Pat Metheny
Jazz for aficionados
Jazz for aficionados
I'm going to review records in my collection, and you'll be able to decide if they're worthy of your collection. These records are what I consider "must haves" for any jazz aficionado, and would be found in their collections. I wont review any record that's not on CD, nor will I review any record if the CD is markedly inferior. Fortunately, I only found 1 case where the CD was markedly inferior to the record.
Our first album is "Moanin" by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers. We have Lee Morgan , trumpet; Benney Golson, tenor sax; Bobby Timmons, piano; Jymie merrit, bass; Art Blakey, drums.
The title tune "Moanin" is by Bobby Timmons, it conveys the emotion of the title like no other tune I've ever heard, even better than any words could ever convey. This music pictures a person whose down to his last nickel, and all he can do is "moan".
"Along Came Betty" is a tune by Benny Golson, it reminds me of a Betty I once knew. She was gorgeous with a jazzy personality, and she moved smooth and easy, just like this tune. Somebody find me a time machine! Maybe you knew a Betty.
While the rest of the music is just fine, those are my favorite tunes. Why don't you share your, "must have" jazz albums with us.
Enjoy the music.
I'm going to review records in my collection, and you'll be able to decide if they're worthy of your collection. These records are what I consider "must haves" for any jazz aficionado, and would be found in their collections. I wont review any record that's not on CD, nor will I review any record if the CD is markedly inferior. Fortunately, I only found 1 case where the CD was markedly inferior to the record.
Our first album is "Moanin" by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers. We have Lee Morgan , trumpet; Benney Golson, tenor sax; Bobby Timmons, piano; Jymie merrit, bass; Art Blakey, drums.
The title tune "Moanin" is by Bobby Timmons, it conveys the emotion of the title like no other tune I've ever heard, even better than any words could ever convey. This music pictures a person whose down to his last nickel, and all he can do is "moan".
"Along Came Betty" is a tune by Benny Golson, it reminds me of a Betty I once knew. She was gorgeous with a jazzy personality, and she moved smooth and easy, just like this tune. Somebody find me a time machine! Maybe you knew a Betty.
While the rest of the music is just fine, those are my favorite tunes. Why don't you share your, "must have" jazz albums with us.
Enjoy the music.
31,760 responses Add your response
nsp That's a great lineup on that Bernstein album. Great song you chose. I do not have that recording but I do have Somethins' Burnin' which is also from the mid 90's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUG6uAVkY38 I have seen Jimmy Cobb's "Cobbs Mob" at Smoke in NYC in 2012 and it had the same lineup as the Somethins' Burnin" disc plus Eric Alexander on the tenor sax. |
pjwI really like Peter Bernstein also and enjoyed the live clip with his organ trio.An album of his I enjoy w/ B Mehldau on piano :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ-dmT5ZOik 5 Bernstein originals 4 standards i am going to listen to your Lyle Mays clips tomorrow |
pjwMetheny's music in the 80's/90's melded with the direction ECM was taking. A lot of their artists explored different genres with jazz elements.A good fit for both artist and label. I am a big fan of Roy Haynes playing with everybody( and he has played with almost everyone ). I was able to catch him live once at a small jazz club it was a memorable evening. I found another Metheny trio recording with another great drummer, B Higgins Rejoicing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol33IdtDL4Y http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-bO3EwZUA8 |
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nsp I can relate with you on Metheny. His musical direction can be a tad to much on the "new world" or "free" genre (I believe Ornette Coleman was a big influence on Metheny). The session with Holland and Hays is grounded a little more in the traditional jazz idiom. I really like Roy’s drumming on the 2 songs. |
pjw A Metheny acoustic disc I like (although interpretation of pop songs) is Whats it All About http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9E3G1Z0D-4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBt9bDsGW78 |
pjw Not a big fan of Metheny back in the day due to my main interest in bebop 50's and 60's jazz as the real deal. I was happy that Metheny and his group brought more new listeners to the genre. Listening to the cut San Lorenzo and really enjoying it with much more of an open mind. I don't have Bright Size Life but another trio recording he did with D Holland and R Haynes Question and Answer I like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MAGraRUVog http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQEQNL0p35c |
Thanks Schubert. As I already mentioned I have the first recording he put out. You mentioned Rubalcaba who I am just beginning to explore thanks to you and frogman. Metheny collaborated with a multiple Grammy award winning (10 if I remember) pianist on albums 2 and 3 which I also have. His name is Lyle Mays and he is very good piano player himself as evidenced on the following song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RrUS2N2MyI Metheny's first album, Bright Size Life, was a trio session with Pat on guitars, Jaco Pastorious on bass, and Bob Moses on drums. His second and third albums which I also have, he added Lyle Mays on piano. Mays is the "driver" of the music on both of these albums titled "The Pat Metheny Group" and "Watercolors. Mays contributed arrangements and compositions on these albums. Here is the Lyle Mays Quartet live at The Ludwingsburg Concert Germany, early 1990's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4umHT755HI&list=PLWun6JENejZm8aK2AU61iz6YxYLM2VOod Rubalcaba is awesome but I think Lyle is in the same league. |
