Search - Pat Metheny :: Trio 99-00

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Ailer | 02/09/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have always preferred "chamber Pat," as opposed to his Metheny Group recordings, so I was very anxious to hear this new album. Like "Q&A," and "Rejoicing" before it, this album is very impressive. A real showcase for Metheny's guitar playing, which seems more extrovert in comparison with the last few Metheny Group albums. His supporting rhythm section are terrific, even though the drummer has a tendency to play with the time alot, like the young Tony Williams. But his high level of musical communication with Metheny is undeniable. The acoustic ballads contrast well with the more straight-ahead tunes; listen to these guys play over a 12-bar blues! Pat Metheny shows by the contents of this album that he is a complete master of his instrument, and I hope this trio records more albums together in the future. Two thumbs way up."

Metheny at his absolute best, most vital

Ailer | chicago | 03/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Metheny is possibly the greatest jazz guitarist ever. And I say that with full knowledge of all the Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, Jim Hall, Joe Pass, Grant Green, Django records ever made. High praise? Yes, indeed - but this record is the capper to a 10 year string of sensational releases that Metheny has put together in his recorded output that outrank just about any musician of this era. With this record, Metheny brings a harmonic and rhythmic ingenuity to his instrument that has eluded just about everyone else. Of his generation, only John Scofield has come close to acheiving this level of improvisational sophistication - but even with Sco, there is a humanity missing somehow; his work is intriquing and oh so interesting, but Metheny always retains the human touch and warm round sound that puts him in that higher echelon with Wes and the others. My contention that he has surpassed them with this release is based on the fact that the actual improvised melodies that Metheny comes up with with this record remain indelibly crammed into my cranium. To take a tune with a tempo as fast as the first tune, Go Get It, and play song like phrases is the kind of stuff only acheived by greats like Clifford Brown or Sonny Rollins, almost never by a guitarist. (but Joe Pass could come close) Also, the compositions are almost guaranteed to become standards, they are that good - it is easy to imagine that What Do You Want, Soul Cowboy and The Sun In Montreal will become staples of the next generation of musicians.Also, the rhythm section of Grenadier and Stewart is perfectly matched to Metheny, and though they may not be the big names of today, they will be the Haynes/Higgins/Holland/Hadens of the next years, no doubt.This is Metheny's best non-group project ever. Better than Song X (a classic), the duet records with Hall and Haden (classics) or his many recent sideman projects. I am even recommending to people who ask me for suggestions that this be their FIRST PM record - something i used to suggest Bright Size Life for."

The best Trio record of the year - Metheny's best ever!

03/12/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have always enjoyed Metheny's trio records, but this is by far his best one. His rapport with Grenadier and Stewart is at the highest level. I have a feeling that some people will be more impressed with people like Haden, Higgins, Haynes or Holland because of their names, but make no mistake about it, these younger players are the major guys of THEIR generation. Pastorius was unknown when he showed up on Bright Size Life and now he is a legend and people talk about him like he was always like that - and when BSL came out he went almost unnoticed. It will be like that with Bill Stewart on this record - in the future people will talk about his performance on Trio 99/00 as a seminal moment in jazz drumming and interaction with a soloist. As far as Metheny goes - his playing and level of pure inspriation has never been higher that on this recording. There is just so much going on it is hard to know where to begin. His time feeling, his incredible melodic sophistication, the adventurousness of his lines, everything add up to a new standard being set for jazz guitar. But for the highlights are the new Metheny compositions. There are more great new Metheny "jazz" tunes here than on any of his other records. Already I am hearing people play three songs from this record live - the two blues tunes Soul Cowboy and Go Get it and the rhythm changes tune What do You Want. They are much better compositions than either BSL or Q and A. If I had to recommend just one Metheny record to someone who wanted to check what the guy can do with a guitar in his hands, this would be it. I would give it more stars if I could!"