Pat Metheny...an appreciation

[catfish]

I went to Pat Metheny Group concert in Kiev, Ukraine (then it was the Soviet Union) in June, 1987.
It was a mind blowing experience and I went for second time to the same show. Second time was as mind blowing as the first one.

[Sonics]

Originally Posted by Birdbrain

But what's up with Pat lately? A prolific composer with hundreds of songs written, but his last album of all-original material came four years ago, in 2014. I can't recall any gap like that, even half that, in his career.

Last year, I was lucky to attend a two-hour lecture from Pat at Denver University's music school. He described a daily, disciplined, writing process when at home. He had about 10 albums of unrecorded material, he said, plus unfinished ideas he would return to. I felt a lot of anticipation at that, then...nothing.

Pat currently doing the 'retrospective' thing. However he explains his new method of working. He's going to write the music, gig the music and when the musicians 'know' the music well enough (...after about 80 gigs), that's the point at which he'll record the music.

[geewhiz]

Originally Posted by rodmeister

Sometimes his "Last Train Home" brings me to tears.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGdk...&frags=pl%2Cwn

This one always gets me.

I'm a big, big fan of Pat's music going way back. I've had the pleasure of seeing him perform live about a half dozen times. He's probably one of my favorite musicians/composers/players on the planet.

[trion12]

Just listening to Pat warming up playing scales and patterns is something else.
Check this out.

[Sonics]

Originally Posted by trion12

Just listening to Pat warming up playing scales and patterns is something else.
Check this out.

Indeed...



https://www.amazon.com/Pat-Metheny-G...+guitar+etudes

Etude #1 of 14

[KevWind]

Hard to imagine considering this discography ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Metheny_discography and not being amazed and impressed
For me personally the song and album that made me sit up and take notice was "New Chautauqua "

[Proclaimer888]

Simply love to listen to the evolution of Pat Metheny. So talented...We Live Here simply puts me in another world. The Way Up...American Garage....the list goes on. Thanks Pat!

[Sonics]

He's brought his orchestra with him, and the journey begins February 21st 2020.




Vinyl-heads apply here:

https://stores.portmerch.com/patmeth...-place-lp.html

[aknow]

He's not the best at anything. Some of the tracks on his albums are brilliant.
He's the only excellent guitarist who actually put me to sleep, mid-concert, twice! Must be something in his choice of notes.

[Birdbrain]

That's an objective term that belongs to the wide world of sports, not music. But I'd struggle to name a better guitar synth player, or a greater master of the 27-string Pikasso guitar, since he has the only one. I'd say his greatest guitar skill is his fluidity of pitch. It's almost microtonal the way he can twist and tweak a single note, or a fast flurry of them. Pat's lead notes ore supple, like a violinist's.

Overall, it's the broad range of talents that set Pat apart. Composer of hundreds of songs, orchestrator, bandleader, innovator and collaborator. I'm stoked for the new album, after five years of waiting.

[reeve21]

I have to chime in. I have been a fan of Pat's since American Garage, which was the first of many times I have seen him live, over 40 years ago.

Most recently I was privileged to see Pat and Ron Carter play a duo show from about 10 feet away. Neither one of them said a word all night, but there was a whole lot of communication going on. It was sublime.

[Sonics]

Originally Posted by aknow

He's not the best at anything. Some of the tracks on his albums are brilliant.

I hear what you're saying, so let's split the difference. Pat Metheny is a COMPETENT musician and composer.



"Metheny has three gold albums and 20 Grammy Awards and is the only person to win Grammys in 10 categories." - Wikipedia