feature photo: Joe Giblin
Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV) — slated for release on September 10, 2021 — opens a new chapter for the long and celebrated career of one Pat Metheny. In recent years, we’ve seen him incorporate more and more young, hotshot talent into his groups, such as bassists Ben Williams and Linda Oh, as well as pianist Gwilym Simcock and even fellow guitarist Jason Vieaux.
But now, Metheny is fully embracing the role of mentor with the launch of a new band of revolving young guns called Side-Eye. From this September through the end of 2022, PM will take his fresh faces on the road.
The “V1.IV” part of the album title reflects the different line-ups of the band. For the opening track of Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV), Metheny is leading a 21st Century-styled organ trio where the drummer is former Vijay Iyer Trio rhythm maker Marcus Gilmore and the ‘organist’ is multi-keyboard whiz James Francies.
“It Starts When We Disappear” is that opening track in the video above — and the first single — from the upcoming album. It’s an extended composition that eschews the normal head-solo-head format in favor of a more complex structure that enhances the group dynamics, an approach that can be traced straight back to the first Pat Metheny Group track on the first PMG album, “San Lorenzo.” Also a constant is Metheny’s gift for bright, percolating melodies that belies the detailed refinement that went into the composition.
Metheny has shared the spotlight with electric keyboard players plenty of times before, in particular Lyle Mays; Francies is a different animal altogether. His own enthrallment with texture and melody makes him a natural partner with Metheny and his keyboard contours bring not only a great match to Metheny’s chart but also a freshness to it. There’s no bass but the duty of handling the lower notes is handled facilely by either the keyboardist’s bass synth pulses or the guitarist’s heavier strings.
As the song progresses, there’s a growing realization that this intricately-played recording is not a studio creation but a live one. Rising to the occasion of playing for an audience, both Francies and Metheny deliver the goods come solo time.
A great start for what promises to be another must-get Pat Metheny release.
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