50 years ago, virtuoso guitarist Pat Metheny recorded his first studio album, Bright Size Life, for a record label called ECM. Now, he has recorded over 50 albums, played with some of jazz’s brightest minds, started his own record label, and won 20 Grammys in 10 different categories, the only musician to do so ever.
“It’s crazy that he won so many Grammys, I’ve never even heard of him,” remarks HHS sophomore Ava Halsing. This begs the question: What can’t this man do?
Well, one thing he can’t do is make a bad record. He has consistently released quality music since the start of his career and is a prolific composer. Although his style has changed over the years as an evolving musician, the quality of music remains the same. His most recent effort, Side-Eye III+, came out this week.
Side Eye III+ features Metheny and his current trio, along with other promising young musicians who greatly contribute to the album. His trio consists of himself on guitar, Joe Dyson on drums, and Chris Fishman on piano and keyboards. The other accompanying musicians in the band are harpist Brandee Younger, Jermaine Paul on bass, Leonard Patton on percussion and vocals, and a choir directed by Mark Kibble.
All eight numbers on this album were composed, arranged, and produced by Metheny. This is also the first album released on his new label, Unquity Music.
Although the whole album is superb and I would recommend listening to it in its entirety, in my opinion, the highlight track is “Don’t Look Down.” The song starts off with a dark swinging groove that leads to a mournful melody, with harp and vocal textures adding to the chill vibe. However, after a short buildup, it changes to a major key, giving it a much brighter sound. The song paints the picture of a rainy day, with the clouds parting for rays of sun to peek through.
“Don’t Look Down” is a perfect example of how Metheny bridges the past, present and future. The harmony and melody are reminiscent of his work in the 90s, while the ensemble and instrumentation are new developments, forming a fresh sound.
“It’s pretty amazing that he can still come up with new stuff after so many years,” says jazz fan and HHS senior Anthony Ricci.
Metheny’s playing is brilliant as usual, but the other ensemble members really shine, especially Brandee Younger adding texture and embellishments on harp and Jermaine Paul on bass, laying down a sturdy foundation. Joe Dyson also sets the mood with his tasteful drumming.
I sincerely hope you learned something about Pat Metheny and will listen to even just a few minutes of his album. If you like what you hear, he’s playing live in Medford this September as part of his tour.
