Pat Metheny : American Garage

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ADreamer Mar 13 2013 at 11:41 PM	It is unbelievably great. A rainbow of everything. And yet nothing you could expect or ever even imagine, a total surprise. But then when it is over, you go, of course. It is an instant essential add for both of them.
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naut Sep 25 2013 at 7:42 AM	@hman, I think you’re right. I thought that could be the place, but I really wasn’t sure. I thought it might be some keys at first. BTW, I love the attack he gets on the sitar. Not sure how to describe it, but it’s like it’s on the upstroke of the pick that the repeated sitar phrase starts. Guitarists might know. @snipe, thanks for the ID on that one.
snipe28542 Sep 24 2013 at 5:59 PM	Pat played Third Stone From the Sun on Stone Free a Tribute to Hendrix. Released in 1993. Lots of interesting tracks from others as well.
hman01 Sep 24 2013 at 5:41 PM	"naut"-I think he might be playing flugel horn on Mastema. After it gets going,around 1:30 or so,I think I hear it slightly,playing along with the melody.It’s not real obvious.Maybe he played it to add texture at that point in the music? At least,I THINK I hear it.
naut Sep 24 2013 at 10:03 AM	I agree about Sariel, frank. Pretty heavy. I think Pat also did a tune on some Hendrix tribute, but I don’t recall specifics. I may have mentioned once that Phanuel is one of the spookiest tunes he’s ever made. Tap continues to reveal many layers to my aging ears. Still wondering where his flugelhorn playing is. Guess I’ll have to listen again with good ’phones when it’s very quiet around here--if that time ever comes!
franksexton Sep 23 2013 at 3:52 PM	naut, there is a person posting here long ago who claims to have seen Pat sit in with a band while Pat was on vacation where he did a buch of Henrix tunes. I remember his writing that Pat was amazing. To me the track Sariel , in particular , on Tap has a very strong acid rock influence.
naut Sep 21 2013 at 9:12 AM	I haven’t said anything about this record till now, but I love it! Maybe I’m imagining, but I hear a little homage to Jimi in places. And if anyone can point out where Pat plays flugelhorn, I’d appreciate it. Guess my ears are hiding a bit. As usual, Pat seems to do everything right, from the brief but perfectly timed silence between the first and second tracks, to sequencing "Hurmiz" last. "Mastema" is a very powerful tune, and Antonio’s drumming is superb throughout. Great record.
fredsimon Sep 20 2013 at 3:36 AM	rbslscpa, hope you got to check out my recording of Scarborough Fair ... please let us know what you thought of it.
patsfan Jul 14 2013 at 11:53 PM	The TAP melodies play out so beautifully on Pat’s guitar. In the finale, the sounds get weird, for a reason, I understand, maybe in about 5 years I’ll totally appreciate. Like everything else Pat has produced, the uniqueness and the latitude of creativity , as a whole, over 40 years, is incredible. Unlike any jazz artist on the planet, period.
MarcNebo Jul 12 2013 at 11:09 PM	I have only played it once while doing something around my condominium. I liked it a lot, very original blending of Zorn and Pat. Will give it a second listening next week without any distractions.
franksexton Jul 11 2013 at 9:00 PM	I was late getting to this (I had wait for my library to get it as the kids music lessons ate up all my spending money) but I like it a lot. Sariel would be my favorite track at the moment. I would describe it as faith healer meets genius rocker. I like this album a lot.
rbslscpa Jun 20 2013 at 11:39 PM	Not to crazy about all of TAP but there are some incredible moments for me. Guess what i am trying to say is I don’t like any of the "songs" in their entirety but some portions are so fresh and innovative it takes me to places i have never been. Three cheers for the freshness Pat. Also, Fred Simon, I collect versions of Scarborough Fair (my namesake)so thanks for the heads up for your version. I am off to amazon to search.
NewSchoolID4 Jun 19 2013 at 11:28 PM	This is an amazing record. It is everything about right now. No one else could have made this music but Pat. And it is also new in the best sense. A reinvention. And Antonio Sanchez is Pat’s most important collaborator of his career. I love Zorn anyway, but this puts his music in a different level.
kreilly Jun 19 2013 at 5:23 PM	With all due respect to previous posters, my only question is: How is this not jazz?!?! I just received the CD today and gave it its first spin, and immediately fell in love with it! With great jazz rhythms from Antonio on the kit, and wonderful jazz- inflected improvisations from Pat, this recording easily falls into my definition of jazz. What is more important, though, is that it is simply wonderful music. Others have stated that it takes a few listens for the music to fully sink in, so I am sure I will just love it that much more as I listen to it again and again. It will also be great to explore the rest of Zorn’s series (my bad for not having done so as of yet)!
djbinder Jun 08 2013 at 11:10 PM	jny and blue, thanks. Honestly, I think it’s important to see what everyone is thinking about the music I’m fortunate enough to get to write about and publish in a larger venue. The truth is there are lots of great posters here and elsewhere, and certainly there have been plenty of occasions where someone here has made a post that’s given me some additional food for thought, even if my review is already published. Thanks to all who are willing to engage and don’t assume the "us vs them" stance when it comes to writers (I actually hate the term critic). We’re all, at the end of the day, fans of the music (since, believe me, nobody is getting rich writing about jazz!), so it’s important to break down barriers instead of putting them up. Cheers!
ztfs Jun 08 2013 at 7:08 AM	Wow, another great record! Once again, completely different than anything he’s done before. And yet, unmistakably Pat... I like the middle four tunes the best. I’ve heard a few short interviews, but it’d be nice to hear an official podcast from Pat and John with more in-depth discussions of the tunes.
jnyutah Jun 04 2013 at 1:04 PM	Yes, it's good to have someone who’s really passionate about the music like you. Thank you.
bluepno Jun 04 2013 at 10:32 AM	djbinder...I appreciate your additions to this site. The critic criticized is a rare event indeed. You are brave enough to expose your personal beliefs in the very forum were the disciples congregate. A brave and honest attempt at seeking the truth. Thank you for the fine reviews through the years. You have helped me find some fine art through the multitude of releases that hit the market each week, month and year.
djbinder Jun 04 2013 at 8:07 AM	jnyutah, thanks for clarification and, of course, I agree. No matter how objective we try to be, everything is filtered through our personal prism of experience, so you’re absolutely right. But that being said and assumed, some writers really feel that folks care about them (and, in a very few cases, they’re right, but a very few cases). Me? I don’t think I qualify in that rarefied category (!) so my goal is to, as best I can - and as objectively as possible with the understanding that it’s still being filtered through my personal prism - to tell the reader about the music so they can make up their own minds as to whether or not they want to check it out. Cheers!
jnyutah Jun 03 2013 at 9:23 PM	I have no issues with binder, I am saying something that should be taken into consideration. As i said, I have no beef with anyone here.
CJ Shearn Jun 03 2013 at 3:35 PM	jnyutah, this is not the first time you’ve had issues with djbinder. Your bizarre reaction to his "New Life" review was strange also because you felt he was dissing Antonio’s two previous albums, all are uniformly excellent. What he said in that thread was it wasn’t that the first two records were inferior, but the writing on "New Life" is on a new level. As for you criticism he doesn’t assess the music in his "Tap" review, he does it in the best way he can without losing a general audience. I would love if he described why Pat played such and such here on this chord on "Albim", but that would lose most people. Djbinder is more qualified than most of us to eloquently express his views on albums, I don’t always agree with him but he gives albums an honest appraisal, and I consider them. I don’t share his enthusiasm for everything ECM or on the European scene, he doesn’t share my interest in being fanatical about the quality of masterings for new releases. What we do agree on in what we like is that the music is excellent, and he is dead on in most cases assessing the music. If you don’t enjoy his reviews, don’t bother to read them, it’s pretty simple. What I do see in your argument jnyutah is that sometimes reviewers are not equipped to accurately describe the MUSIC in many reviews, and what little theoretical knowledge some may have, is often very wrong, like in some of Thom Jurek’s infamous writing for AllMusicGuide. If there was reviews by musicians for musicians, that would be great, but that’s a VERY small audience.
hman01 Jun 03 2013 at 3:05 PM	When it comes to what I like,I know 3 things: 1)I love TAP. 2)I found Britney Spears to be TOXIC. 3)I’m not sure about Carley Rae Jepsen,so CALL ME MAYBE.
jnyutah Jun 03 2013 at 11:57 AM	I never said that. In regard to this post, I posted what you said. I don’t listen to music to "like" or "dislike" it. All that I am saying is that your preferences are not going to be objective if you are writing a review because you only can give us "your" experience of it. Words can only communicate so much. For instance, my experience of hearing the same music might be similar, but I may describe it in a totally different way. I am not knocking you. I am just giving you another way to look at "critiques". I have no beef with you. Peace.
djbinder Jun 03 2013 at 1:41 AM	And one more thing, jnyutah: I can only speak for myself when I review a recording. Of course my personal preferences come through - how can they not? - but my goal in reviewing a record is to provide enough context and other information to allow the reader to make up his /her mind as to whether or not they will want to check it out. I can’t do anything more, but if I succeed in doing that, then I feel as if I’d succeeded.
djbinder Jun 03 2013 at 1:39 AM	Jnyutah, sorry, cannot agree. After all, are you that expert that you can decide whether or not the music is good? No disrespect intended, but I doubt it. No, all you can do is render your opinion as to whether or not you like it. Yes, of course you can critique it, but only to the degree with which you have the skill to do so. You can discuss how the music sounds, how it differs or is similar, contextually, to other recordings (by Metheny and others), but I am sorry, you are in no better position to assess whether or not the music is good than I am. Even a working musician at the,level of Fred Simon would, I think agree with me that his ability to assess/analyze only goes so far. Sorry, man, but we may just have to agree to disagree on this one.
djbinder Jun 02 2013 at 9:56 AM	Well, thehague,mthe,only thing I can suggest is this: come back to it every now and then...you might find, someday,math at it IS for you, and that,a my point.
alan2461 Jun 02 2013 at 9:03 AM	Lol. I downloaded the mpg from nonesuch. I didn’t read the liner notes. Very cute. Love the recording especially Sariel.
