Pat Metheny - From This Place 2/21/20

[jkelman]

I can only imagine his frustration but really wish he wouldn't let his decisions be dictated so much by streaming and/or cellphones at shows. It's a battle you just can't win.

well, you can if you choose not to engage with it. Increasingly, artists are, unless their label gives them no choice, beginning to choose between (as one example): Spotify ... or not. And you can take a hardline on in-concert recording, too.

King Crimson has been largely successful at eliminating the problem of photos and/or recording at shows. They’ve gone on Spotify in a limited fashion because, with this their now-longest lasting lineup (and one of its most successful, too), they specifically want to reach audiences they’ve not reached in the past.

But, with all due respect, throwing up our hands and saying “it’s a battle you can’t win” is a sure way to fail.

Im happy to see Metheny on bandcamp....and hone he continues to explore using it. To me, that’s the best online model for artists that exists right now. You can buy hard media, digital downloads and/or stream. And artists are actually fairly compensated. Best of all worlds. I see no reason for artists like Metheny to set up their own e-commerce when such a good model and platform already exists.

[Gizmotron]

Holy cow, dude. You are a man after my own heart. Todd Rundgren is my favorite musical artist (outside of jazz at least), and you’re right — one record just isn’t enough. I usually play multiple albums when I listen to his stuff. Pat Metheny much the same way.

Pat’s music somehow straddles the line between technicality and emotion, imo. I don’t know if he’s done a single song that I “dislike”, out of the ones I’ve heard anyway. Never listened to Zero Tolerance for Silence, so maybe that will prove me wrong.

But yes, very infectious music. How can anyone not enjoy “Yolanda, You Learn” for example? It’s just so bright and cheery. It’s one of the most life affirming pieces of music I know of.

Ha, great to hear that I struck a chord for you.

Pat's music just sucks in a focused listener due to the quality and depth of his compositions. He is a composer on par with our very best, methinks.

[mnprogger]

"To the End of the World" from We Live Here?

I love that song.

I love First Circle, especially Wertico's performance on it.

"Yolanda You Learn" is 1 of the happiest sounding tunes ever written.

[aith01]

I love First Circle, especially Wertico's performance on it.

"Yolanda You Learn" is 1 of the happiest sounding tunes ever written.

First Circle is a wonderful record. So much beautiful music on there.

There's so much sheer joyousness in "Yolanda, You Learn". Paul Wertico's snare drum sound on that track is so crisp and upfront.

[bill g]

First Circle is a wonderful record. So much beautiful music on there.

There's so much sheer joyousness in "Yolanda, You Learn". Paul Wertico's snare drum sound on that track is so crisp and upfront.

Yep that's a good one. Haven't pulled it out in a while, thanks for the reminder!

[rcarlberg]

Never listened to Zero Tolerance for Silence, so maybe that will prove me wrong.

Yeah, it might. It's the ONE disc in his oeuvre that leaves me wondering WTF. It doesn't even seemed aimed at establishing his Ornette Coleman bona fides.

[proggy_jazzer]

Yeah, it might. It's the ONE disc in his oeuvre that leaves me wondering WTF. It doesn't even seemed aimed at establishing his Ornette Coleman bona fides.

He'd already done that with tracks off of Offramp and 80/81, not to mention Song X, which I enjoy from time to time. I've not heard ZTFS.

[StarThrower]

I bought Zero Tolerance back when it was released. I didn't get much out of it at the time. I thought it was influenced more by Derek Bailey and had little to do with Ornette. I've always loved the Offramp title track, and Scrap Metal, a tune he played in concert and which appears on a couple of his DVDs.

[Dave (in MA)]

I thought that ZTFS track 4 would maybe work if someone overdubbed some drums.

[chalkpie]

This album is a bit long but imo its gonna go down as one of his better albums in a long career of great albums. Pat is such an important musician and he is one of the gems of the USA.

[PMG4ME]

This album is a bit long but imo its gonna go down as one of his better albums in a long career of great albums. Pat is such an important musician and he is one of the gems of the USA.

It might, but I just don't think that'll be the case for me. I'm starting to be able, after about 15 listens, to express why I'm disappointed and here goes: I get the feeling constantly on this album that it's trying too hard to feature world-class musicians instead of just letting the music go. I feel like they're a little "in the way." I never, ever, not once got that feeling with the old lineup, not even on the Mehldau albums. I like the music a lot, but I'm pretty confident at this point that this won't be in even my top 8-9 Metheny albums. And that said, I'm the first to admit that my expectations will always be unrealistically high because he's my favorite all-time musician.

