AAJ Review: Pat Metheny: Tap - John Zorn's Book of Angels | Vol. 20

[jkelman]

My review of Pat Metheny's entry in John Zorn's Book of Angels series, Tap, today at All About Jazz.

Largely a solo album - with the exception of drummer Antonio Sanchez, who drives the pulse throughout the record, and Metheny's daughter, Willow, making a brief appearance on the album closer - it's an orchestral tour de force with Metheny playing a wide range of instruments, including a few that may surprise even his most ardent fans.

Given Zorn's writing for this project is usually nothing more than sketches - half page or one page scores - what Metheny has done with them is nothing short of remarkable, expanding Zorn's ideas into episodic epics that represent Metheny at his absolute broadest, stylistically, from his more expected lyrical excursions to flat-out free play. It's not just one of the finest entries in Zorn's series, but for those who pigeonhole Metheny, it should come as a more than pleasant surprise that may challenge his longtime fans, but still speaks with his voice so strongly that they'll likely be prepared to go along for the ride.

Co-released on Tzadik and Nonesuch is also a brilliant move; folks who might normally not consider Metheny but who love the Tzadik label might take the risk, while those who might consider Tzadik a little too left-of-center but love Metheny and his work on Nonesuch will also be encouraged to pick up an album that is certainly one of his best releases in a long strong of fine recordings.

Review here.

[100423]

Nice review, John.
This is a must for me.

[jkelman]

Nice review, John.
This is a must for me.

Thanks. It really is a terrific record.

[Sordel]

Co-released on Tzadik and Nonesuch is also a brilliant move; folks who might normally not consider Metheny but who love the Tzadik label might take the risk, while those who might consider Tzadik a little too left-of-center but love Metheny and his work on Nonesuch will also be encouraged to pick up an album that is certainly one of his best releases in a long strong of fine recordings.

Review here.

Not to mention the fact that I didn't buy nineteen matching CDs from Tzadik only to find that volume 20 got hoovered up by a major label and given a different design!

Zorn seems to have drawn in quite a few artists with a separate following for this series: Secret Chiefs 3, Medeski Martin & Wood, Uri Caine, Joe Lovano. It's a far more stellar lineup than the performers who interpreted the first Masada book. That said, if we can't have the original Masada quartet, I generally take the Masada String Trio over other interpreters, so I'll be very interested to see how Metheny does.

[NogbadTheBad]

Got to check this out.

[jkelman]

Not to mention the fact that I didn't buy nineteen matching CDs from Tzadik only to find that volume 20 got hoovered up by a major label and given a different design!

Not exactly 'hoovered up'; it's a co-release on both labels, with same music but different covers. As I said in my first post:

Co-released on Tzadik and Nonesuch is also a brilliant move; folks who might normally not consider Metheny but who love the Tzadik label might take the risk, while those who might consider Tzadik a little too left-of-center but love Metheny and his work on Nonesuch will also be encouraged to pick up an album that is certainly one of his best releases in a long strong of fine recordings

It was a wise choice, I think, for reasons outlined above. I really do find the left-of-center crowd often dismisses Metheny as too down-the-middle or smooth, even, despite some pretty edgy projects with Ornette Coleman, Derek Bailey and a solo album (Zero Tooerance for Silence) that will peel paint off you're walls. And folks who are pathological Metheny fans would be less likely, in general, to check out Tzadik because it is (wrongfully) too avant-garde for their tastes.

And it's remarkable how Metheny, himself, manages to straddle those lines with aplomb, which is one of the reasons I love the album so much.

Zorn seems to have drawn in quite a few artists with a separate following for this series: Secret Chiefs 3, Medeski Martin & Wood, Uri Caine, Joe Lovano. It's a far more stellar lineup than the performers who interpreted the first Masada book. That said, if we can't have the original Masada quartet, I generally take the Masada String Trio over other interpreters, so I'll be very interested to see how Metheny does.

Well, I did love the original Masada Quartet, but agree with you insofar as Book of Angels has represented a far more diverse approach to having his music interpreted.

