Willie T." comes from the late pianist Don Grolnick, who produced Brecker's first two solo albums and performed with Brecker frequently. I would especially recommend this album to those who have come to jazz through the "new adult comtemporary" door and are ready to take the next step towards discovering what real jazz is all about. ~ Dave Hugles https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tales-from-the-hudson-michael-brecker-impulse-review-by-dave-hughes.php?width=1920

Personnel: Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Joey Calderazzo, McCoy Tyner (piano); Pat Metheny (guitar, synthesizer); Dave Holland (bass); Jack DeJohnette (drums); Don Alias (percussion).

Tales From The Hudson

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Pat Metheny - 80/81 Disc 1 And Disc 2

Disc 1
Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:33
Size: 95,4 MB
Art: Front

(20:52)  1. Two Folk Songs: 1st, 2nd
( 7:31)  2. 80/81
( 6:00)  3. The Bat
( 7:08)  4. Turn Around

Disc 2
Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:43
Size: 88,9 MB
Art: Front

(14:31)  1. Open
( 6:58)  2. Pretty Scattered
(13:19)  3. Every Day ( I Thank You )
( 3:52)  4. Goin' Ahead

Pat Metheny's credibility with the jazz community went way up with the release of this package, a superb two-CD collaboration with a quartet of outstanding jazz musicians that dared to be uncompromising at a time when most artists would have merely continued pursuing their electric commercial successes. From the disbanded Keith Jarrett American quartet came bassist Charlie Haden and tenor Dewey Redman who alternates with and occasionally plays alongside tenor Michael Brecker and Jack DeJohnette provides more combustible drumming than Metheny had ever experienced on record before. Yet Metheny's off-kilter wandering on solo electric guitar is a comfortable fit for the post-bop rhythmic crosscurrents of this music. Indeed, Haden and Metheny are in total sympathy, perhaps celebrating their mutual Missouri roots, and Metheny's difficult "Pretty Scattered" which he mockingly described as "Guitar Revenge!" nearly manages to stump even Redman and Brecker. The first of the "Two Folk Songs" is a great example of the Metheny folk-jazz fusion, with furious strummed guitar underpinning Brecker's melodic line and excursions on the outside and DeJohnette's spectacular drums. Another remarkable track is "Open," a group improvisation that finds DeJohnette shaping the track's direction with a pushing solo and Metheny and the saxes emerging at the end. The two original LPs were organized so that the more distinctive Metheny fusions were on sides one and four and the overt jazz tracks occupied sides two and three.~Richard S.Ginell http://www.allmusic.com/album/80-81-mw0000649642

Personnel: Pat Metheny (guitar, acoustic guitar); Michael Brecker (saxophone, tenor saxophone); Dewey Redman (tenor saxophone); Jack DeJohnette (drums, snare drum, cymbals).

80/81 Disc 1 And Disc 2

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Joshua Redman - Wish

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:44
Size: 142,2 MB
Art: Front

( 6:25)  1. Turnaround
( 6:32)  2. Soul Dance
( 5:26)  3. Make Sure You're Sure
( 5:40)  4. The Deserving Many
( 5:47)  5. We Had A Sister
( 3:32)  6. Moose The Mooche
( 3:23)  7. Tears In Heaven
( 5:22)  8. Whittlin'
( 7:24)  9. Wish (Live)
(12:08) 10. Blues For Pat (Live)

Joshua Redman's sophomore effort found him leading a piano-less quartet that also included guitar great Pat Metheny and half of Ornette Coleman's trailblazing late-'50s/early-'60s quartet: acoustic bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Billy Higgins. With such company, Redman could have delivered a strong avant-garde or free jazz album; Haden and Higgins had played an important role in jazz's avant-garde because of their association with Coleman, and Metheny had himself joined forces with Coleman on their thrilling Song X session of 1985. But Wish isn't avant-garde; instead, it's a mostly inside post-bop date that emphasizes the lyrical and the introspective. The musicians swing hard and fast on Charlie Parker's "Moose the Mooche," but things become very reflective on pieces like Redman's "The Undeserving Many" and Metheny's "We Had a Sister." One of the nice things about Redman is his ability to provide jazz interpretations of rock and R&B songs. While neo-conservatives ignore them and many NAC artists simply provide boring, predictable, note-for-note covers, Redman isn't afraid to dig into them and show their jazz potential. In Redman's hands, Stevie Wonder's "Make Sure You're Sure" becomes a haunting jazz-noir statement, while Eric Clapton's ballad "Tears in Heaven" is changed from moving pop/rock to moving pop-jazz. The latter, in fact, could be called "smooth jazz with substance." Some of bop's neo-conservatives disliked the fact that Redman was playing with two of Coleman's former sidemen and a fusion icon like Metheny, but then, Redman never claimed to be a purist. Although Wish isn't innovative, it's an appealing CD from an improviser who is willing to enter a variety of musical situations.~Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/wish-mw0000104577

