A project as massive, and as massively successful, as Pat Metheny’s 2011 world debut of the Orchestron doesn’t die easily. Besides the original album and tour, Metheny has been including a “Mini-Orchestron” during his last couple solo and band tours. A few months ago a documentary dvd came out, delving into the mind and machine of Metheny. This 2 cd set , recorded at a church in Brooklyn is essentially an audio companion to the visual delight, with enough extras to make it a must-have for Metheny addicts.
The material from the original album are here in all their glory, with “Soul Search,” “Entry Point” “Orchestron” and “Spirit in the Air” sounding remarkably different from the original takes, showing that there CAN be improvisation within mechanization. The only caveat about the programmed music (if it can even be CALLED “programmed”) is that the dynamics of the percussion doesn’t seem to rise and decline with the guitarist as one might expect. Ah! The necessity of the human touch with the sticks! The pair of improvisations have an organic wholeness that sound as composed as anything else here, and listening to the gradual addition of various percussion, keys and winds, as well as their dropping in and out at the literal flick of the wrist, is fascination on display. A few older compositions such as “80/80-Broadway Blues” and “Tell Her You Saw Me” are exciting and include various hairpin turns that keep the listener guessing. A thrilling ride all around for the guy who looks and acts more like Doc Brown and his Flux Capacitor from Back to the Future with each experimental release
Nonesuch Records