One of my favorite bands of all time, the Pat Metheny Group, hasn't
toured since 2005, after the release of "The Way Up," the album-length
composition by Metheny and longtime collaborator Lyle Mays. Since then,
Metheny has done a few other projects, including a trio with bassist
Christian McBride and PMG drummer Antonio Sanchez, a solo recording with
an Orchestrion (a machine that plays a variety of instruments--in this
case pianos, marimbas, orchestra bells drums, cymbals, and blown
bottles, among other things), and the Pat Metheny Unity Band, a
collaboration with saxophone titan Chris Potter, up-and-coming young
bassist Ben Williams, and Sanchez. The latter group came to the House of
Blues in Dallas in the fall of 2012, and you'd better believe I was in
attendance.
Though rumors of a PMG revival had floated
around in recent years, a couple of things changed: According to a post
on the Metheny website that I can't locate at the moment, longtime
collaborator Lyle Mays is evidently enjoying semi-retirement, while
bassist/producer Steve Rodby is kept busy by numerous projects. And
during the Unity Band tour, the guys realized that they wanted to keep
the band going, but with a different twist: The ability to play nearly
anything from the PMG repertoire, along with the Orchestrion music. And
thus was born the Pat Metheny Unity Group--the four members of the Unity
Band, plus Italian musician Giulio Carmassi, who not only does the
heavy lifting of playing piano and contributing the trademark soaring
vocals, but also adds eight other instruments. The new recording, "Kin
(<-->)," dropped just a few weeks ago, and it certainly evokes the
classic PMG sound, enhanced by Potter's woodwind artistry and an
increased role for the Orchestrion. The epic-length compositions, the cinematic qualities of the music...the classic sound was back, but in a new way.
The
Group's inaugural tour brought it back to the House of Blues last
night, and anticipation was running high: How deeply would they dip back
into the PMG catalogue? Would we really get to hear Chris Potter
soloing on The First Circle or Minuano? But more than anything, the anticipation of hearing the large-group
magic once again was surely on my mind, and likely those of others as
well.
The concert started--almost exactly on time--with a solo turn from Metheny on his specially-built, 42-string Pikasso guitar
(a tradition that dates back to the Trio tour, if I'm remembering
correctly), and then he was joined onstage by Potter, Williams and
Sanchez; they proceeded to play a number of tunes from the original
Unity Band recording. The sound problems that had plagued the 2012
appearance were not apparent this time--Potter came through loud and
clear, which was not the case at the earlier show--and the musicianship
of all four players was of course outstanding.
But something
seemed out of place: Where was Carmassi? And where was the new music? As
much as I was loving this, it appeared to be almost a repeat of the
last show. And then it hit me: They must be serving as an opening act
for themselves! A quick review of the old material, and then they'll
bring Carmassi onstage and start the new music? OK, I could see that...
And
this was precisely what took place as Metheny came to the mic for the
first time: The Unity Band was "opening" for the Unity Group. Carmassi
was introduced, and the group proceeded to play several numbers from the
new disc, which amounted to a fairly substantial set, seeing as how the
opening three tunes all clock in at over ten minutes apiece. Carmassi's
vocals, the various sounds of the Orchestrion (from our vantage point
this time, it was easier to see the keyboard percussion being "played"
by the machine)...this was indeed the classic sound, done with new
twists.
The rest of the band got some break time as Metheny
played duets with each of them in turn, whether it was standards
(raising the roof with "All the Things You Are" with Potter; a heartfelt
but energetic take on Jobim's "insensatez" with Williams) or originals
(Carmassi channeling the great Pedro Aznar on "Dream of the Return") and
a wild romp with Sanchez, who got to blow things wide open on his solo
turn. Yet Metheny--a ball of energy as he approaches his 60th
birthday--remained onstage the entire time, moving tirelessly from one
tune to the next.
After another tune from the new album, Metheny
announced that there would be one tune left--which in this case meant
one more tune until the encore(s) would begin. For this, they did indeed
reach back into the PMG oeuvre for a masterful version of "Have You
Heard" (I might have been among those who let out a whoop upon hearing
the opening measures of this one).
