I finished reading James, a fabulous novel by Percival Everett, this week. It’s a retelling of the tale of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of the slave, Jim. A corrective story, long overdue. And James got me to thinking that writing about Pat Metheny one Friday morning was overdue too. It needed correcting.
In the last quarter of the 20th century, Bill Frisell, John Scofield and Pat Metheny emerged as the three innovation giants of the jazz guitar. Metheny’s approach to harmony, his technical ability and his composing and construction skills cemented his place among that group, but his trademark sound and ability to work in more commercial and accessible environments, have made him the most commercially successful of the three. This success and oftentimes “sweetness” in his playing, is also the biggest cause of prejudice among hardcore jazz fans. The mistaking of his sound for “pop” is to misunderstand Metheny completely.
Metheny was as comfortable playing harmolodic jazz with Ornette Coleman as he was playing “outside” with Michael Brecker, both of whom rated him highly. Equally, he is as able to re-voice a gentle Beatles melody on a nylon string, as he is exploring the American plains on steel string – and he can play everything in between. That is a huge range, and one that has seen him win 20 Grammys in 10 different categories.
Metheny’s sense of harmony and progressions are always thoughtful and expertly executed. For today’s Friday song I’ve chosen James – no relation to the book or the story, but rather a song written for singer songwriter James Taylor – from an early album in the Pat Metheny Group discography.
Arranger extraordinaire Lyle Mays’ piano opening, with Steve Rodby’s bass lines, give the song its context, before Metheny’s smooth legato states the simple melody and bridge, built around catchy major and minor sevenths. But Metheny’s solo is a different thing entirely, with rapid arpeggios, triads and fluid technique on show, building to a crescendo, while dipping in and out of melodic references to the tune. It’s sweet but it burns, played over Danny Gottlieb’s tapping ride cymbal and Rodby’s throbbing bass, always complemented by Mays’ chord choices.
Metheny closes and gives way to Mays’ piano solo, which is reminiscent of 70s-era Keith Jarrett. It’s a typical Metheny track: infused with melody and improvisational fascinating, and this is the essence, showing how deeply he understands the structure of a tune. Hope you enjoy a jazz shift this week. Happy weekend!
I started a music WhatsApp group in 2023. I send one song a week on a Friday, with links to both Apple and Spotify, and an accompanying narrative/capsule piece. You’ll read it here on a Sunday. If you want to engage about a song, get a playlist or just get in touch, email me on markgrosin@gmail.com.
Listen to James on Spotify here and Apple Music here.
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