From his website:
"Whether purely acoustic or searingly electric, powerfully intense or deeply contemplative, highly composed or totally improvised, or even with some new fangled contraption of his own design, there is always that unmistakable Metheny sensibility at work that has stood at the forefront of jazz for what is now approaching four decades."
Here's a little intro from the artist himself:
Also. 42 STRING GUITAR.
Okay, I want you guys to hear some of these. Here we go.
"The Sound of Silence" was originally a Simon & Garfunkel song. This is a duo that, obviously, everyone's heard of, and knows their music if they heard it. If you played a song for me, I probably wouldn't be able to directly identify it as theirs. I also can't name something of theirs off the top of my head. Yet, you KNOW what a great and legendary duo they are. Sorry, okay, I got a little off here. Regardless, this is one of the most relaxing things I think I've heard in quite a while. It almost has that feel of a temple. How in the world did this guy do all of this on one instrument by himself?
I listened to a lot of this album while I was cleaning my room on a really wonderful sunny day, and this song made me stop and just breathe for a while. It's a song by The Association originally, called "Cherish." There's this incredible feeling to it of falling in love... I think that's the only way I can describe the feeling itself. I cannot, for the life of me, place the original in my head, but I don't care. This is it. Fall back and listen.
"Pipeline" is a surf rock tune originally done by The Chantays in 1963. It sounds completely out of character for this album based on everything we've heard so far. However, once I actually saw Pat's look, I sort of understand more of how this was an influence on him. What I think is the coolest thing about that realization is how varied his music tastes actually are, and how he's unapologetically passionate for each and every one.
A slightly familiar little tune that won the 1965 Grammy for Record of the Year, "Garota de Ipanema," is next. You may know it as "The Girl from Ipanema," and it was originally performed by Antonio Carlos Jobim. Pat slows it way down in his version and takes it to a very different sounding place.
"That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" is an original from Carly Simon. The original is about break-ups and people leaving each other, and general bad relationships. Ugh, what a fun, fun subject to approach. We used Carly's version for a play I was in as transition music, and to this day it still always saddens me to hear it. Here's Pat's instrumental version and take on it:
Also known as "Lujon," "Slow Hot Wind" is not a contemporary piece like so many of the others. It's a jazz piece composed for the tv series Mr. Lucky, then later used on soundtracks for the likes of The Big Lebowski. It's entirely unfamiliar to me. I don't know if it's how he's sliding on the guitar strings, or actually his breathing, but there sounds like there's extra breaths throughout that bring a gentle humanity to the track as a whole.
The Stylistics' "Betcha By Golly, Wow" comes up next. Prince also covered this at once point. I actually can't say I can place this one in my head either. It's an old soul number from 1970 though, and there's very much a good amount of soul in the guitar themes as they move through. God, how do people make a guitar sing like that?
Finally, to end the album, well, this happens.
Added to My Playlist:
I don't know what to say other than that this was an incredible album to hear. I hope you'll take some time to meditate over some of these amazing tracks and enjoy familiar tunes in a way that just change everything.