jnyutah Jun 01 2013 at 9:46 PM	From djbinders post: ’ At the end of the day, none of us is the arbiter of what is good; we’re only the arbiters of what we like’. In fact, that's not true at all. When I listen to music; really listen, it has nothing to do with liking or not liking. That is why I don’t worry about other peoples critiques or opinions, because in the end they really don’t address the MUSIC. You're just addressing your preferences which have nothing to do with the actual MUSIC.
DJAndersen Jun 01 2013 at 6:04 AM	@alan2461, read the extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra special thanks :-)
tiny_tim Jun 01 2013 at 5:43 AM	djbinder, that had to be the post of the year! Well expressed.
mario toni Jun 01 2013 at 4:22 AM	Maybe Pat should do a covers of some Bosnian or Serbia "Turbo Folk" music.... hehheh....
thehague Jun 01 2013 at 2:59 AM	Djbinder, thanks for your eloquent explanation. To me however it’s not about explaining the music, moreover the feelings the music evokes. That’s precisely the point: the music doesn’t evoke any feelings to me. I’ve accepted it’s not for me this time. No ’It’s for you’ to me, on a lighter note.
alan2461 May 31 2013 at 11:13 PM	Am I hearing things that are not really there? At then end of Hurmiz is what sounds to me like a kid screaming "Dad!!!". About 5-10 seconds before the end. Could that be one of Pat’s sons joining in the making of the record?
bluepno May 31 2013 at 1:59 PM	Hear hear...djbinder...eloquent and on point. If I didn’t like a Pat Metheny album, I would not be here. The travels have been breathless and at times frustratingly exuberant (The Sign Of Four). Enjoy the ride.
jnyutah May 31 2013 at 1:53 PM	When I listen to music, it has nothing to do with like or dislike. It is just sounds and vibrations. Depending on where you are at, either you hear or don’t hear it or don’t like the message that the music communicates.
djbinder May 31 2013 at 1:17 PM	I happen to love Tap, and feel that he’s actually in a huge creative upswing right now. Sure, I love PMG, but Unity Band and now Unity Group promises to be spectacular, in it’s own, very different way. I love how the Orchestrion has followed Pat’s typical MO: work on a new instrument, a new device, a new whatever, and create something very personal. At first, it dominates his music,as his horn-like guitar synth did in the early ’80s, then it becomes subsumed in his overall sonic palette and is used more sparingly (using the synth as an example, rarely more than once on an album, if that). For Metheny, it has always seemed that color and texture are very important, but he won’t settle for stock sounds, so even his gritty, overdriven tone (like on The Road to You’s "Half Life of Absolution") sounds like nobody else. Since The Way Up, with the exception if What’s It All About and some of Unity Band, Metheny seems very interested in longer form, complex composition, with experiences learned from working with people like Steve Reich and Eberhard Weber. PMG’s reputation and success was predicated on the idea that music that sounded easy was, under the hood, actually very challenging stuff. It’s what gave PMG its audience and it’s appeal to a broader range. His newer material, and especially Tap, where he goes back to some of the freer play of his work with Ornette Coleman and Derek Bailey. But, that said there are still plenty of the melodic concerns that have defined his music from the beginning...they’re just couched in more complex contexts. Even the main theme to The Way Up was, for example, deceptively simple, what went on under and over it made it a much richer work. It’s rare for any artist to be able to put out music so that everyone like everything he does. I’m a rare egg, I guess because even records like Zero Tolerance for Silence, which I’ve been lambasted by some for calling a "failed experiment," but that doesn’t mean I don’t think it had no value. It was an important record for Metheny to do, even if I don’t like it, because many of the lessons learned on the project he has taken forward into others in more restrained fashion. At the end of the day, none of us is the arbiter of what is good; we’re only the arbiters of what we like. Our liking a record doesn’t make it good, our not likening it does not make it bad; it only means we like it or we don’t. But for artists with a career as long and successful as Metheny, I think it’s important to view every project as important to his development, even if it doesn’t particularly resonate with some of us. For me, there are Metheny records I play a lot less than others, but that doesn’t make them less good; I just happen to like them less, personally. I think it’s an important distinction. We can bemoan when he does something that we don’t like, but it’s really important to remember that when he does put out that next record that we love, it wouldn’t have been possible to achieve, were it not for the one we didn’t like.
Oystein May 31 2013 at 2:43 AM	I agree with you, fredsimon, and I value your "professional" and balanced inputs here in the Garage. When talking about "cover versions" of songs, I think there is a huge difference between covering and interpreting (is that correct english...?) songs. You can play the song almost like the original, which is the "easy way", or you can make your own "version", which can be totally different in tempo, instrumentation and rythm. When you make a different version of a tune, like Pat does on One Quiet Night and What`s It All About, you are being creative and throwing in your own talent.
fredsimon May 30 2013 at 6:09 PM	Gyuri asked: "Can covers be regarded as full-value works by a musician or artist as if they were his own compositions?" ------ To answer in a word: absolutely. Evidence of this is everywhere, from Jimi Hendrix’s cover of Bob Dylan’s "All Along The Watchtower" to Brad Mehldau’s cover of Alice In Chains’ "Got Me Wrong." Or any great jazz performance of a standard. Or James Taylor’s cover of Carole King’s "You’ve Got A Friend" ... it’s 100 percent James, except he didn’t write it. Or how about Johnny Cash’s version of Nine Inch Nails’ "Hurt" ... wow! We could go on for days with other examples. ----- And speaking from personal experience, although the majority of my recordings are my original compositions, one of my very most favorites is an arrangement of Scarborough Fair I did for a Windham Hill sampler of instrumental movie theme songs, using the counterpoint of the original (the "Canticle" part of the S&G arrangement) and adding some counterpoint of my own as well as composing an interlude of new material, scoring it for acoustic piano, acoustic guitar, synths/samplers, and acoustic bass (played by PMG bassist Steve Rodby). Even though I didn’t write the original song, I consider my recording to be some of the most authentic "Fredmusic" I’ve ever released. Full-value Fred, for sure.
mountain May 30 2013 at 3:34 PM	I would love an entire Metheny release in the vein of Mastema. In the era of mashups, Ableton Live and such, this type of construction and presentation is rather hip at the moment. I also dig the tune Sariel. Overall, I have been compelled to listen to TAP many times over since i acquired it on day of release. Its a strong collection of works based on Zorn’s compositions and has elements that should draw in some commercial success.
jnyutah May 30 2013 at 2:12 PM	Tap should have been a double album. It kicks some serious u know what.
harn May 30 2013 at 12:09 PM	People obviously have quite strong feelings about this but one thing I would say is that Tap is only a part of Pat’s current activity, it’s not the be all and end all, in fact it’s probably already in the past unless he decides to play it live (I for one hope he does) The Unity Band are playing at the moment and if the gig I went to last year is anything to go by then they will be delving into the PM back catalogue aplenty. I recently watched an interview on Youtube where he said he could easily go out and play all the tunes from Bright Size Life tomorrow and still enjoy them and find new possibilities within them, so this idea of PM having "lost it" or becoming "elitist" or simply neglecting the types of music which have made him so popular are basically rubbish and a very poorly thought out point of view. It seems to me that he is always looking forward and into the past at the same time which is the sign of a great artist in my opinion. Personally I really like Tap but if I hadn’t liked it I don’t think I’d have been too upset because I know it’s only a small part of the bigger picture. Being continually surprised by any artist is surely a good thing regardless of whether everything ties in with one’s personal tastes right?
BobSmith May 30 2013 at 8:28 AM	Albim--This one reminds me a lot of Story From A Stranger from Rejoicing.
djbinder May 30 2013 at 2:13 AM	Means this absolutely IS Pat’s creation. Stretching three staves to 6- 10 minutes means. His interpretation includes wepriting a whole lot of material in out and around the music provided. This is not just Pat playing Zorn.
-m May 29 2013 at 11:56 PM	Reminds me of Buckethead.
hman01 May 29 2013 at 8:20 PM	I’ve been able to listen more to it this week.Yesterday I was tired of it,but I kept hearing bits of it in my head,so on the way home from work,I listened to it again and really enjoyed it.For me,it really works as a whole.I really loved the first three tracks to start with.(Comments in earlier post).Then "Sariel" has this old world vibe for about three minutes and then it explodes into something quite different."Phanuel" seems very supernatural to me,like beings communicating between dimensions. Then "Hurmiz" strikes me as very playful doodling. Although it’s not something I would choose for featured listening,in the context of the recording as a whole, I really enjoy it.It kind of ends the narrative story for me.These are my impressions of course.I’m enjoying this much more than "Unity Band",believe it or not!
thehague May 29 2013 at 4:42 PM	Djbinder, what I mean with ’fickle’ is that the compositions tend to go in all sorts of directions, to me there is no clear concept, no concrete line of development, no consistent style. Don’t get me wrong, I’m open to all kinds of music, even experimental eg much of thrpe music of Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, to name a couple. Tap just doesn’ t grab like for instance TWU did. I’m trying, I have played the cd several times, but it just isn’ t appealing in any way.
Gyuri May 29 2013 at 3:58 PM	"Doing my homework" on Tap. I am listening to it for the 3rd time in a row. It has certainly grown on me. Sariel and Phanuel simply grab your heart. What, however, still - probably not forever - creates a distance from it to me is my awareness of it being not Pat’s own creation. This may ruffle some feathers but can "covers" be regarded as full-value works by a musician or artist as if they were his own compositions? OK, these are not covers as they have never been played before - still I have this knowledge at the back of my mind that it’s not Pat’s own work. Am I setting higher standards for Pat than he does for himself? (tongue in cheek) And I cannot decide which one of them is a greater artist. I think I am going through "growing pains" in terms putting this album in its place. I never heard about JZ before ever. Now he has jumped to the forefront of my attention. His BOA songs sound tremendous.
Gyuri May 29 2013 at 9:17 AM	Mario Toni: "he expresses that elitism in his recent works" Do you perhaps mean by "elitism" his setting and meeting the highest standards conceivable in musicianship? He makes no secret of that in his interviews. But how can you notice "elitism" in his music? As for Tap, got my copy just yesterday. I am actually not sure how I feel about it; I thought I liked it on first hearing but now I am not sure - but I won’t give up. Probably I will have to grow up to it to like it as was the case with The Way Up. When I first heard that CD I wanted to sell it. Then a month later I heard something quite different, I couldn’t believe my ears. Interesting how music impresses us. A lot depends on your mood, too.
