Recently elected to the Downbeat Hall of fame, Pat Metheny shows that he is definitely not resting on either his laurels or his hardys, as he teams together again with Chris Potter, Antonio Sanchez/dr and Ben Williams/b with an album that is both tighter and more adventurous than the previous Grammy winning Unity from last year. Just to give you an idea about Metheny’s creative genius, songs such as “Sign of the Season” or “On Day One” have such a surfeit of various themes and melodies in them that a lesser artist would have used each one for a half dozen different tunes, but Metheny and company simply consider them seques to a greater end.
Moods shift from wondrous folk to driving climaxes as Metheny goes from acoustic to electric guitars and Potter’s tenor takes some rich directions on “Rise Up” and the aforementioned excursion of “Sign of the Season” has more peaks than the Colorado Rockies. The frenetic interplay of the title track is a wondrous white knuckler of a ride, with Sanchez’s ride cymbal sounding like sideswiped branches that you’re barreling through on a dirt road. While “Born” displays the more sensitive side of the team, a surprising “We Go On” might make you expect one of the O’Jays to grab a mic and start grooving. Brilliantly varied, and once again showing Metheny to be one of the true visionaries of the modern scene.
He’s still touring with this band, and is coming to LA Feb 25. Info at www.valleyperormingartscenter.org.
Nonesuch Records