For many jazz fans, listening to Pat Metheny can be both a rewarding and frustrating experience. As a teen guitarist for legendary vibe player Gary Burton, Metheny played contemporary jazz with a hint of fusion. By 1977, the young prodigy branched off to form his own band, recording a series of albums that sometimes verged ion new age territory, and even dabbled in the avaunt-garde (most notably with 1994's baffling experiment Zero Tolerance for Silence). Often he crossed into the rock world, recording with David Bowie for the 1985 film The Falcon and the Snowman (their collaboration, "This Is Not America," still proves haunting). In recent years, beginning with 2003's Grammy-winning One Quiet Night, Metheny has returned to his roots, namely playing acoustic guitar with minimal production. His latest album, What It's All About, continues in this vein, showcasing his considerable finger-picking skills and ability to reinterpret classic songs. Although sometimes verging into "smooth jazz" territory, What It's All About's delicate renditions of The Beatles, The Stylistics, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and many more proves a mainly enjoyable listen.
For the new album, Metheny selected songs that influenced him in his formative years, and the tracks range from rock to jazz to folk. Although the tunes have been covered by many artists--"The Sound of Silence," "Slow Hot Wind," and "And I Love Her," to name a few—Metheny manages to make them his own. "The Sound of Silence" is accentuated by Asian elements, while "Betcha By Golly, Wow" benefits from a jazz makeover. This standout track effectively highlights Metheny's superior abilities as a guitarist and arranger, often straying from the original melody to take the R&B classic in new directions.
The sultry "Slow Hot Wind" is stripped down to its bare elements, allowing audiences to hear the melody and beautiful chord changes. A Henry Mancini staple, the song also known as "Lujon" evokes images of steamy beaches in Brazil. Metheny continues his obvious affection for Brazilian jazz with Jobim's "Garota de Ipanema," (AKA "The Girl from Ipanema"), although his sleepy interpretation does not do justice to the melody and the important exotic rhythms that make the song a everlasting favorite.
Article comments
1 - RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Real interesting takes on the songs. But, one of the worst recorded albums I've heard in a long time. In particular, the compression dynamics are not well adjusted for with the mic on the baritone guitar, leaving a distorted bass through out most of the record. Perhaps it is a conversion problem with itunes, but a great disappointment.
2 - Samad
Beg to differ, on my system I was raving about how well recorded it was. Probably its down to your system having a tendency to boom. Played other guitar albums shortly after that to confirm the recording quality ie Antonio Forcione and another Pat Metheny album and it confirms it. Have to admit though it is a bit bassy but perfect on my system