jnyutah May 29 2013 at 8:35 AM	here’s what pat has to say about ZTFS... "you might want to check the archives. as far as "alienation" goes, with all due respect, anyone who is alienated by that record (or any of the others for that matter) is welcome to their own musical world that we all are in the continuous process of defining for ourselves - whether listeners or players. i guess my point is that no rationalization is necesary when it comes to playing the music that one likes."
djbinder May 29 2013 at 7:26 AM	I’m with Fred. My usual line is: we are not the arbiters of what’s good or bad, only arbiters of what we like.’ You may or may not like something, but to take that a step farther and start talking about motivation and elitism is, as Fred says, to not understand musicians and the creative process, to be sure, wo the exception of his last acoustic record, Pat’s music has, since TWU, been increasingly complex. But that might just be a place he’s in right now; six months from now he might feel that completely simplifying is where he goes, and then some of his fans will go ’too simple, not enough meat.’ I remember the criticisms of We Live Here, which has become one of my favorite PMG records over the years. Artists do what feels right to them at the moment, and their fans can either go along for the ride, jump off the bus permanently, or jump on and off as individual recordings dictate to their own tastes. But that’s not anything more than their own tastes and not indicative of anything more. Just because I like something doesn’t make it good, any more than my NOT long it makes it has. I just like it (or not). Which brings me to a question for thehague that may simply be a linguistics issue, but what, exactly, do,you mean by ’the compositions are really fickle?’ That’s not meant to be confrontational; I really am curious what you mean by that. Otherwise, as I said’ I’m with Fred. My own feeling? I love the record, but for those who don’t, my suggestion is to not give up on it entirely. Just as I’ve not liked (or, as I like to think, not ’got’) something, I an come back to it days, weeks, months, sometimes years later and suddenly the lightbulb goes on and I love it. So then there’s the obvious question: what’s changed? Certainly not the music. So if I can dislike something at one point and love it at another, it simply speaks to what I love about music: that it’s something that can suddenly hit you, sometimes decades after the fact when, after listening to a lot of of other music, suddenly the music I once disliked now makes sense to me and I love it. So, folks, love it, hate it, feel indifferent about it, but don’t give up on it.
fredsimon May 29 2013 at 12:34 AM	Mario, thanks for the kind words about my music; I’m glad you like it. But what you like or don’t like, what I like or don’t like, has no bearing on this particular dialogue. Of course you have a right to hold an opinion … we all do! But please don’t confuse your right to hold an opinion with the notion that, therefore, every opinion has validity. ------ I’m questioning your claim of Pat’s elitism … where’s the evidence? What are the specific "statements about music and about other artists" he’s made that support your assertion? Unless you provide evidence, then you’re just making an assumption based on your personal taste, extrapolating beyond the natural boundary of your own preferences. Same with the claim that Pat has "lost it" ... again I’d ask, what exactly has he lost? And what evidence can you provide to support the claim? ------- By the way, your description of Pat being "in some kind of creational spasm of always creating something new and not replicating something old" beautifully supports my point ... that’s exactly what true artists do! Pat, Miles, Joni, Dylan, The Beatles, Picasso, Stravinsky, Coltrane … on and on. As far as Spyro Gyra, you’d have to dig up my exact words because I can’t remember what I may have said. But what I can tell you is that this issue has nothing to do with whether or not I had "nice" things to say about their music.
Nissen67 May 28 2013 at 7:33 PM	Sorry, don’t mean to be like that, but I can’t help but be confused and bothered by a certain kind of comment that seems overly facile and glib towards things that seem obviously excellent to me. I have arguments like this with my co- workers often too about work related things. Again, sorry for the tone.
Nissen67 May 28 2013 at 6:56 PM	Dull. Silly. Yawn. The great Will Ackerman (Will Ackerman?). Elitist. Creative spasms. Wow, tough crowd in here. Or, maybe it is something else and tough is not the right word. As for myself, I just listened to Tharsis for the third time today and it just keeps getting better.
Nissen67 May 28 2013 at 6:47 PM	Reading some of these comments caused me to refer to a brief exchange between Metheny and Zorn in the excellent New York Times interview with them. "ZORN People can’t say they like one thing of mine without saying they hate another. METHENY But to me, the achievement is actually the way it all goes together." What Zorn says more than applies to Pat from what I seem to constantly hear from other fans. And then Metheny’s response seemed to be a direct indictment of that attitude. Interesting, eh?
Kooltrane May 28 2013 at 4:51 PM	There’s always been a bit of over- done idolatry in these posts. Whenever PM produces something new there’s usually an automatic response i.e. it’s "a new classic" or something similar. All artists should stretch however they are not always successful. I found "Tap" to be dull, "Orchestrion" technically interesting but ultimately silly and "What It’s All About" to be a major yawn. With that said The Unity Band is great and PM remains one of my fav’s.
mario toni May 28 2013 at 3:16 PM	Fred, I don’t see why are you so angry! C’mon, it’s my opinion and I have a right to say that! Isn’t this forum made for discussions on Pat’s music or not? There some nice tunes on the album and some awful (as I said I bought the cd). And about the elitist thing; I didn’t say Pat was elitist because I don’t like much the last album. That’s incorrect! I am saying that he has became an elitist lately because of some of his statements about music and about other artists that he doesn’t like! I feel like he expresses that elitism in his recent works. That’s how I feel. I don’t think he is completely relaxed in his recent musical quest, he’s in some kind of creational spasm of always creating something new and not replicating something old. I mean there are a lot of (1st class) artists who enjoy their vintage work as well as new and they are completely relaxed about it (Lee Ritenour for instance). And at the end, if I remember correctly (correct me if I’m wrong), there was some statement about Spyro Gyra (and such music) by you from a few years ago on this forum in not so nice context... Does that make you cross the line also? BTW, I like your music very much! That’s all from me on this subject. p.s. no hard feelings! ;)
fredsimon May 27 2013 at 11:41 PM	I’ve only heard one track, Sariel ... I dug it a lot and look forward to hearing more. ----- But I do want to weigh in on what I perceive to be an anti-artist attitude from some here who don’t care for the album. Like it, don’t like, it is jazz, it isn’t jazz ... whatever, like they say. ----- But to say "I know that artists are bound to discover new things but [Pat] has became too much of an elitist lately. He lost it!" is crossing the line ... you don’t dig it? Fine (although I do agree that with certain music, such as TAP, making an informed assessment of the music based on iTunes excerpts is inadequate, whether one ends up liking the whole album or not). ------ So, Pat is an elitist because he has made music you don’t dig? Exactly how does that make him an elitist? He’s "lost it"? Exactly what has he lost? And what evidence of this do you have ... simply your own dislike of the excerpts you’ve heard? ------ To head off anyone who thinks I’m saying that one must dig everything an artist creates, no, I’m not. What I am saying is that more than a few folks seem not to understand what makes a true artist tick ... it’s an inner drive that cannot answer to anyone but the artist her/himself, period. ----- An artist has no responsibility to please his/her audience ... either they dig it or they don’t, but to make spurious claims that an artist is "elitist" or has "lost it" just because you don’t like the art is nonsense.
djbinder May 27 2013 at 1:21 AM	Not sure if folks have read it, but the All About Jazz reciew was up a couple weeks back : http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/artic le.php?id=44505
METHenyaddicted May 26 2013 at 8:49 PM	Certainly the first Pat cd that has made me LOL with its elements of satire - deliciously paradoxical, spaciously lyrical and a touch naughty. Did I mention crazy too. Ca’tharsis’of expression. Here’s to more ’in-house’ cds although I think some of these selections could be played on tour. Zortheny!
bluepno May 26 2013 at 3:53 PM	remzelk? Is Tap Pat backwards? Cool middle eastern based scales over an Orchestrion background? What is this I hear Pat is using Ableton?
agamez77 May 26 2013 at 8:48 AM	What a Fantastic album! You did it again, Pat. Absolutely timeless.
mugsy May 25 2013 at 12:07 PM	After many listens, I agree with a lot of what is being said here: TAP is definitely very different from many of Pat’s previous recordings, but I also hear a lot of what I would call traditional PMG in much of this CD. It feels like a natural progression of Pat’s interests to me. Sort of like PMG meets Orchestrion. I am surprised that no-one has mentioned Antonio’s playing. I think he is outstanding on this recording. He is the driving force that really keeps me hooked in. So powerful and masterful - the best he has played (IMHO). Any thoughts?
sunship May 24 2013 at 7:14 PM	I have not heard "Tap" yet, but Mario Toni may be right; it may not be jazz at all. John Zorn probably would agree since genres are meaningless to him. (And I believe genres are meaningless to Pat as well). With that being said, it doesn’t matter if it is jazz or not. Judge the music on the notes themselves, everything else is irrelevant.
hman01 May 24 2013 at 5:52 PM	Well,as a school teacher,I can tell you that they dump all the special events into May and it all goes non- stop.So,I’ve been digesting this album a little bit at a time.So,I’ve had multiple listenings of Mastema and Albim.I was just able to take in Tharsis and Sariel as i sit here cruising the web and writing this.My impression so far is that I like what I’ve heard,but I can’t wait until the school year is over and I can give it the concept album treatment,headphones and all.From what I’m listening to,it’s kind of a mixture of Pat Metheny and John Zorn(obvious,huh?).When it come to Pat’s music in general,PMG recordings tend to grab me from beginning to end.But with all the latest projects,I’ve tended to pick out favorite tracks and just listen to them.Could be because I have so many demands on my time,but also a reflection of how I feel about the music.But,I remain excited about this release! I love the groove of Mastema and how the bass and drums kick in at a certain point with a certain amount of distorted guitar set against the groove.In Albim,I love the exquisite acoustic playing and Antonio’s brushed cymbal work.For,Tharsis,I like the cinematic use of the synth guitar played against the backdrop of what’s going on there.As always with Pat,much more to here on repeated listenings! To me,IT’S ALL GOOD !!!
