Pat Metheny Side Eye III+
After a few years of absence, Pat Metheny returns to Krakow. His performance will be part of a world tour promoting Side-Eye III+, the artist’s latest album, which is scheduled for release in February this year
LINEUP:
Pat Metheny – Guitar
Joe Dyson – Drums
Chris Fishman – Piano/Keyboards
Jermaine Paul – Bass
Leonard Patton – Percussion/Vocals
This is another installment of Metheny’s concept, based on an open dialogue with extremely talented musicians of the younger generation invited to develop new ideas, improvisations and sounds together. The music refers to his earlier achievements, but is told in a contemporary, dynamic language, exploring a wide range of means of expression of the guitarist.
During the concerts, the leader’s new compositions, recorded on “Side-Eye III+”, will be presented. As many as fifteen musicians took part in the studio recordings — hence the “plus” sign in the name of the project — while on tour Metheny will be accompanied by: Chris Fishman (piano, synthesizers), Joe Dyson (drums), bassist from California Jermaine Paul, and percussionist and vocalist Leonard Patton. The sound and composition of the band are a bit reminiscent of Pat’s famous band from the 80s. Each performance is to function as a kind of laboratory, in which Metheny’s ideas will take their final shape during the performance. The formula of spontaneous playing is always conducive to surprises and will certainly make concerts different from each other in form and course. The details of the project still remain shrouded in mystery. So far, only one recording has been made available (In On It announcing the material), but even this short clip was enough to sell out tickets for concerts in many cities.
Pat Metheny was born in 1954 in Kansas City into a family of musicians. Initially, he played the trumpet, then he reached for the guitar. In a short time, he reached a level that allowed him to perform with the leading jazzmen of Kansas. As a teenager, he began studying at the Berklee College of Music. There he came under the wing of Mick Goodrick (John Scofield and Bill Frisell, m.in others), who taught him not only technique, but also how to think about the guitar in terms of style, timbre and narrative. At the age of 19, he joined Berklee’s faculty and one of his students was Mike Stern.
He began his stage career in 1974 alongside vibraphonist Gary Burton. A year later, with the participation of m.in. Jaco Pastorius, he recorded his debut album “Bright Size Life”, which redefined the possibilities of the electric guitar in jazz and fusion. He gained the greatest popularity as part of the Pat Metheny Group, co-founded, m.in, with the late keyboardist Lyle Mays. The band drew inspiration from jazz, South American music, folk and rock, developing a melodic sound with a warm, lyrical character. Albums such as “Still Life (Talking)”, “Letter from Home” and the monumental “The Way Up” showed Metheny as an artist who was able to combine complex forms with a communicative emotional message, which made his music reach audiences outside of jazz.
The main element of Metheny’s music is the sound. At the turn of the 70s and 80s, he became one of the precursors of the use of electronics in jazz. He reached for guitar synthesizers (m.in. Roland GR-300, on which he played a solo in the cult Are You Going with Me), a Synclavier sampler — used both as a compositional tool and a source of sounds — and a wide range of pickups and sound effects. At the same time, he introduced unusual guitar models: six-, twelve- and fifteen-string, and in the 90s he played a 42-string Pikasso designed especially for him. To this day, he remains an artist open to new technologies, experimenting with electronics, MIDI and the hybrid orchestrion instrument – an electro-mechanical system (a kind of “jukebox”) controlled by computer. As a result of many years of research, he has developed his own sound, or rather a wide palette of colors and poetics of playing, independent of the convention in which he currently moves.
Metheny’s style is recognizable and at the same time open to constant change. His playing is based on fluid legato, lyrical phrasing and sophisticated voicings, allowing you to freely shape the harmony of the songs. It combines singing melody with rhythmic complexity, moving between classic groove, Latin influences and polyrhythm.
At various times he collaborated with prominent jazz musicians, m.in. Ornette Coleman, Charlie Haden, Herbie Hancock and Jim Hall, the creator of contemporary music Steve Reich, and with pop artists, m.in David Bowie (This Is Not America). In Poland, he accompanied the singer Anna Maria Jopek during the work on the album “Upojenie”.
She leads a disciplined and hygienic lifestyle, to which she owes her youthful figure and energy on stage. He never used alcohol or drugs. During his tours, he regularly jogs, treating it as a way to keep fit and clear his mind. His only “weakness” remains Coca-Cola, which, as he admits, accompanies him during periods of intense work.
Metheny’s work remains an example of a rare balance between artistic consistency and a constant curiosity about the world of sounds. It is rooted in tradition, and at the same time open to new trends and sounds. The scale of his achievements is reflected in the 20 Grammys (and 39 nominations) awarded to him in various categories. Today, his name is a brand recognized all over the world, synonymous with quality and independence.