Personnel:  Joshua Redman – tenor saxophone;  Pat Metheny – guitar;  Charlie Haden – bass;  Billy Higgins – drums

Wish

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Michael Brecker - Michael Brecker

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:29
Size: 125,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:51)  1. Sea Glass
(9:45)  2. Syzygy
(8:07)  3. Choices
(5:31)  4. Nothing Personal
(7:49)  5. The Cost of Living
(9:06)  6. Original Rays
(8:17)  7. My One and Only Love

Although he had been a major tenor saxophonist in the studios for nearly 20 years and was quite popular for his work with the Brecker Brothers, this MCA/Impulse set was Michael Brecker's first as a leader. Playing in a quintet with guitarist Pat Metheny, keyboardist Kenny Kirkland, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Jack DeJohnette, Brecker performs three of his originals, two by producer Don Grolnick, and Mike Stern's "Choices." The music in general is straight-ahead but far from predictable; the tricky material really challenges the musicians and Michael Brecker is in consistently brilliant form, constantly stretching himself. Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/michael-brecker-mw0000187767

Personnel: Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone ); Kenny Kirkland (keyboards); Pat Metheny (guitar); Charlie Haden (bass); Jack DeJohnette (drums); Robby Kilgore (programming).

Michael Brecker

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BB King, Pat Metheny, Dave Brubeck - Move to the Groove

Styles: Jazz/Blues
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:05
Size: 105,9 MB
Art: Front

(0:48)  1. Introduction
(7:19)  2. Move to the groove
(7:28)  3. Lover man
(7:07)  4. Blue rondo a la turk
(6:24)  5. Ol' Bill Basie
(4:59)  6. The thrill is gone
(5:47)  7. Guess who
(6:09)  8. Payin' the cost to be the boss

Universally hailed as the reigning king of the blues, the legendary B.B. King is without a doubt the single most important electric guitarist of the last half century. His bent notes and staccato picking style have influenced legions of contemporary bluesmen, while his gritty and confident voice capable of wringing every nuance from any lyric provides a worthy match for his passionate playing. Between 1951 and 1985, King notched an impressive 74 entries on Billboard's R&B charts, and he was one of the few full-fledged blues artists to score a major pop hit when his 1970 smash "The Thrill Is Gone" crossed over to mainstream success (engendering memorable appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and American Bandstand). Since that time, he has partnered with such musicians as Eric Clapton and U2 while managing his own acclaimed solo career, all the while maintaining his immediately recognizable style on the electric guitar. The seeds of Riley B. King's enduring talent were sown deep in the blues-rich Mississippi Delta, where he was born in 1925 near the town of Itta Bena. He was shuttled between his mother's home and his grandmother's residence as a child, his father having left the family when King was very young. The youth put in long days working as a sharecropper and devoutly sang the Lord's praises at church before moving to Indianola another town located in the heart of the Delta in 1943.

Country and gospel music left an indelible impression on King's musical mindset as he matured, along with the styles of blues greats (T-Bone Walker and Lonnie Johnson) and jazz geniuses (Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt). In 1946, he set off for Memphis to look up his cousin, a rough-edged country blues guitarist named Bukka White. For ten invaluable months, White taught his eager young relative the finer points of playing blues guitar. After returning briefly to Indianola and the sharecropper's eternal struggle with his wife Martha, King returned to Memphis in late 1948. This time, he stuck around for a while. King was soon broadcasting his music live via Memphis radio station WDIA, a frequency that had only recently switched to a pioneering all-black format. Local club owners preferred that their attractions also held down radio gigs so they could plug their nightly appearances on the air. When WDIA DJ Maurice "Hot Rod" Hulbert exited his air shift, King took over his record-spinning duties. At first tagged "The Peptikon Boy" (an alcohol-loaded elixir that rivaled Hadacol) when WDIA put him on the air, King's on-air handle became "The Beale Street Blues Boy," later shortened to Blues Boy and then a far snappier B.B.

