One of the great things about Pat Metheny is that all of his releases seem to be logical conclusions to his previous ones. After releasing a solo recording since his Orchestrion opus, he now combines those two ideas with his other niche, the small group, mixing and matching to create the most product out of the potential. Here, he brings together Chris Potter/ts, Anthony Sanchez/dr and Ben Williams/b for some subtle, succinct and sophisticated quartet work.
Metheny spends a lot of time on the acoustic guitar here, and it works well on material such as “New Year. “ The mix of Potter’s autumnal tenor blends well with Metheny and the lithe rhythm team. “Leaving Town” and “Interval Waltz” find Metheny’s electric axe showing a bit of assertiveness, while the combination of his band with his mad scientist creation, the Orchestron, is a highlight on the panoramic “Signals.” Metheny is one of the few people who has a musical vision that is not too far above his fans. He’s just enough ahead of the pack to wave his flag, letting the rest of the world catch up with him on the top of the hill. Another beauty.
Nonesuch Records
www.nonesuch.com