CJ Shearn May 24 2013 at 2:36 PM	mario toni, you don’t like the record, the music does nothing emotionally for you, that’sgreat. You have said in previous posts, the record is not jazz. IMO, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Jazz for me is more than whether or not something swings in a conventional manner, like Miles always said it’s an attitude. "Sariel" swings pretty hard to me. Is it spang a lang, bop swing? no, but it still swings pretty damn hard. What do you define as jazz? Everything from Bird, Dizzy, Miles, Monk, PMG, RTF, Mahavishnu, Weather Report, Jimmy Smith, (you gotta remember historically also, b/c he played organ, and with the funkier aspects his albums took from July 1958 onwards, many purists did not call that jazz, and it most certainly is) Jarrett’s solo recordings, it’s all jazz. Is something like George Howard or Brian Culbertson jazz? I think we all could agree that’s a stretch, and while many people call that jazz, it’s instrumental pop. I would be interested to hear you in a dialogue with Pat and Zorn as to why "Tap" is not jazz. You are entitled to your opinion, I do not agree however.
mario toni May 24 2013 at 5:20 AM	Well, that argument is pretty weak since I am also a musician (pianist) and different musicians have different views on music. I never looked at music as matemathical order or hidden meanings, I look at music as a print of emotions described thru notes which coorespond with ones mind (or soul or whatever you want to call it). This work of Pat doesn’t coorespond with me at all. I see you guys are getting very philosophical about TAP which is funny. I see you follow Pat wherever he goes (from his struggling to find musical holy grail to his philosophy on music). But, that’s not necessary for me. I like to listen and enjoy my music and I certanly can’t enjoy HURMIZ, for instance. If you can enjoy that, well, good for you. Anyway, I bought TAP since I have all Pat, Lyle and Group has ever done and it feels weird not to have an album (but that’s a weak argument). I’ll finish with quote from great Will Ackerman: " I had an interviewer ask me many years ago how my music had evolved over the years and I think I sat there in stunned silence for the better part of a minute searching for the answer. I finally said “It hasn’t.” I remember that answer making me feel a bit embarrassed as it came to me, but by the time I said it, it was actually rather joyful and peaceful. I do what I do. I do it pretty well, and I have always been at peace with being who I am musically. People have written me over the years saying how much my music has mattered to their lives. There was the woman from Idaho who told me she loved washing lettuce every evening to my music. There are the stories of how my music helped them through heartbreak and loneliness. Then there are the ones that tell me that a husband, wife, father or mother, brother or sister chose to listen to my music as they left this earth. There is no honor that could ever fall to someone more beautiful than this and I have tears in my eyes as I write this. I have been lucky."
mugsy May 24 2013 at 12:26 AM	Mountain: I had a very different experience with Amazon. I also ordered it in April and it was at my door on May 21st!
CJ Shearn May 24 2013 at 12:01 AM	blisterfree, you make a great point. For me the use of the Phrygian scale here is also evoking Italian and Greek music, and it’s nice to hear Pat stretching out in his unique voice. I feel this record is really exposing the gulf between those of us who are fans and fans who are also musicians who can articulate why the music id just really cool. The "I don’t like it because" opinions are equally valid, but there’s not as much weight in the "why". People are having surface reactions. "Tharsis" and "Albim" should be right up fans of the PMG’s alley and everything else should appeal to those of us who like everything. You see, I’ve learned to appreciate Pat’s voice in every project he participates in. The PMG while probably not finished is not Pat’s primary mode of expression anymore, some of the larger compositional concerns will be addressed in the Unity Group, and we all should be looking forward to that as well. I go along with him for the ride, and it’s a good one.
joed May 23 2013 at 7:56 PM	i think the album is fantastic. i’ve been getting more into world music lately, and the cd has a Steve Tibbetts vibe that i really love. kudos to Pat for trying something different.
john May 23 2013 at 5:51 PM	This is a great recording. I’d rather listen to this than PMG playing their greatest hits anytime. Cheers John.
mountain May 23 2013 at 3:15 PM	I think this is a great addition to Pat’s discography. I wish he would do more projects like this. I have played through 10 or so times already. They all don’t have to be the big chart topping PMG, accessible to the smooth jazz community or the straight ahead jazz community, projects. Kudos Pat, Antonio and John!
mountain May 23 2013 at 3:09 PM	Two comments. Funny and disappointing to hear people dissing the work without fully listening to it or taking the time to understand where the compositions come from and why the Phrygian dominant scale is prominent...so to speak. Go and listen to some of the other Book of Angels releases and take the time to listen through a few times. Secondly, I am annoyed that after pre-ordering the release through Amazon on April 1st, it still has not shipped. I did plunge in to iTunes and downloaded it the day of release. Shame on Amazon for not mailing upon its release and shame on me not ordering it directly through Zorn’s label.
blisterfree May 23 2013 at 2:38 PM	"Albim" is another truly standout track that gets more and more profound the more I listen. There is a grand theme going on here, culminating in an absolutely brilliant ending. One of Pat’s best (or rather Pat and John’s) and perhaps an ideal gateway to this record for anyone predisposed to any skepticism. I’ll admit I’m disheartened by some of the luke-warm to outright cold responses some folks have posted, and wonder if I’m even in the right place here. I appreciate everything Pat does, even if this or that record is less interesting to me. I approach all of it as a gift, and perhaps with that mindset am more willing to go along for the ride. Certainly this album stands on its own merits, though -- TAP is an essential add, as to OP predicted it would be, and I can’t see anyone fan enough to hang out here not giving it a fair shake, recognize its significance, and be very judicious with any criticism.
harn May 23 2013 at 12:36 PM	The album has only been out since Monday (UK) and I think it’s a bit silly to be judging it this soon whether your first impressions are good or bad. There is no point in artists who release the same record over and over, diversity is one of the many qualities that I like and admire about Pat. Personally I’ve been really enjoying it so far, it’s actually much more melodic and rhythmic than I’d been expecting. It’ll be in my CD player for the foreseeable future as I can tell from 5 or 6 listens so far that there is depth and substance there which merits proper attention and concentration. If it’s a quick fix you want then listen elsewhere.
Tom Rudd May 23 2013 at 7:13 AM	Tap is going to take me a number of listens to sink in. The whole CD has a middle eastern vibe that sometimes gets a little tedious for me. The only thing I can think of that Pat has done that is similar to this is the song Heat of the Day, which to me is better than any of these tunes. I do like it though, but I don’t think it’s one that I will be playing a whole lot over and over. And track 6 is an automatic skip button for me.
Ian May 22 2013 at 4:28 PM	After one listen I think it’s awesome, but I’m not nearly familier enough with it to speak to any specifics. Part of what I like about it is exactly what some other folks on here don’t like about it - that it’s not jazz or anything that we would expect, but yet sonically it fills the air with warmth. That’s exciting music to me. I know from past experience of listening to Pat and others who play complex music that I will be discovering wonderful things in this for quite a while.
blisterfree May 22 2013 at 2:24 PM	Homework assignment for the long weekend coming up: For anyone dissing this album without actually listening to the whole album, please listen to the whole album. Then listen to it several more times. In particular, listen to Sariel. Listen to where Pat is going melodically, stylistically, and tonally on that track. Then on Tuesday there will be a quiz on whether or not anything of great significance has happened. There may be different opinions but there is only one correct answer. So study well.
mario toni May 22 2013 at 1:38 PM	Yeah, it’s sometimes funny how people react. I never questioned Pat’s technical excellence but this is, for me, an experimental project which has very little with things that made me love Pat’s music so much (great melodies and emotions). I know that artists are bound to discover new things but he has became too much of an elitist lately. He lost it! I am above all a jazz fan and this TAP has nothing to do with jazz. Okay, so now bring on the lynch mob, hehehe...
aloc May 22 2013 at 12:07 PM	Just finished my first listening (though I had previously heard a couple of tunes in some radio shows) and all I can say is that TAP is simply gorgeous! I smiled and laughed, grinned and cried, shivered and rejoiced in the vibrating streams of sound. This is _the_ Pat album I’ve been waiting for a long time - not to put down any of his recent releases, which are all great aswell, but this just is something else. Haven’t been so jubilant after a first listening of a Pat release since Tokyo Daytrip (in my opinion an often overlooked gem). At the moment my favorite tune is Phanuel - it is so subtle and sublime, gripping and truly rooted in the Beautiful. I’ll end this rambling post with a quote from Zorn (from the liner notes), with whom I concur completely: "From first note to last the music here is filled with love - the love of life, love of the world, the love of music, and the love of the ETERNAL ENERGY OF CREATIVITY ITSELF ... it makes me smile, it makes me think, and sets my imagination free, it makes me laugh out loud and makes me cry from a deep and humbling joy ... This is music that speaks to, of, and for the eternal." Never look back, Pat!
thehague May 22 2013 at 10:28 AM	Before he gets dissed all over the place: I sincerely happen to concur with Mario Toni. From Pat you’d expect sheer excellence, however this album is far from that in my opinion. In my view it’s kind of fabricated (I hope I say this right, as English is not my native tongue), it does show Pat’s excellence in playing, but the compositions are really fickle and most of the time far from beautiful imho. Anyone can like it, please be my guest, but I don’t. Please allow people (like Mario and me) the right to not like the album, much as we are (great) Pat Metheny admirers. To each his own.
tiny_tim May 22 2013 at 9:23 AM	"Mastema".. whoa!!! Diggin’ it.
roxanneivey May 21 2013 at 9:30 PM	Listen to "Mastema" for free, courtesy of this NPR review, "Pat Metheny And John Zorn: A Vivid Sound World": http://www.npr.org/2013/05/21/185824573/pat-metheny-and-john-zorn-a-vivid-sound-world
