New Pat Metheny Group CD, "Speaking Of Now"

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Rudy

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Anyone else have this CD yet? I wasn't too thrilled about it at first, but it's growing on me a bit more as I discover it more. Can't say it's knocked me out like the first few times I listened to The First Circle or Letter From Home, but it's still a decent work. I'm still not sold on the new addition to the group: Cuong Vu. To me, a trumpet does not belong in a guitar/piano-based band. If I recall, Dave Blamires played the trumpet on We Live Here, another PMG CD I've played to death...fortunately there, the trumpet wasn't used very much.

Speaking Of Now seems a little more relaxed and subdued than Imaginary Day was...another one I liked, but haven't really played all that much. (Thank goodness it wasn't another Quartet...that one just screams "contractual obligation!" (It was their last album with Geffen, if I recall.)

Listening to the new CD again, in fact, before I go grab The First Circle, which I unfortunately haven't played in months. Or maybe I'll grab Secret Story, my favorite Metheny solo CD.

-= N =-
 
Neil-I had been meaning to tell you something about the album since we talked about it when it was originally released. A longtime programmer for NPR affiliate WVIA,Scranton,Pa.,reviewed the album and played a good 30+ minutes of it. The audio review can be obtained at www.georgegraham.com. In the album review section it is #1269. IMHO,George puts a lot of thought in this portion of his work and has been programming the station's 3 hours of jazz & pop for grown-ups. His info of the new members in PMG and their background before playing the album had me anticipating them rather than dreading the unknown. This is the best new jazz album on a major label this year,possibly the best all over and its going to be a real finalist at year's end. Metheny is more important than ever. I,too,love "First Circle",though I gotta be careful playing it in the car. Mac
 
jimac51 said:
Neil-I had been meaning to tell you something about the album since we talked about it when it was originally released. .... His info of the new members in PMG and their background before playing the album had me anticipating them rather than dreading the unknown.

I'd read something (on Pat's site, maybe?) where Pat was enthusing about his new members, and new life brought into the band because of it. I think I may end up liking this one better than Imaginary Day...which was nice, but in retrospect, it is a lot more rhythmic and not as lyrical as this new one (which is more reminiscent of his earlier recordings).

I've mentioned it already, but to me, Quartet was a major disappointment...it almost seemed like a contractual obligation/snubbing at Geffen, since it's so "off the wall" for a PMG release. (As a solo Metheny album, it would have worked.)

jimac51 said:
This is the best new jazz album on a major label this year,possibly the best all over and its going to be a real finalist at year's end. Metheny is more important than ever. I,too,love "First Circle",though I gotta be careful playing it in the car. Mac

We have a running joke (well, not really a joke at this point) that any year the Yellowjackets put a new CD out and put it in the running for a Grammy, Pat Metheny puts one out...and wins it. I suggested that maybe they cut an album with Pat. :wink:

I have no doubt this will be a good album for Pat. In the contemporary area, anyway, it'll be a bestseller. As I said, it's growing on me, and I'm now grabbing it more often to play it. It's definitely better than a lot of what's out there, especially with a lot of those clone $mooth Jazz artists putting out the same album every year.

I've been listening to David Benoit's new one (Fuzzy Logic) and have mixed feelings. I do like it better than his previous one, but this one still has some Rick Braun produced tracks that, to me, are too superficial. (They sound good on first listen, but don't have much depth...and I'm getting to hate drum machines thanks to $mooth Jazz.) My buddy "Dr. Bob" did a nice interview with Benoit for allaboutjazz.com.

I have another Benoit-related post, which I'm doing separately in a moment...

-= N =-[/i]
 
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