[Octavio Trimmingham]

Yep,

This was an auto-purchase for me as well, as a long time fan. I was not disappointed with my decision at all. Quite an interesting album of great playing and composition, especially considering the way it was presented to the players and recorded without rehearsing beforehand. I’m looking forward to what is around the corner next from Pat and his backing musicians. 👍🏻

[StarThrower]

I read his statement at his website. He's been questioned about this in past and asked why his music is so upbeat and optimistic? His answer was "that's just the way it comes out when I write." And he added that with all the terrible things going on in the world at any given time, people need this kind of music more than ever. I tend to agree. His music makes people feel good, at least most of the time. YMMV

[BobM]

The new album made me want to do my take on one of the old PMG songs, so here's a short take on Beat 70. I'm no pro and I certainly can't do what he or Lyle did but I enjoyed making it so please don't be too harsh in your comments.

[Poisoned Youth]

Don’t make us lock this thread. And Yami, considering you’ve been put in timeout before, don’t push your luck.

Thanks everyone.

[yamishogun]

Don’t make us lock this thread. And Yami, considering you’ve been put in timeout before, don’t push your luck.

I'm not trying to push my luck at all after I was suspended for a week for calling JJ88 a moron a few weeks ago about what he said about me and ARW. JJ88 said he didn't take offense at all, probably because I don't think he is a moron. I understood that I was suspended because PE has zero tolerance of calling each other names. I was the first in 20 years on PE to call someone a moron, and I learned my lesson well.

The fact is that Pat Metheny was very political, and I thought interesting enough to bring it up seeing as that my friend has now 60 responses on Amazon. I actually disagree with my friend but have no idea why this is pushing my luck.

[aith01]

Looks like my comment disappeared, so I’ll just post it again (from memory of course ).

I’ve only gotten to listen to this album a few times, not really enough to grasp all of it but I definitely like it. I need to spend a lot more time with this one, but it’s so great to have some new music from Pat again after several years since the last studio disc. The orchestration was a little jarring at first, but it’s growing on me.

[cazz]

From Jazz Times "Alas, washed out is the tension between craftsmanship and inspiration that lies at the core of jazz’s identity."

[nosebone]

My fave PM/LM track is September the fifteenth from Wichita.

What a perfectly composed song with one of Pats greatest solos at the end.

[Firth]

Looks like my comment disappeared, so I’ll just post it again (from memory of course ).

I’ve only gotten to listen to this album a few times, not really enough to grasp all of it but I definitely like it. I need to spend a lot more time with this one, but it’s so great to have some new music from Pat again after several years since the last studio disc. The orchestration was a little jarring at first, but it’s growing on me.

You mean the Pat Metheny orchestrion

[TCC]

Now, I'm really tempted to import the (double) lp before it's gone ... a winner IMO!.

Great music!

[zumacraig]

It is interesting. Pat is one of the few artists now that has a rabid fanbase that will absolutely pick up anything he releases.

[PMG4ME]

An absolute must-watch if you haven't seen it already: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvXaCs3Pcq4

[vlad the vet]

On first listen, "From this Place" is reminding me of "The Way Up" .... which is a god thing!

[mnprogger]

bump.

new album "Road to the Sun" coming March 5th, 2021

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIYa9-WA37q/

PAT METHENY'S NEW ALBUM ROAD TO THE SUN
DUE OUT MARCH 5, 2021
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW!

[Link in Bio]

FIRST EXCERPT ROAD TO THE SUN, PART 2 IS AVAILABLE NOW

There are only a handful of living musicians who can continually reinvent themselves year after year, and even fewer still who can claim to have maintained equal degrees of innovation and sheer excellence across a career spanning decades. Pat Metheny is one of the few artists in the world who can lay claim to such a description. Road To The Sun is yet another unexpected and genre-defying new recording from the 20 time Grammy winning guitarist/composer Pat Metheny.

This recording features two major extended works for classical guitar. Road To The Sun is performed by the legendary @laguitarquartet and performing Pat’s new solo guitar piece, Four Paths of Light is Grammy winning virtuoso, @jasonvieauxguitar . ​

“I am blown away by this new (Metheny) composition every time we play it. Such beautiful melodic and harmonic flow! Although his fans will recognize it as undeniably Metheny, he develops his thematic material so skillfully that the average concert-goer will get lost in his world. A soundscape of epic proportions.” - Scott Tennant (Los Angeles Guitar Quartet)

“Whenever an artist of Pat’s significance writes not only a substantial work, but a piece that requires real virtuosity to perform it (and has his musical imprint all over it), it’s a big moment for classical guitar.” -Jason Vieaux