CJ Shearn May 21 2013 at 7:06 PM	mario toni, I guess you cannot argue with taste, but I would urge you to listen to this album in full. It’s easily one of Pat’s best records and shows a new phase of development. The orchestrion is so organic here it’s just another texture. People wished Miles would have gone back and played acoustic music like the Second Quintet’s once he went electric, but a great artist such as Pat , will always move forward. Reliving his past glories is as easy as putting on an older album, problem solved. nissen67 makes a point that it’s essential to play this album many times.
akakak May 21 2013 at 6:19 PM	Heard it twice today. I agree you need to listen to this several times to absorb the content. Very stunning record. The whole thing plays like a large suite, each piece flows from the other, but each has its own color. I hate song samples also, they give a very skewed perspective on the entire recording. Just another amazing work of art from one of the best artists in modern music!
Nissen67 May 21 2013 at 3:32 PM	You are judging this record based on iTunes clips??!!?! That is just sad.
Nissen67 May 21 2013 at 3:28 PM	Listened to it four times this morning. This is a record that if you don’t listen to it a few times, you can’t possibly have heard it. That seems to be true often with Metheny and so often I see reviews where it is clear that the listener skimmed without really understanding. Won’t work here. My early sense is that this will go down as one of Metheny’s greatest recordings. The amount of creativity here is astounding. Almost like a Beatles record or something. And yet it is nothing like any other record he has ever made. (Almost like a Beatles record or something). He is on an incredible roll over the past few years starting with Orchestrion. What’s It All About has not left my turntable since I got the vinyl version, the Orchestrion Project DVD and CD are landmark projects that will be genre changing and appreciated probably more in 20 years than now. And Unity Band is my favorite lineup of his ever. And what other artist ever has made four records in a row as diverse and as great as these? I am so glad he is not going back to rest on laurels (as Kelman put it in his review) or revive his other earlier incarnations. It is interesting how many oldtimers keep wanting him to do what he did "before" (in conversations...). I applaud him for as always, as from the beginning, continuing to honestly follow his muse. IMO He is at a pinnacle with this release. The fact that that is him playing all those instruments which would be a big deal alone for just about any artist is almost incidental to the beauty and unbridled creativity he is giving here. However he got to this, I can only shake my head and say wow.
blisterfree May 21 2013 at 2:57 PM	I predict we’ll be hearing Mastema for a long time to come, and in all sorts of pop culture contexts. What a great pop-rock hook, inflected with just the right amount of off-color experimentation to keep it fresh and entertaining for 7 minutes. And the coda is just plain grin-inducing!
mario toni May 21 2013 at 2:02 PM	Well, according to samples from iTunes, this will be the 1st Pat album I’m not going to buy! I had that feeling all along! Too abstract, too, well, world music-ish, too not Pat as I used to like...Oh yeah, and again those Orchestrion robots! I dig Orchestrion, Orchestrion Project and even Orchestrion blu ray, but hey, this is really too much!!! If I wanted robots I would listen to Kraftwerk. Maybe someday I’ll change my mind but at this moment this is the farthest from Pat it has ever been... TAP!
mountain May 21 2013 at 11:16 AM	I am rocking to Mastema! I pre-ordered, but could not wait so I also bought it through iTunes this morning and listening at work!
hman01 May 21 2013 at 7:15 AM	Downloaded first thing this morning.Listening to the first track.I’m diggin’ it!!!
blisterfree May 20 2013 at 11:21 PM	May 20- iTunes has Tap! Search on John Zorn and scroll waaaay down. Downloading now...
mountain May 20 2013 at 3:51 PM	Nice article in NY Times. "They Fathom Distinctive Languages" By NATE CHINEN Published: May 19, 2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05 /20/arts/music/a-word-with- pat-metheny-and-john- zorn.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&
mugsy May 19 2013 at 5:15 PM	hman01 - my experience is that iTunes often doesn’t have pre-orders, but I’d be surprised if TAP doesn’t show up on Tuesday.
hman01 May 18 2013 at 4:59 PM	Hey,does anybody know if itunes will be carrying this? I don’t see any ops for pre- ordering.
naut May 18 2013 at 6:49 AM	Thanks for the explanation, aloc. So I guess I’m getting the real deal, whenever the A-zon shipment arrives.
dwi4001 May 13 2013 at 6:07 PM	I sure don’t know what’s it all about, but I do know I can’t wait to hear it!
hman01 May 10 2013 at 1:53 PM	I wanna preview,I wanna preview,I wanna preview,I wanna preview,I wanna preview,I wanna preview
aloc May 09 2013 at 6:50 PM	The other is released by Nonesuch and the other by Zorn’s label, Tzadik. I’d reckon -pure speculation- that Nonesuch was reluctant to "lease" Pat to another record company (let’s face it, anything Pat does is bound sell a decent amount) but understandably Zorn wouldn’t want a disc that’s part of a series on his label to be an isolated island to it’s own - thus the two simultaneous releases. Same content, different covers. The Tzadik version conforms with the artwork of previous volumes. I’ll be buying the Tzadik version to support Zorn’s efforts as an independent agent working on his own artistic terms in a field too often mired in its inner economics instead of the artistic content. Not to put down Nonesuch by any means, that too is an awesome label with a broad artistic vision.
naut May 09 2013 at 6:28 AM	What is the difference between the two red Zorn/Pat records: "Tap: John Zorn’s Book of Angels, Vol. 20 by Pat Metheny" and "Tap: The Book of Angels, Vol. 20 by John Zorn and Pat Metheny" with the gold star on the cover? I’m cornfused.
aloc May 07 2013 at 5:58 AM	I managed to catch "Phanuel" from the forthcoming volume on a webcast of a belgian radio station. It was really great. Haunting and gripping. Now I’m even more jazzed about this record than previously! Has anyone else managed to catch any sneak peeks?
bluepno Apr 27 2013 at 5:30 PM	may 21 key information..
hman01 Apr 27 2013 at 1:52 PM	I’m a itchin’ to hear this rainbow! Come on May 21!
aloc Apr 26 2013 at 9:36 AM	Darn, I only just discovered that BBC’s Jazz on 3 played "Mastema" from the forthcoming record. Did any one here happen to catch it? I’ve read elsewhere that it’s great. Found one review aswell, on a site called Marlbank.
hman01 Apr 09 2013 at 2:25 PM	"sunship"-Yes,Volume 10 Book of Angels:Lucifer with a group of musicians called Bar Kokhba is a great recording.In fact,I liked it so much,I also downloaded off of itunes the 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 11,also with Bar Kokhba.It’s a 3 CD set.It’s also outstanding.
sunship Apr 09 2013 at 8:59 AM	hman-01 -- How is the volume 10 of Book of Angels: Lucifer? Is that a "can’t go wrong" album. I wanted to jump into that series and might start with volume 10.
djbinder Apr 03 2013 at 9:23 PM	My review copy just arrived today. About to spin....
mountain Apr 01 2013 at 1:16 PM	Funny comments and some completely in the dark. I would not expect any live performance by Pat of the Zorn music, except for maybe an occasional tune at some future date. Zorn is not playing on it at all. Antonio Sanchez is playing drums on it and he is the only other musician. From what I read, Pat put this together between tours over the past few months. I have already pre-ordered the release. I have been a fan for many years. Luv the Naked City stuff and I did see Zorn perform Masada in Philly several years ago. Also like the Spy vs. Spy Music of Ornette Colman project he did. I find Zorn one of the more interesting artists out there...always omni-creative and extending the vocabulary or inventing a new vocabulary. Can’t wait to hear what Pat does with the Book Two compositions. Also, you need to check out Zorn’s Arcana: Musicians on Music book series. Outstanding!
hman01 Apr 01 2013 at 12:52 PM	Not only am I excited about Pats’ upcoming release,I’m getting introduced to a lot of new music.I’ve been listening to Volumes 10 and 12 of Book of Angels.There’s so much to choose from in this series based on ones’ personal tastes.It’s all good,but some I like more than others.But it’s always great to be introduced to new music.
naut Apr 01 2013 at 10:56 AM	Can’t wait...well, I can wait, but I don’t want to. Really, I guess I don’t mind the wait. Let’s just say I look forward to hearing this. Pat plays flugelhorn!? That I want to hear. I wonder if he’ll ever do Zorchestrion?
jnyutah Mar 29 2013 at 10:44 AM	theres actually a documentary on Zorn that was on netflix watched it a while ago and don’t know if its still available streaming, one of my favorites is spy vs spy that album is really good, i also like the one where he plays the music of enio morricone and of course the naked city but his output is so vast that its pretty incredible
thehague Mar 29 2013 at 10:00 AM	Really looking forward to this album. John Zorn is like Pat Metheny a master at versatility and a great artist and musician.
bluepno Mar 29 2013 at 8:45 AM	Through the Book of Angels clarity returns not to be passed over on a good friday no less.
aloc Mar 29 2013 at 4:39 AM	Sorry for the cryptic nature of the previous posts. I remember first hearing rumours about this project about a year and a half ago (and also posted about it on another thread to little response), but then the chatter vanished and I thought -disappointedly- that the rumours were wrong, until recently. Zorn is one of my favorites, alongside Pat (and others) so, as mentioned before, very very excited about this!!!
Dylan03 Mar 28 2013 at 8:03 PM	I’ m so excited for this new record. I’ve just been getting into Zorn and he has become one of my favorite artists and I’ve always thought that even though Pat and his styles are different they’d work well together especially on the Masada material. I think this is going to be great! Does anyone know if he has plans to perform this live?
hman01 Mar 28 2013 at 11:12 AM	So,now we know what Tap is!!! Pat’s new project,written up on this site’s home page.It sounds like something new and different from him.Totally unexpected.This will probably all make even more sense when we get to hear it.He continues to amaze us with his diverse virtuosity.I can’t wait!!!!!
thehague Mar 28 2013 at 3:55 AM	Palin-drone, I like that. Must be a drone driven by Michael Palin. Can’t be that bad then.
mugsy Mar 27 2013 at 4:45 PM	I didn’t mean to sound like a "know it all" - this thread is pretty confusing. Other than doing my own research which did find a new CD titled "TAP" coming later this spring, I was pretty lost on this one.
blisterfree Mar 27 2013 at 4:28 PM	Hman must be thinking of a Palin- drone, which is operated remotely by a trained handler, I believe, yet frequently crashes nevertheless.
sunship Mar 27 2013 at 12:44 PM	Is this about the upcoming Zorn/Metheny collaboration?
hman01 Mar 27 2013 at 9:45 AM	Thank you mugsy.I never knew what a palindrome was.I always thought a PALINdrome was something like "I can see Russia from my house."
bluepno Mar 27 2013 at 9:42 AM	very true mugsy but read... a man a plan a canal panama ...backwards.I was deliberately looking for a deceptive resolution...Tap would be retrograde to be concise and clear, which this thread is not asking for.
mugsy Mar 27 2013 at 12:43 AM	Bluepno: TAP is not a palindrome. A Palindrome is a word that reads both ways (such as madam).
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naut
Sep 25 2013
at 7:42 AM

