It begins with "Into the Dream," played solo by Metheny on an amplified double necked combination acoustic guitar/sitar. Evoking a mood as he so often does, there is a bit of an oriental motif to this song. All I know is that it sounds absolutely gorgeous, and man will ya' look at those fingers fly!
Later he is joined by the rest of the band, and I am immediately reminded again of just why Metheny and Mays work so well together, and why their musical partnership has lasted as long as it has.
The closest thing I can compare these two musicians to is the symbiotic relationship once enjoyed by Jeff Beck and Jan Hammer. The music is nowhere near as frenetic as on those Beck albums (well, not usually anyway). But the two of these guys play so seamlessly together, that if you close your eyes, it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Honestly, I had forgotten just how much I love the way these two play.
Later in the concert, Metheny and Mays (as well as the rest of the band) also get a chance to rock out during "The Roots Of Coincidence," a song that begins with a percolating synth rhythm, but crashes into glorious guitar induced cacophonous noise before long. Metheny and Mays slash and burn side by side on this one, and it is a beautiful noise they make together indeed.
This is what good jazz is supposed to do plain and simple.
It expands musical boundaries, forces you to consider broader ideas and horizons, while at it's best transporting you to another place as if by magic. Miles Davis and John Coltrane both understood this. And so do Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, and the rest of the incredible musicians captured on this amazing concert DVD.
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Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
nice review glen. if you liked this dvd, there's no way you'd be disappointed with Imaginary Day, the cd.
for the guitar freaks out there, Metheny played "Into The Dream" on a custom, Linda Manzer-built Pikasso guitar.
i'm saving up my pennies and hope to own one before i'm, oh..80 or so.
2 - Glen Boyd
Thanx Mark. I was a little ambivalent about this DVD going in. But pretty much from the get-go, I found myself instantly recognizing the signature sound of Metheny's guitar (and Mays keyboards) and remembering just what it was I liked so much about these guys. I'll definitely be getting the CD too.
-Glen
3 - Pico
Well done, Glen. As good as PM's records are, his live shows are where he really shines.
I hear ya about the the types of jazz ("jazz") that's not a lot of fun to listen to. There's a whole lot of musicians out there other than Pat who fall into neither category, though. Just read more Saleski (and Mike West) reviews to find out about them :&)
4 - Glen Boyd
Saleski, West, and you as well Pico. You three are definitely my "go-to" guys for jazz. Getting a stamp of approval from two out of the three of you on the review was kinda cool too. So thanx for that!
-Glen
5 - Tom Johnson
Glad you wrote this, Glen. Imaginary Day was my "in point" for Metheny and was my only PM album for years. I love this album, but for some dumb reason have held off checking out this DVD (it's actually been out since 2001, but just got re-released at a lower price.) I guess now's the time. Ordered!
6 - Mark Saleski
also glad that glen mentioned both Offramp and the Wichita Falls records because they're two really cool-sounding albums. very tough to slap a category on.