But of course, the show wasn't
over. Returning quickly for an encore, the group launched into another
PMG classic, "Are You Going With Me?" The lengthy tune has a brief,
simple melody (doubled wonderfully here by Potter on flute), but mostly
exists as a relaxed groove that serves as a vehicle for an extended
Metheny solo on his synth guitar that builds to a frenzy as the piece
modulates upward several times, and this performance showed that a song
that's over three decades old can still be amazingly fresh in these
hands.
The band left the stage again, after a rousing ovation. So
was that the end? Well, yes, for everyone except Pat, who closed the
show as it had begun, alone onstage with his guitar, mashing up several
of his well-known tunes (including "Minuano" and "Last Train Home") that
hadn't made it into the set tonight.
So for those of us who
loved the new energy of the Unity Band but missed the PMG repertoire,
the Unity Group is the best of both worlds. Having Potter in the group
not only recalls the great Metheny collaborations with Michael Brecker
(on the latter's solo recordings and Pat's own "80-81"), but also adds a
number of colors to the group (tenor and soprano saxes, bass clarinet,
flute and bass flute); in addition, Potter, while already a young titan
in his own right, seems to have been positively influenced by his work
with Metheny, as his soloing style has evolved to fit this setting.
Williams is a great new talent on bass, combining solid lines,
jaw-dropping solo prowess (including some great arco moments) and a
beautiful sound on the instrument. Carmassi provides the necessary
elements of piano and vocals in fine fashion (and I'd love to hear him
play some of his other instruments live), and Sanchez is as masterful as
ever, providing the cymbalistic underpinnings that drive so much of the
Metheny sound, yet given lots of freedom to crackle with energy when
the music calls for it. And the leader himself, perpetually young,
continues to be among not only one of the finest guitarists in jazz, but
one of its finest improvisers and writers. I mentioned the cinematic
nature of his large-form compositions, and so many of them have provided
a major portion of the soundtrack of my own life.
I certainly
hope for more from this group in the future, and you'd better believe
I'll be there when they return. Check them out if the tour is coming to
your area.-->
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Kids Say the Darnedest Things About Sightreading
(This
is almost certainly a "rerun," as I'm reasonably sure that a kid has
said something like this in the past.)
We do a lot of sightreading in lessons after Solo and Ensemble, and I always emphasize the importance of checking the key signature--but sometimes after the fact...
KID: (misses key signature notes in the first measure of the piece)
ME: What's the first rule of sightreading?
KID: Don't mess up?
We do a lot of sightreading in lessons after Solo and Ensemble, and I always emphasize the importance of checking the key signature--but sometimes after the fact...
KID: (misses key signature notes in the first measure of the piece)
ME: What's the first rule of sightreading?
KID: Don't mess up?
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Kids Say the Darnedest Things About Musical Forms
I do
a lot of sightreading after Solo and Ensemble, and several of the kids
have been reading a piece that's written in the form of a canon...
ME: Do you know what a canon is, with only one N in the middle?
KID: It's a camera!
ME: Do you know what a canon is, with only one N in the middle?
KID: It's a camera!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Kids Say the Darnedest Things About Hypothetical Situations
It's
Solo & Ensemble week for my 7th and 8th graders, so the emphasis is
on "practicing performing"--doing run-throughs of their solos without
stopping...
ME: So this time, I want you to keep going no matter what happens, just like you'll do on Saturday. The only reason you would stop on Saturday is if you stopped breathing--which would of course be sad--or unless the judge stopped breathing and you went over to administer CPR.
KID: No mouth...
ME: Totally understandable.
ME: So this time, I want you to keep going no matter what happens, just like you'll do on Saturday. The only reason you would stop on Saturday is if you stopped breathing--which would of course be sad--or unless the judge stopped breathing and you went over to administer CPR.
KID: No mouth...
ME: Totally understandable.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Kids Say the Darnedest Things About Cartoon Characters
I was working with a kid who hadn't gotten to play for a little while and was of course a little rusty...
