Unlike a lot of American kids, I was not forced into taking piano lessons. I was more of a stringed instruments guy, first with the violin and then the guitar. You May Also Like: Pat Metheny Discovered Bold New Machine-Aided Freedoms With ‘Orchestrion’ Why Pat Metheny’s ‘New Chautauqua’ Still ProvidesRead More

I don’t know about the rest of the Pat Metheny fan base, but I was pretty much unprepared for what As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls had to offer. You May Also Like: Pat Metheny – ‘From This Place’ (2020) Aruan Ortiz, with Andrew Cyrille + Mauricio Herrera –Read More

They’re objects of music chart intrigue: those left field hits, songs that aren’t really typical of the bands who recorded them and become hits, anyway. These are songs that when first heard on the radio, no one could guess who played them, not even the band’s fans, because they assumedRead More

80/81 concludes with Pat bringing it all together with acoustic guitars. For all of the different aspects of jazz (and “jazz folk”) on display on this record, there’s something about Metheny’s final song that really does feel like a true, integrated conclusion. Certainly all of these years of listening haveRead More

A definite 80/81 standout track, “Every Day (I Thank You)” features Michael Brecker at his most expressive. There are many interviews out there where Pat runs out of superlatives when talking about Brecker’s work on this song. It’s not hard to see why. You May Also Like: Pat Metheny, MayRead More

A few years a back, me and TheWife™ decided that our cable bill just wasn’t worth it. On most nights, we’d watch (or put on and sort of ignore) a few things on either the Food Network or maybe HGTV, all for a ridiculous sum of money each month. YouRead More

Sometimes, it’s all about Ornette. On the whole, 80/81 comfortably visits “out” material and more straight ahead jazz, with a healthy introduction to Pat’s idea of “folk jazz.” Some of the glue that holds all of this together is the influence of Ornette Coleman. You May Also Like: Why YouRead More

There are many reasons to look wistfully back at this ensemble, thinking of how great it would have been to see them perform live. That list is tops out with “Open.” You May Also Like: Pat Metheny, May 16, 2019: Shows I’ll Never Forget How ‘Wish’ Scuffed Up Joshua Redman’sRead More

A fairly traditional jazz ballad, “The Bat” tells its tale in a slightly unconventional way. You May Also Like: ‘Bright Size Life’ Gave Early Definition to Pat Metheny’s Incredible Career Pat Metheny, May 16, 2019: Shows I’ll Never Forget Pat Metheny – ‘MoonDial’ (2024)

I have to admit that intellectually, I was not prepared for 80/81. I had not yet listened to enough jazz music. American Garage, First Circle, Kind of Blue and Weather Report’s 8:30 rounded out nearly my entire listening discography. It just wasn’t enough. And even when I finally took theRead More