King had a four-star breakthrough year in 1949. He cut his first four tracks for Jim Bulleit's Bullet Records (including a number entitled "Miss Martha King" after his wife), then signed a contract with the Bihari Brothers' Los Angeles-based RPM Records. King cut a plethora of sides in Memphis over the next couple of years for RPM, many of them produced by a relative newcomer named Sam Phillips (whose Sun Records was still a distant dream at that point in time). Phillips was independently producing sides for both the Biharis and Chess; his stable also included Howlin' Wolf, Rosco Gordon, and fellow WDIA personality Rufus Thomas. the Biharis also recorded some of King's early output themselves, erecting portable recording equipment wherever they could locate a suitable facility. King's first national R&B chart-topper in 1951, "Three O'Clock Blues" (previously waxed by Lowell Fulson), was cut at a Memphis YMCA. King's Memphis running partners included vocalist Bobby Bland, drummer Earl Forest, and ballad-singing pianist Johnny Ace. When King hit the road to promote "Three O'Clock Blues," he handed the group, known as the Beale Streeters, over to Ace. It was during this era that King first named his beloved guitar "Lucille." Seems that while he was playing a joint in a little Arkansas town called Twist, fisticuffs broke out between two jealous suitors over a lady. The brawlers knocked over a kerosene-filled garbage pail that was heating the place, setting the room ablaze. In the frantic scramble to escape the flames, King left his guitar inside. He foolishly ran back in to retrieve it, dodging the flames and almost losing his life. When the smoke had cleared, King learned that the lady who had inspired such violent passion was named Lucille. Plenty of Lucilles have passed through his hands since; Gibson has even marketed a B.B.-approved guitar model under the name.

The 1950s saw King establish himself as a perennially formidable hitmaking force in the R&B field. Recording mostly in L.A. (the WDIA air shift became impossible to maintain by 1953 due to King's endless touring) for RPM and its successor Kent, King scored 20 chart items during that musically tumultuous decade, including such memorable efforts as "You Know I Love You" (1952); "Woke Up This Morning" and "Please Love Me" (1953); "When My Heart Beats like a Hammer," "Whole Lotta' Love," and "You Upset Me Baby" (1954); "Every Day I Have the Blues" (another Fulson remake), the dreamy blues ballad "Sneakin' Around," and "Ten Long Years" (1955); "Bad Luck," "Sweet Little Angel," and a Platters-like "On My Word of Honor" (1956); and "Please Accept My Love" (first cut by Jimmy Wilson) in 1958. King's guitar attack grew more aggressive and pointed as the decade progressed, influencing a legion of up-and-coming axemen across the nation. In 1960, King's impassioned two-sided revival of Joe Turner's "Sweet Sixteen" became another mammoth seller, and his "Got a Right to Love My Baby" and "Partin' Time" weren't far behind. But Kent couldn't hang onto a star like King forever (and he may have been tired of watching his new LPs consigned directly into the 99-cent bins on the Biharis' cheapo Crown logo). King moved over to ABC-Paramount Records in 1962, following the lead of Lloyd Price, Ray Charles, and before long, Fats Domino. More Bio ~ Bill Dahl  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bb-king-mn0000059156/biography

R.I.P.  

Born: September 16, 1925 (age 89), Berclair, Mississippi, United States

Died: May 14, 2015, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Move to the Groove

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Joni Mitchell - Shadows And Light

Styles: Folk, Pop/Rock
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 84:27
Size: 193,7 MB
Art: Front

(1:55)  1. Introduction
(4:10)  2. In France They Kiss On Main Street
(4:10)  3. Edith And The Kingpin
(4:59)  4. Coyote
(6:06)  5. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
(4:36)  6. The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines
(6:40)  7. Amelia
(3:05)  8. Pat's Solo
(7:53)  9. Hejira
(3:53) 10. Black Crow
(3:55) 11. Don's Solo
(4:50) 12. Dreamland
(3:22) 13. Free Man In Paris
(0:50) 14. Band Introduction
(5:25) 15. Furry Sings The Blues
(2:50) 16. Why Do Fools Fall In Love?
(5:25) 17. Shadows And Light
(5:03) 18. God Must Be A Boogie Man
(5:10) 19. Woodstock