ME: I know you're just getting back into the swing of things, so I'm not expecting you to have this whole assignment ready for me today.
KID: That's good, because I might have to call you the Grinch if you did.
ME: No, I'm not the Grinch. But here's a piece of trivia for you: Remember the song, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"? The guy who sang that is the same person who did the voice of Tony the Tiger.
KID: Who?
ME: The mascot for Frosted Flakes. He's in all the commercials. He always says, "They're GrrrrrrrEAT!"
KID: Oh, that tiger guy? I didn't know his name.
(And if you're into extreme trivia, the tiger's voice artist had a great name: Thurl Ravenscroft.)
ME: I know you're just getting back into the swing of things, so I'm not expecting you to have this whole assignment ready for me today.
KID: That's good, because I might have to call you the Grinch if you did.
ME: No, I'm not the Grinch. But here's a piece of trivia for you: Remember the song, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"? The guy who sang that is the same person who did the voice of Tony the Tiger.
KID: Who?
ME: The mascot for Frosted Flakes. He's in all the commercials. He always says, "They're GrrrrrrrEAT!"
KID: Oh, that tiger guy? I didn't know his name.
(And if you're into extreme trivia, the tiger's voice artist had a great name: Thurl Ravenscroft.)
Friday, February 14, 2014
Tourists Say the Darnedest Things?
SAN ANTONIO--I'm here for my annual trip to the TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association) convention. After
I finished talking some shop with a colleague who disembarked on a
lower floor, an older couple in the hotel elevator asked me, "Is there some
sort of band competition going on this weekend?"
I tried to explain (in a mere three floors' worth of elevator ride) how TMEA was a lot more than just "some sort of band competition" and how it was attended by most of the music educators in Texas and even from other states.
LADY: So they do what--they practice?
ME: Yes, the all-state groups rehearse, but there are also clinics, concerts, exhibits, things like that. We probably have around 10,000 people here.
LADY: I believe that; I think we've seen most of them.
I tried to explain (in a mere three floors' worth of elevator ride) how TMEA was a lot more than just "some sort of band competition" and how it was attended by most of the music educators in Texas and even from other states.
LADY: So they do what--they practice?
ME: Yes, the all-state groups rehearse, but there are also clinics, concerts, exhibits, things like that. We probably have around 10,000 people here.
LADY: I believe that; I think we've seen most of them.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Kids Say the Darnedest Things About Older Musicians
When my students start
learning about jazz, usually in 8th or 9th grade, we play out of a
series of books by the great Lennie Niehaus. The books were written in
the '60s, which is evident by its unusual cover art, which I often refer
to as "psychedelic zebra stripes."
ME: But even though the cover looks funny, Niehaus is a wonderful saxophonist and composer. He's in his mid-80s and still plays, so far as I know.
KID: He still plays at that age? Wow, I wouldn't have any air left!
ME: But even though the cover looks funny, Niehaus is a wonderful saxophonist and composer. He's in his mid-80s and still plays, so far as I know.
KID: He still plays at that age? Wow, I wouldn't have any air left!
Monday, February 10, 2014
Contest Judges Say the Darnedest Things
Here's what one wrote on a student's comment
sheet from last Saturday's Solo & Ensemble Contest: "Make it more
seamless like you are verbally speaking."
I guess that makes sense; what in the world would the saxophone sound like if the kid made it like he was non-verbally speaking?
I guess that makes sense; what in the world would the saxophone sound like if the kid made it like he was non-verbally speaking?
Wednesday, February 05, 2014
Kids Say the Darnedest Things About Themselves
I was greeted in a most unusual manner by this particular beginner...
KID: Guess what--I grew two inches since the last time you saw me!
ME: That was just two weeks ago. You really grew two inches in two weeks?
KID: Yeah--I'm wearing boots!
KID: Guess what--I grew two inches since the last time you saw me!
ME: That was just two weeks ago. You really grew two inches in two weeks?
KID: Yeah--I'm wearing boots!
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