Now that is dedication to your art.

Are You Going With Me? - A long-time concert favorite, this slow-building tune features Pat making the big noise on the Roland GR-300 guitar synth. Though it originally appeared on the album Offramp, Pat made the right choice in picking the live version from Travels.

The First Circle - Probably the most unique song in the Metheny Group catalog. Odd rhythms, handclaps, violently strummed acoustic guitars, a stunning Lyle Mays piano solo and the amazing voice of Pedro Aznar.

Lonely Woman - The Horace Silver composition from Metheny's trio album Rejoicing. I really like how Pat chose to bookend this collection with tunes from his two "super-trios". Lonely Woman is one beautiful ballad. Just listen to the interplay between Billy Higgins' stellar cymbal & brushwork and Haden's bass.

:rarum IX achieves that elusive quality not found in many Best-Of packages: nothing's missing. It's a perfect distillation of Metheny's ECM career. Want to know what Pat Metheny is all about? This is the place to start.

(First posted on Mark Is Cranky)