@hman, I think you’re right. I thought that could be the place, but I really wasn’t sure. I thought it might be some keys at first. BTW, I love the attack he gets on the sitar. Not sure how to describe it, but it’s like it’s on the upstroke of the pick that the repeated sitar phrase starts. Guitarists might know. @snipe, thanks for the ID on that one.

snipe28542
Sep 24 2013
at 5:59 PM

Pat played Third Stone From the Sun on Stone Free a Tribute to Hendrix. Released in 1993. Lots of interesting tracks from others as well.

hman01
Sep 24 2013
at 5:41 PM

"naut"-I think he might be playing flugel horn on Mastema. After it gets going,around 1:30 or so,I think I hear it slightly,playing along with the melody.It’s not real obvious.Maybe he played it to add texture at that point in the music? At least,I THINK I hear it.

naut
Sep 24 2013
at 10:03 AM

I agree about Sariel, frank. Pretty heavy. I think Pat also did a tune on some Hendrix tribute, but I don’t recall specifics. I may have mentioned once that Phanuel is one of the spookiest tunes he’s ever made. Tap continues to reveal many layers to my aging ears. Still wondering where his flugelhorn playing is. Guess I’ll have to listen again with good ’phones when it’s very quiet around here--if that time ever comes!

franksexton
Sep 23 2013
at 3:52 PM

naut, there is a person posting here long ago who claims to have seen Pat sit in with a band while Pat was on vacation where he did a buch of Henrix tunes. I remember his writing that Pat was amazing. To me the track Sariel , in particular , on Tap has a very strong acid rock influence.

naut
Sep 21 2013
at 9:12 AM

I haven’t said anything about this record till now, but I love it! Maybe I’m imagining, but I hear a little homage to Jimi in places. And if anyone can point out where Pat plays flugelhorn, I’d appreciate it. Guess my ears are hiding a bit. As usual, Pat seems to do everything right, from the brief but perfectly timed silence between the first and second tracks, to sequencing "Hurmiz" last. "Mastema" is a very powerful tune, and Antonio’s drumming is superb throughout. Great record.

fredsimon
Sep 20 2013
at 3:36 AM

rbslscpa, hope you got to check out my recording of Scarborough Fair ... please let us know what you thought of it.

patsfan
Jul 14 2013
at 11:53 PM

The TAP melodies play out so beautifully on Pat’s guitar. In the finale, the sounds get weird, for a reason, I understand, maybe in about 5 years I’ll totally appreciate. Like everything else Pat has produced, the uniqueness and the latitude of creativity , as a whole, over 40 years, is incredible. Unlike any jazz artist on the planet, period.

MarcNebo
Jul 12 2013
at 11:09 PM

I have only played it once while doing something around my condominium. I liked it a lot, very original blending of Zorn and Pat. Will give it a second listening next week without any distractions.

franksexton
Jul 11 2013
at 9:00 PM

I was late getting to this (I had wait for my library to get it as the kids music lessons ate up all my spending money) but I like it a lot. Sariel would be my favorite track at the moment. I would describe it as faith healer meets genius rocker. I like this album a lot.

rbslscpa
Jun 20 2013
at 11:39 PM

Not to crazy about all of TAP but there are some incredible moments for me. Guess what i am trying to say is I don’t like any of the "songs" in their entirety but some portions are so fresh and innovative it takes me to places i have never been. Three cheers for the freshness Pat. Also, Fred Simon, I collect versions of Scarborough Fair (my namesake)so thanks for the heads up for your version. I am off to amazon to search.

NewSchoolID4
Jun 19 2013
at 11:28 PM

This is an amazing record. It is everything about right now. No one else could have made this music but Pat. And it is also new in the best sense. A reinvention. And Antonio Sanchez is Pat’s most important collaborator of his career. I love Zorn anyway, but this puts his music in a different level.

kreilly
Jun 19 2013
at 5:23 PM

With all due respect to previous posters, my only question is: How is this not jazz?!?! I just received the CD today and gave it its first spin, and immediately fell in love with it! With great jazz rhythms from Antonio on the kit, and wonderful jazz- inflected improvisations from Pat, this recording easily falls into my definition of jazz. What is more important, though, is that it is simply wonderful music. Others have stated that it takes a few listens for the music to fully sink in, so I am sure I will just love it that much more as I listen to it again and again. It will also be great to explore the rest of Zorn’s series (my bad for not having done so as of yet)!

djbinder
Jun 08 2013
at 11:10 PM

jny and blue, thanks. Honestly, I think it’s important to see what everyone is thinking about the music I’m fortunate enough to get to write about and publish in a larger venue. The truth is there are lots of great posters here and elsewhere, and certainly there have been plenty of occasions where someone here has made a post that’s given me some additional food for thought, even if my review is already published. Thanks to all who are willing to engage and don’t assume the "us vs them" stance when it comes to writers (I actually hate the term critic). We’re all, at the end of the day, fans of the music (since, believe me, nobody is getting rich writing about jazz!), so it’s important to break down barriers instead of putting them up. Cheers!

ztfs
Jun 08 2013
at 7:08 AM

Wow, another great record! Once again, completely different than anything he’s done before. And yet, unmistakably Pat... I like the middle four tunes the best. I’ve heard a few short interviews, but it’d be nice to hear an official podcast from Pat and John with more in-depth discussions of the tunes.

jnyutah
Jun 04 2013
at 1:04 PM

Yes, it's good to have someone who’s really passionate about the music like you. Thank you.

bluepno
Jun 04 2013
at 10:32 AM

djbinder...I appreciate your additions to this site. The critic criticized is a rare event indeed. You are brave enough to expose your personal beliefs in the very forum were the disciples congregate. A brave and honest attempt at seeking the truth. Thank you for the fine reviews through the years. You have helped me find some fine art through the multitude of releases that hit the market each week, month and year.

djbinder
Jun 04 2013
at 8:07 AM

jnyutah, thanks for clarification and, of course, I agree. No matter how objective we try to be, everything is filtered through our personal prism of experience, so you’re absolutely right. But that being said and assumed, some writers really feel that folks care about them (and, in a very few cases, they’re right, but a very few cases). Me? I don’t think I qualify in that rarefied category (!) so my goal is to, as best I can - and as objectively as possible with the understanding that it’s still being filtered through my personal prism - to tell the reader about the music so they can make up their own minds as to whether or not they want to check it out. Cheers!

jnyutah
Jun 03 2013
at 9:23 PM

I have no issues with binder, I am saying something that should be taken into consideration. As i said, I have no beef with anyone here.

