🎷 AotW: Jazz Pat Metheny Group - PAT METHENY GROUP

[Captain Bacardi]

Pat Metheny Group
PAT METHENY GROUP
ECM Records

Released 1978

Produced by Manfred Eicher

Peaked at #5 on the Jazz Album chart & #123 on the Billboard 200 chart (1978)


Songs:

1. San Lorenzo (Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays) - 10:12​

2. Phase Dance (Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays) - 8:17​

3. Jaco (Pat Metheny) - 5:35​

4. Aprilwind (Pat Metheny) - 2:08​

5. April Joy (Pat Metheny) - 8:12​

6. Lone Jack (Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays) - 6:40​

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Musicians:
Pat Metheny - 6- and 12-String Guitars
Lyle Mays - Piano, Oberheim Synthesizer, Autoharp
Mark Egan - Bass
Dan Gottlieb - Drums


Recorded January 1978 at Talent Studio, Oslo, Norway
Engineer: Jan Erik Kongshaug
Photo: Roberto Masotti
Cover Design: B. Wojirsch

Available at Amazon.com (with song samples): http://www.amazon.com/Pat-Metheny-G...=1369933128&sr=1-1&keywords=pat+metheny+group




Capt. Bacardi

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Now that I'm finally moved into my new place and have internet access again I can start getting back to business here!



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Here's a couple of videos from the tour of this album. First is "Phase Dance":



Next is the song "Jaco":




Capt. Bacardi

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I absolutely love this album. Great compositions, great interplay among the band, especially on tunes as "San Lorenzo" during Lyle Mays' solo. That tune's gorgeous all around. I've seen Metheny play several times, and most of the time he opened with "Phase Dance".

This also captured the ECM sound of the 70's. I have several of these ECM albums and the vinyl has always been terrific. The sound is great on all of those albums.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Rudy]

I absolutely love this album. Great compositions, great interplay among the band, especially on tunes as "San Lorenzo" during Lyle Mays' solo.

I still think that is among one of Lyle's best solos. #1 though would have to be the last half of "September Fifteenth" from As Falls Wichita. I can imagine Pat just sitting there, wondering where Lyle was going to head with that. In recent years, Lyle has stated he is more of a "composer," and it kind of amazes me that on a lot of his improvised solos, it's like he is actually composing an entire work in his head. The solo on "San Lorenzo" is like that--the solo has a beginning and an end, not just a long section of noodling.

This album, and a few others, were released in the past few years on 180 gram vinyl. The album sounds as good as ever, and much cleaner than I'd heard it before. I have other ECM vinyl (original releases) that sound fantastic though: for awhile, they were pressed on the semi-translucent virgin vinyl. A good friend of mine sent me a copy of a test pressing of As Falls Wichita, and being one of the first records off the stamper, it sounds fantastic. I hope we feature this album in the future, as there is quite a bit I could say about it.

I am still waiting for another Metheny/Mays duo album. I'd read a rumor a year or two ago that it was possibly in the works. As much as they've both grown musically, that would be a stellar album.

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

The two chord vamp on "Phase Dance" could just go on for an hour as far as I'm concerned.......

 

[Rudy]

The two chord vamp on "Phase Dance" could just go on for an hour as far as I'm concerned.......

A very similar vamp repeats toward the end of "April Joy" (the slower section toward the end). It would be neat to jam to some of those chord sequences in these songs. But I don't think anyone wants to hear my very rusty woodwind skills. (Although I'm coming along on the flute just fine for now.)