Pat Metheny - Unity Band

[Old Grumpy]

I have just acquired this and am listening to it now - one word: Superb. This is Dave Gelly's review in the Observer.

OG

[Ian Thumwood]

Agreed

I bought this yesterday with some gift vouchers I had for a birthday present. I've played about 3/4th of the CD and even by the standards of the guitarist's other work, the impression i have got is that this is an exceptional record. The only grumble would be the choice of Chris Potter as the saxophonist as I knwo there are a lot of people of this board who don't rate him. Certainly I can't recall his sounding quite so Brecker-esque before but , to be honest, any criticism of playing of this calibre is a bit of a non-starter. In my opinion, this band is pretty exceptional.

The stand-out track (so far) has to be "Signals" which , for about four minutes, plugs into Improv territory with some of Metheny's most outside playing I've heard him commit to record. I'm usually a bit sceptical of the results of much Improv which, for about 90% of the time, seems to fire blanks. On this disc, the results are both gripping and exciting and their ability to zoom into focus when the Morse-code like theme arrives is a standout moment. This demonstrative of how short of the mark much Improv seems to be be in comparison. Without doubt, this is contemporary jazz at it's finest and likely to feature highly in polls for best record of 2012.

[charles t]

[O.G.] Ian: Thanks for posting such a positive assessment of the Unity Band release. Hopefully, there will be some 'off-market' downloads showing-up as the band tours, this summer.

Of course, a comparison of Chris Potter vis-a-vis Brecker's contribution to the now classic(Metheny) 80/81 is inevitable. Can it really be more than 30 years since?

I remember, particularly, hearing Mike back about then ... due to a strange occurence later that evening.

It was during a tour by Steps Ahead...a concert at the outdoor Greek Theatre in Hollywood. Following the group's set, I had to endure Lee Ritenour's set which was part of the package.

Later having jumped-on my motorcycle which I had parked downtown L.A. - I was stopped by a police car with flashing lights. Seems there had just been a robbery by a motorcyclist riding a red bike. A good thing the officer agreed to my suggestion to hold his hand on one of my bike's cylinders to see how cold it was! (Sorry for this pointless aside...)

It almost seems that Mike Brecker had to leave this planet, for us later to realize how talented this guy was.

He just made it seem so easy...and...intense at the same time.

[Serial_Apologist]

[O.G.] Ian: Thanks for posting such a positive assessment of the Unity Band release. Hopefully, there will be some 'off-market' downloads showing-up as the band tours, this summer.

Of course, a comparison of Chris Potter vis-a-vis Brecker's contribution to the now classic(Metheny) 80/81 is inevitable. Can it really be more than 30 years since?

I remember, particularly, hearing Mike back about then ... due to a strange occurence later that evening.

It was during a tour by Steps Ahead...a concert at the outdoor Greek Theatre in Hollywood. Following the group's set, I had to endure Lee Ritenour's set which was part of the package.

Later having jumped-on my motorcycle which I had parked downtown L.A. - I was stopped by a police car with flashing lights. Seems there had just been a robbery by a motorcyclist riding a red bike. A good thing the officer agreed to my suggestion to hold his hand on one of my bike's cylinders to see how cold it was! (Sorry for this pointless aside...)

It almost seems that Mike Brecker had to leave this planet, for us later to realize how talented this guy was.

He just made it seem so easy...and...intense at the same time.

I always felt Mike Brecker represented the rounding off of something, rather than of initiating, and that subsequent tenor saxophonists who used him as a hoped-for launching pad into something else condemned themselves to a sort of methodological cage. Very nice bloke, it must be said, not in any way arrogant as I'd expected - if anything, rather diffident, and in an almost donnish way.

[Ian Thumwood]

S-A

I sat in on a Mike Brecker Q & A workshop for about an hour (couldn't attend the whole morning as I was on another workshop - the Brecker session being impromtu) and was amazed at the breadth of knowledge and the responses to questions which seemed extremely practical and well-grounded. A bloke I chatted to afterwards had been to the whole morning and was astounded by the quality of the session as it was so beneficial and delivered in a unfussy and modest fashion. I felt that he was extremely well-grounded and not at all full of himself, There was no bad language (as in the case of Kenny Werner) or New Age mumbo jumbo (as in the case of Kenny Werner) - probably the best / most professional jazz musician I've seen in a workshop environment. To quote Matt Le Tissier in reference to Glenn Hoddle ,it is usually the case of never meet your idol but in the case of Mike Brecker I just admired the bloke even more afterwards. Genuine nice man.

[charles t]

So true, Ian. In a Downbeat interview Pat Metheny discussed that during the making of Pilgramage - while in New York, Brecker insisted on giving Metheny a lift (car-ride)...And the way he reflected upon this courtesy from a dying man, there had to be tears in Metheny's eyes, as there were in the reader's...

[Tenor Freak]

Agreed about this album which is on Spotify. I've listened to a few tracks - very good indeed.

Mike Brecker played at two of the most memorable gigs I recall - his own group at Bracknell in '87 and the Don Grolnick group at the Turner Sims in '94. He was a gentleman and dedicated to his craft. RIP Mike.

[Serial_Apologist]

Mike Brecker played at two of the most memorable gigs I recall - his own group at Bracknell in '87

At which I was... It was later transmitted, and luckily I taped it.

[Old Grumpy]

DJ Jez doesn't seem to rate this much on Jon3 (35'41"). John Fordham (guesting on the programme) also seems to have mellowed his enthusiasm slightly since his Guardian Review.

[charles t]

Pat Metheny with Brecker, Antonio Sanchez & Christine McBride revisit the tune Every Day I Thank You (from 80/81) on this knockout HD video (parts 1 & 2). [Get the freebie dvdflick program to burn all from this Jazz Baltica 2003 set.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpLUhUGEyfI&feature=relmfu

[pt. 2]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fEjIj_1R3o&feature=channel&list=UL

[PUSB]

DJ Jez doesn't seem to rate this much on Jon3 (35'41"). John Fordham (guesting on the programme) also seems to have mellowed his enthusiasm slightly since his Guardian Review.

DJ JEz not liking it is probably quite a recommendation. Is there a bigger charlatan on radio?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Is there a bigger charlatan on radio?

... you may very well think that there is not but i could not possibly comment

[BBMmk2]

I do rather like Pat Metheney. Some of his music has been aranged for brass band! Eg his classic Minuano!

[charles t]

BBMaestro: Welcome...you might like this big band orchestra version of Pat Metheny earlier works.

Hopefully...

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

as in