Shadows and Light is Joni Mitchell's second live album, and it serves as a good retrospective of her jazzy period from 1975-1979. As expected, she assembles a group of all-star musicians including Pat Metheny (guitar), Jaco Pastorius (bass), Lyle Mays (keyboards), and Michael Brecker (saxophone) who give these compositions more energy than on the studio recordings. The musicians are given room to jam, and they sound terrific on uptempo songs such as "Coyote" and "In France They Kiss on Main Street." If there is a general theme of these songs, it's about growing older and maturing after the failed idealism of the late '60s (the album opens with audio clips from the movie Rebel Without a Cause). 

Although this album is pleasing, the live arrangements are not different enough from the studio versions to warrant higher marks. In fact, Mitchell has always been an album artist who recorded studio albums that had a sound and feel all their own. While Shadows and Light provides a nice summary of her experimental period for casual fans, interested listeners should start with Hejira or The Hissing of Summer Lawns. ~ Vik Iyengar  http://www.allmusic.com/album/shadows-and-light-mw0000200161

Personnel: Bass – Jaco Pastorius; Drums – Don Alias; Lead Guitar – Pat Metheny; Keyboards – Lyle Mays; Sax – Michael Brecker; Electric Guitar – Joni Mitchell; Vocals – The Persuasions

Shadows And Light

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Charlie Haden - Nocturne

Styles: Jazz, Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:43
Size: 154,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. En la Orilla del Mundo  (At The Edge Of The World)
(5:44)  2. Noche de Ronda (Night Of Wandering)
(6:55)  3. Nocturnal
(5:37)  4. Claro de Luna (Moonlight)
(6:01)  5. Yo sin Ti (Me Without You)
(5:30)  6. No Te Empenes Mas (Don't Try Anymore)
(6:12)  7. Transparence
(5:57)  8. El Ciego (The Blind)
(6:39)  9. Nightfall
(6:18) 10. Tres Palabras (Three Words)
(6:32) 11. Contigo en la Distancia/En Nosotros (With You In The Distance / In Us)

Bassist Charlie Haden has been a masterful contributor to everything from Ornette Coleman's pioneering outside ensembles and Keith Jarrett's slashing groups to his own freewheeling, nearly anarchic Liberation Music Orchestra. Haden's also proven the ideal duet partner, having teamed with pianist Hampton Hawes, Coleman, guitarist Pat Metheny and the flamboyant Cuban keyboardist Gonzalo Rubalcaba on previous releases. On Nocturne, Haden and Rubalcaba aren't joining forces on some fierce encounter or groundbreaking project. Instead, they are exploring another of Haden's passions, the bolero, in both its Cuban and Mexican variations. These are 11 lush, gorgeous, highly sensual pieces featuring, in addition to Haden's prodigious bass and Rubalcaba's disciplined yet spicy piano, excellent rhythmic touches from Ignacio Berroa and sensitive guest contributions from four major players.

Guitarist Pat Metheny displays a soft, beguiling side on "Noche de Ronda," while David Sanchez and Joe Lovano show they can play breezy tenor-sax solos as well as boisterous ones on their tunes. The ringer proves to be violinist Federico Britos Ruiz, however. His light playing almost lulls the listener to sleep at times, yet he has a rich, vivid sound on his three numbers. Rubalcaba on many occasions has been more flash than invention, but there are no wasted notes or empty rhythmic barrages on Nocturne. He is careful never to clash with Haden, who guides the band through these pieces with grace and care. Haden doesn't try to dominate any song, yet is very much at the center of each number, either aiding the soloist or interacting with Berroa to ably punctuate or conclude the composition. There is absolutely nothing to dislike about this date, although it arguably might have been even better if a first-class vocalist like Compay Segundo had been on board. Still, Nocturne remains a great introduction to the bolero for those who aren't familiar with it, and an excellent addition to the library of fans who already love it. ~ Ron Wynn  http://jazztimes.com/articles/12491-nocturne-charlie-haden-featuring-gonzalo-rubalcaba

Personnel: Charlie Haden- bass; Gonzalo Rubalcaba- piano; Ignacio Berroa- drums, percussion; Joe Lovano, David Sanchez- tenor saxophone; Federico Britos Ruiz- violin; Pat Metheny- acoustic guitar on "Noche de Ronda."

Nocturne

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