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81563, as nobody wants to answer you question I might as well stick my big-mouth in . You only have to listen to a few clips , whether you speak his language or not , to know that few players have as much to say as Metheny . That alone makes him top-drawer in my book Off hand,.only jazz player that has even more to my hears is Gonzalo Rubalcaba .Sonny Still might be better as an improvisor but I don’t know enough about Metheny’s music to be sure of that . |
What are your thoughts on the legendary Pat Metheny ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIu-04SKFMk I have his first recording Bright Size Life with Jaco on bass. |
Bobby Broom is another great guitarist from the newer generations. I think he and Bernstein started recording professionally around the same time in the 80's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65SVAvRgfcQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZflF4c7Mdk |
frogman I knew about Martino's car accident and how he had to "learn" to play again. I have seen him a few times and he is a very small and frail man. Maybe 130 pounds soaking wet. I have a photo of him and I together and I remember when we put each others arms around our waists for the photo he felt like a feather. Mind you I am 6'2 215 pounds.... Of the current jazz guitarists I really like Peter Bernstein. I believe Jim Hall was a great influence of Bernstein who I have also saw live. Bernstein and Martino shine on sessions with Hammond B3 players. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8A0V60teBI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pii9x-cE2IM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8YtwCQMfzY |
There is no point other than you like what you like .And more often than not , that is what you have experienced. I can put the Russians in their place in history , love Prokofiev melodies in particular . When people give me the "music is the world language " bit standard smart butt answer is I've never met an American who is a fan of Chinese Opera . In all aspects of life I really have only two that I absolutely believe are the best , God and Bach . |
It’s not about “technique” in the usual sense (chops). Pass had tons of it; possibly more than even Martino. And, you’re right, “why would Pass change?”. Who says he should have? Different players. Mozart and Schubert were great melodists. So were Prokofiev and Shostakovich; in entirely different ways. The best? I don’t see the point. Btw, he WAS sick. In 1980 he suffered a brain aneurysm and after surgery he was left with total amnesia. No recollection of anything including how to play his instrument which he had to relearn. Took years. One of the most remarkable comeback stories. |
Yeah , I more or less , probably less , knew that .Of course a musician can appreciate technique that means nothing to me .To me , melody is what its about and that and the means to that is it . The b3 and Martino on oleo are fabulous but they ain’t pretty . Pass and NHP are fabulous and pretty . I don’t doubt the reverse is true for a trained musician which is fine with me . .Why would Pass change, he already had beauty .Pass has total confidence . A lot of players look scared . Martino looked sick in your clips . Hope he wasn't . |
Wonderful. “Satin Doll”; classic tune that players love because of the relative simplicity and obvious logic of the harmonic changes. I posted this a while back. Pass and Niels-Henning Pederson had a special affinity for each others’ playing and styles. The changes for “Tricotism” are more obtuse, so harder to improvise melodically over them: https://youtu.be/JoH48Yyuwy4 Pass was a fantastic bebopper with a pretty straightforward style and was pretty much untouched by what could be described as the post-60’s harmonic sensibility and swing feel. Pat Martino’s bebop style is more forward looking with a less “swingy” feel and a rhythmic drive that shows his fusion side; it owes more to the Miles/Coltrane wave: https://youtu.be/6GcOhbabHPg https://youtu.be/Ql_bHgaQQZE |
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The great Pat Martino: https://youtu.be/8kEdoHGmDwU https://youtu.be/hwuz-6g_t1g https://youtu.be/2o0AoEqSlB0 |
VERY interesting guitar talk from Jim Mullen .It’s always been hard to live in Scotland so they are a pragmatic lot ! Watch how much music there is in the Celtic music he goes out on , those "little ditties " have hundreds of years behind them. https://youtu.be/TOutRlybKBs Anyone who has the slightest interest in guitar should hear the 10 minutes of this wise man talking to" Guitarist" magazine . |
Had to post my favorite acoustic jazz player , I saw him do an acoustic set many years ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=NrdA5Asu4Ec http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EbRTUPQ-B8 |
Thanks for the Humes and Byas masterpiece pjw . I don’t recall hearing them but they did that "Stardust: as a duo" , incredible how they drew you into the song instead of hitting you over the head with it .Real artists !Checked other works and both could have sung and played anyway they wanted . Wish I knew what arranger had to do with it , if anything . That bothers me about jazz . |
A bit softer but not bent Little "mirco" echoes and twitches I don’t hear with electric , of course my hears might be broken . I haven’t heard every jazz guitarist there is but, of the ones I have heard, Pass is by far the best . He reminds me of a Mozart piece , when its done you know the notes could be other way . |