CJ Shearn
Jun 03 2013
at 3:35 PM

jnyutah, this is not the first time you’ve had issues with djbinder. Your bizarre reaction to his "New Life" review was strange also because you felt he was dissing Antonio’s two previous albums, all are uniformly excellent. What he said in that thread was it wasn’t that the first two records were inferior, but the writing on "New Life" is on a new level. As for you criticism he doesn’t assess the music in his "Tap" review, he does it in the best way he can without losing a general audience. I would love if he described why Pat played such and such here on this chord on "Albim", but that would lose most people. Djbinder is more qualified than most of us to eloquently express his views on albums, I don’t always agree with him but he gives albums an honest appraisal, and I consider them. I don’t share his enthusiasm for everything ECM or on the European scene, he doesn’t share my interest in being fanatical about the quality of masterings for new releases. What we do agree on in what we like is that the music is excellent, and he is dead on in most cases assessing the music. If you don’t enjoy his reviews, don’t bother to read them, it’s pretty simple. What I do see in your argument jnyutah is that sometimes reviewers are not equipped to accurately describe the MUSIC in many reviews, and what little theoretical knowledge some may have, is often very wrong, like in some of Thom Jurek’s infamous writing for AllMusicGuide. If there was reviews by musicians for musicians, that would be great, but that’s a VERY small audience.

hman01
Jun 03 2013
at 3:05 PM

When it comes to what I like,I know 3 things: 1)I love TAP. 2)I found Britney Spears to be TOXIC. 3)I’m not sure about Carley Rae Jepsen,so CALL ME MAYBE.

jnyutah
Jun 03 2013
at 11:57 AM

I never said that. In regard to this post, I posted what you said. I don’t listen to music to "like" or "dislike" it. All that I am saying is that your preferences are not going to be objective if you are writing a review because you only can give us "your" experience of it. Words can only communicate so much. For instance, my experience of hearing the same music might be similar, but I may describe it in a totally different way. I am not knocking you. I am just giving you another way to look at "critiques". I have no beef with you. Peace.

djbinder
Jun 03 2013
at 1:41 AM

And one more thing, jnyutah: I can only speak for myself when I review a recording. Of course my personal preferences come through - how can they not? - but my goal in reviewing a record is to provide enough context and other information to allow the reader to make up his /her mind as to whether or not they will want to check it out. I can’t do anything more, but if I succeed in doing that, then I feel as if I’d succeeded.

djbinder
Jun 03 2013
at 1:39 AM

Jnyutah, sorry, cannot agree. After all, are you that expert that you can decide whether or not the music is good? No disrespect intended, but I doubt it. No, all you can do is render your opinion as to whether or not you like it. Yes, of course you can critique it, but only to the degree with which you have the skill to do so. You can discuss how the music sounds, how it differs or is similar, contextually, to other recordings (by Metheny and others), but I am sorry, you are in no better position to assess whether or not the music is good than I am. Even a working musician at the,level of Fred Simon would, I think agree with me that his ability to assess/analyze only goes so far. Sorry, man, but we may just have to agree to disagree on this one.

djbinder
Jun 02 2013
at 9:56 AM

Well, thehague,mthe,only thing I can suggest is this: come back to it every now and then...you might find, someday,math at it IS for you, and that,a my point.

alan2461
Jun 02 2013
at 9:03 AM

Lol. I downloaded the mpg from nonesuch. I didn’t read the liner notes. Very cute. Love the recording especially Sariel.

jnyutah
Jun 01 2013
at 9:46 PM

From djbinders post: ’ At the end of the day, none of us is the arbiter of what is good; we’re only the arbiters of what we like’. In fact, that's not true at all. When I listen to music; really listen, it has nothing to do with liking or not liking. That is why I don’t worry about other peoples critiques or opinions, because in the end they really don’t address the MUSIC. You're just addressing your preferences which have nothing to do with the actual MUSIC.

DJAndersen
Jun 01 2013
at 6:04 AM

@alan2461, read the extra extra extra extra extra extra extra extra special thanks :-)

tiny_tim
Jun 01 2013
at 5:43 AM

djbinder, that had to be the post of the year! Well expressed.

mario toni
Jun 01 2013
at 4:22 AM

Maybe Pat should do a covers of some Bosnian or Serbia "Turbo Folk" music.... hehheh....

thehague
Jun 01 2013
at 2:59 AM

Djbinder, thanks for your eloquent explanation. To me however it’s not about explaining the music, moreover the feelings the music evokes. That’s precisely the point: the music doesn’t evoke any feelings to me. I’ve accepted it’s not for me this time. No ’It’s for you’ to me, on a lighter note.

alan2461
May 31 2013
at 11:13 PM

Am I hearing things that are not really there? At then end of Hurmiz is what sounds to me like a kid screaming "Dad!!!". About 5-10 seconds before the end. Could that be one of Pat’s sons joining in the making of the record?

bluepno
May 31 2013
at 1:59 PM

Hear hear...djbinder...eloquent and on point. If I didn’t like a Pat Metheny album, I would not be here. The travels have been breathless and at times frustratingly exuberant (The Sign Of Four). Enjoy the ride.

jnyutah
May 31 2013
at 1:53 PM

When I listen to music, it has nothing to do with like or dislike. It is just sounds and vibrations. Depending on where you are at, either you hear or don’t hear it or don’t like the message that the music communicates.

djbinder
May 31 2013
at 1:17 PM

I happen to love Tap, and feel that he’s actually in a huge creative upswing right now. Sure, I love PMG, but Unity Band and now Unity Group promises to be spectacular, in it’s own, very different way. I love how the Orchestrion has followed Pat’s typical MO: work on a new instrument, a new device, a new whatever, and create something very personal. At first, it dominates his music,as his horn-like guitar synth did in the early ’80s, then it becomes subsumed in his overall sonic palette and is used more sparingly (using the synth as an example, rarely more than once on an album, if that). For Metheny, it has always seemed that color and texture are very important, but he won’t settle for stock sounds, so even his gritty, overdriven tone (like on The Road to You’s "Half Life of Absolution") sounds like nobody else. Since The Way Up, with the exception if What’s It All About and some of Unity Band, Metheny seems very interested in longer form, complex composition, with experiences learned from working with people like Steve Reich and Eberhard Weber. PMG’s reputation and success was predicated on the idea that music that sounded easy was, under the hood, actually very challenging stuff. It’s what gave PMG its audience and it’s appeal to a broader range. His newer material, and especially Tap, where he goes back to some of the freer play of his work with Ornette Coleman and Derek Bailey. But, that said there are still plenty of the melodic concerns that have defined his music from the beginning...they’re just couched in more complex contexts. Even the main theme to The Way Up was, for example, deceptively simple, what went on under and over it made it a much richer work. It’s rare for any artist to be able to put out music so that everyone like everything he does. I’m a rare egg, I guess because even records like Zero Tolerance for Silence, which I’ve been lambasted by some for calling a "failed experiment," but that doesn’t mean I don’t think it had no value. It was an important record for Metheny to do, even if I don’t like it, because many of the lessons learned on the project he has taken forward into others in more restrained fashion. At the end of the day, none of us is the arbiter of what is good; we’re only the arbiters of what we like. Our liking a record doesn’t make it good, our not likening it does not make it bad; it only means we like it or we don’t. But for artists with a career as long and successful as Metheny, I think it’s important to view every project as important to his development, even if it doesn’t particularly resonate with some of us. For me, there are Metheny records I play a lot less than others, but that doesn’t make them less good; I just happen to like them less, personally. I think it’s an important distinction. We can bemoan when he does something that we don’t like, but it’s really important to remember that when he does put out that next record that we love, it wouldn’t have been possible to achieve, were it not for the one we didn’t like.