I think you'll find this a very compelling album Sorel; unmistakably Metheny, it's one of his broadest recordings to date, covering almost all of the territory he's traveled in the last 35 years. Sometimes interpreting others' material pushes you to placed you never thought you had, and it certainly seems, based on the record, that Metheny has come out with not just both barrels to bear, but with both guns blazing!

Best!
John

[Sordel]

I think you'll find this a very compelling album Sordel

Zorn is autobuy for me either way right now. My Metheny listening doesn't extend much beyond the wonderful (but, from what I hear, very unrepresentative) As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls. I may well go for The Orchestrion Project if my experiences with this disc pay off.

Interestingly, the price differential between the Nonesuch version (£10.25) and the Tzadik version (£14.25) on Amazon.co.uk is currently about 40%, which is quite a gap for what is basically the same disc; being a Tzadik fan in the UK is no fun at all.

[jkelman]

Zorn is autobuy for me either way right now. My Metheny listening doesn't extend much beyond the wonderful (but, from what I hear, very unrepresentative) As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls. I may well go for The Orchestrion Project if my experiences with this disc pay off.

Interestingly, the price differential between the Nonesuch version (£10.25) and the Tzadik version (£14.25) on Amazon.co.uk is currently about 40%, which is quite a gap for what is basically the same disc; being a Tzadik fan in the UK is no fun at all.

If you like As Falls Wichita, then you should pick up the PMG live record, Travels, also on ECM, from 1983. While not totally like Wichita, they do perform some of it, and it's simply his best live recording to date, imo. The group had, back then, along with Metheny/Mays, bassist Steve Rodby and drummer Dan Gottlieb (his last recording with PMG), with Nana Vasconcelos as a guest for the tour. Personally, as summer approaches, this has always felt like a summertime record, maybe because i saw the tour in a wonderful outdoor venue.

Not sure about all your tastes, Sordel, but if you like Wichita, then Travels is the next logical step. Let me know if you decide to buy it and how you like it.

Best!
John

[Sordel]

If you like As Falls Wichita, then you should pick up the PMG live record, Travels, also on ECM, from 1983. While not totally like Wichita, they do perform some of it, and it's simply his best live recording to date, imo. The group had, back then, along with Metheny/Mays, bassist Steve Rodby and drummer Dan Gottlieb (his last recording with PMG), with Nana Vasconcelos as a guest for the tour. Personally, as summer approaches, this has always felt like a summertime record, maybe because i saw the tour in a wonderful outdoor venue.

Not sure about all your tastes, Sordel, but if you like Wichita, then Travels is the next logical step. Let me know if you decide to buy it and how you like it.

Best!
John

In fact Travels is how I first heard that material: a friend had it. I enjoy Nana Vasconcelos's work as well: saw him live with Jan Gabarek and Saudades is one of those albums I'll dig out once in a while. That whole era of ECM is one that produced a lot of very enjoyable configurations.

[jkelman]

In fact Travels is how I first heard that material: a friend had it. I enjoy Nana Vasconcelos's work as well: saw him live with Jan Gabarek and Saudades is one of those albums I'll dig out once in a while. That whole era of ECM is one that produced a lot of very enjoyable configurations.

You got to see Nana with Garbarek? "lucky....lucky...bastard!"

Yeah, there's a lot of classic stuff from ECM, 1972-1984. They're still putting out great stuff, but at that time they were really establishing themselves as a distinct entity, so there was some very exciting stuff happening.

[walt]

Methinks i'll check this one out.The only Pat Metheny cd I own is (Still Life) Talking(which I dig mightily)and I have a few Zorn cds;the combination looks,and hopefully,sounds,intriguing.

[JSS]

I think Pat gets written off because he has a nice smile.

Sounds interesting. Was never a huge fan, but someone here (PE) recommended Wichita... & Travels, which I like. Used to have Song X on vinyl, loved it at the time.

Saw him at Detroit Jazz Fest a while back, whole band smoked. He broke out the old Roland guitar synth- was that the same one? Looked & sounded like it.

The Joni Mitchell stuff with he & Jaco is cool too.