Oystein
May 31 2013
at 2:43 AM

I agree with you, fredsimon, and I value your "professional" and balanced inputs here in the Garage. When talking about "cover versions" of songs, I think there is a huge difference between covering and interpreting (is that correct english...?) songs. You can play the song almost like the original, which is the "easy way", or you can make your own "version", which can be totally different in tempo, instrumentation and rythm. When you make a different version of a tune, like Pat does on One Quiet Night and What`s It All About, you are being creative and throwing in your own talent.

fredsimon
May 30 2013
at 6:09 PM

Gyuri asked: "Can covers be regarded as full-value works by a musician or artist as if they were his own compositions?" ------ To answer in a word: absolutely. Evidence of this is everywhere, from Jimi Hendrix’s cover of Bob Dylan’s "All Along The Watchtower" to Brad Mehldau’s cover of Alice In Chains’ "Got Me Wrong." Or any great jazz performance of a standard. Or James Taylor’s cover of Carole King’s "You’ve Got A Friend" ... it’s 100 percent James, except he didn’t write it. Or how about Johnny Cash’s version of Nine Inch Nails’ "Hurt" ... wow! We could go on for days with other examples. ----- And speaking from personal experience, although the majority of my recordings are my original compositions, one of my very most favorites is an arrangement of Scarborough Fair I did for a Windham Hill sampler of instrumental movie theme songs, using the counterpoint of the original (the "Canticle" part of the S&G arrangement) and adding some counterpoint of my own as well as composing an interlude of new material, scoring it for acoustic piano, acoustic guitar, synths/samplers, and acoustic bass (played by PMG bassist Steve Rodby). Even though I didn’t write the original song, I consider my recording to be some of the most authentic "Fredmusic" I’ve ever released. Full-value Fred, for sure.

mountain
May 30 2013
at 3:34 PM

I would love an entire Metheny release in the vein of Mastema. In the era of mashups, Ableton Live and such, this type of construction and presentation is rather hip at the moment. I also dig the tune Sariel. Overall, I have been compelled to listen to TAP many times over since i acquired it on day of release. Its a strong collection of works based on Zorn’s compositions and has elements that should draw in some commercial success.

jnyutah
May 30 2013
at 2:12 PM

Tap should have been a double album. It kicks some serious u know what.

harn
May 30 2013
at 12:09 PM

People obviously have quite strong feelings about this but one thing I would say is that Tap is only a part of Pat’s current activity, it’s not the be all and end all, in fact it’s probably already in the past unless he decides to play it live (I for one hope he does) The Unity Band are playing at the moment and if the gig I went to last year is anything to go by then they will be delving into the PM back catalogue aplenty. I recently watched an interview on Youtube where he said he could easily go out and play all the tunes from Bright Size Life tomorrow and still enjoy them and find new possibilities within them, so this idea of PM having "lost it" or becoming "elitist" or simply neglecting the types of music which have made him so popular are basically rubbish and a very poorly thought out point of view. It seems to me that he is always looking forward and into the past at the same time which is the sign of a great artist in my opinion. Personally I really like Tap but if I hadn’t liked it I don’t think I’d have been too upset because I know it’s only a small part of the bigger picture. Being continually surprised by any artist is surely a good thing regardless of whether everything ties in with one’s personal tastes right?

BobSmith
May 30 2013
at 8:28 AM

Albim--This one reminds me a lot of Story From A Stranger from Rejoicing.

djbinder
May 30 2013
at 2:13 AM

Means this absolutely IS Pat’s creation. Stretching three staves to 6- 10 minutes means. His interpretation includes wepriting a whole lot of material in out and around the music provided. This is not just Pat playing Zorn.

-m
May 29 2013
at 11:56 PM

Reminds me of Buckethead.

hman01
May 29 2013
at 8:20 PM

I’ve been able to listen more to it this week.Yesterday I was tired of it,but I kept hearing bits of it in my head,so on the way home from work,I listened to it again and really enjoyed it.For me,it really works as a whole.I really loved the first three tracks to start with.(Comments in earlier post).Then "Sariel" has this old world vibe for about three minutes and then it explodes into something quite different."Phanuel" seems very supernatural to me,like beings communicating between dimensions. Then "Hurmiz" strikes me as very playful doodling. Although it’s not something I would choose for featured listening,in the context of the recording as a whole, I really enjoy it.It kind of ends the narrative story for me.These are my impressions of course.I’m enjoying this much more than "Unity Band",believe it or not!

thehague
May 29 2013
at 4:42 PM

Djbinder, what I mean with ’fickle’ is that the compositions tend to go in all sorts of directions, to me there is no clear concept, no concrete line of development, no consistent style. Don’t get me wrong, I’m open to all kinds of music, even experimental eg much of thrpe music of Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, to name a couple. Tap just doesn’ t grab like for instance TWU did. I’m trying, I have played the cd several times, but it just isn’ t appealing in any way.

Gyuri
May 29 2013
at 3:58 PM

"Doing my homework" on Tap. I am listening to it for the 3rd time in a row. It has certainly grown on me. Sariel and Phanuel simply grab your heart. What, however, still - probably not forever - creates a distance from it to me is my awareness of it being not Pat’s own creation. This may ruffle some feathers but can "covers" be regarded as full-value works by a musician or artist as if they were his own compositions? OK, these are not covers as they have never been played before - still I have this knowledge at the back of my mind that it’s not Pat’s own work. Am I setting higher standards for Pat than he does for himself? (tongue in cheek) And I cannot decide which one of them is a greater artist. I think I am going through "growing pains" in terms putting this album in its place. I never heard about JZ before ever. Now he has jumped to the forefront of my attention. His BOA songs sound tremendous.

Gyuri
May 29 2013
at 9:17 AM

Mario Toni: "he expresses that elitism in his recent works" Do you perhaps mean by "elitism" his setting and meeting the highest standards conceivable in musicianship? He makes no secret of that in his interviews. But how can you notice "elitism" in his music? As for Tap, got my copy just yesterday. I am actually not sure how I feel about it; I thought I liked it on first hearing but now I am not sure - but I won’t give up. Probably I will have to grow up to it to like it as was the case with The Way Up. When I first heard that CD I wanted to sell it. Then a month later I heard something quite different, I couldn’t believe my ears. Interesting how music impresses us. A lot depends on your mood, too.

jnyutah
May 29 2013
at 8:35 AM

here’s what pat has to say about ZTFS... "you might want to check the archives. as far as "alienation" goes, with all due respect, anyone who is alienated by that record (or any of the others for that matter) is welcome to their own musical world that we all are in the continuous process of defining for ourselves - whether listeners or players. i guess my point is that no rationalization is necesary when it comes to playing the music that one likes."

djbinder
May 29 2013
at 7:26 AM

I’m with Fred. My usual line is: we are not the arbiters of what’s good or bad, only arbiters of what we like.’ You may or may not like something, but to take that a step farther and start talking about motivation and elitism is, as Fred says, to not understand musicians and the creative process, to be sure, wo the exception of his last acoustic record, Pat’s music has, since TWU, been increasingly complex. But that might just be a place he’s in right now; six months from now he might feel that completely simplifying is where he goes, and then some of his fans will go ’too simple, not enough meat.’ I remember the criticisms of We Live Here, which has become one of my favorite PMG records over the years. Artists do what feels right to them at the moment, and their fans can either go along for the ride, jump off the bus permanently, or jump on and off as individual recordings dictate to their own tastes. But that’s not anything more than their own tastes and not indicative of anything more. Just because I like something doesn’t make it good, any more than my NOT long it makes it has. I just like it (or not). Which brings me to a question for thehague that may simply be a linguistics issue, but what, exactly, do,you mean by ’the compositions are really fickle?’ That’s not meant to be confrontational; I really am curious what you mean by that. Otherwise, as I said’ I’m with Fred. My own feeling? I love the record, but for those who don’t, my suggestion is to not give up on it entirely. Just as I’ve not liked (or, as I like to think, not ’got’) something, I an come back to it days, weeks, months, sometimes years later and suddenly the lightbulb goes on and I love it. So then there’s the obvious question: what’s changed? Certainly not the music. So if I can dislike something at one point and love it at another, it simply speaks to what I love about music: that it’s something that can suddenly hit you, sometimes decades after the fact when, after listening to a lot of of other music, suddenly the music I once disliked now makes sense to me and I love it. So, folks, love it, hate it, feel indifferent about it, but don’t give up on it.

fredsimon
May 29 2013
at 12:34 AM

Mario, thanks for the kind words about my music; I’m glad you like it. But what you like or don’t like, what I like or don’t like, has no bearing on this particular dialogue. Of course you have a right to hold an opinion … we all do! But please don’t confuse your right to **hold** an opinion with the notion that, therefore, every opinion has validity. ------ I’m questioning your claim of Pat’s elitism … where’s the evidence? What are the specific "statements about music and about other artists" he’s made that support your assertion? Unless you provide evidence, then you’re just making an assumption based on your personal taste, extrapolating beyond the natural boundary of your own preferences. Same with the claim that Pat has "lost it" ... again I’d ask, what exactly has he lost? And what evidence can you provide to support the claim? ------- By the way, your description of Pat being "in some kind of creational spasm of always creating something new and not replicating something old" beautifully supports my point ... **that’s** exactly what **true** artists do! Pat, Miles, Joni, Dylan, The Beatles, Picasso, Stravinsky, Coltrane … on and on. As far as Spyro Gyra, you’d have to dig up my exact words because I can’t remember what I may have said. But what I can tell you is that this issue has nothing to do with whether or not I had "nice" things to say about their music.

Nissen67
May 28 2013
at 7:33 PM

Sorry, don’t mean to be like that, but I can’t help but be confused and bothered by a certain kind of comment that seems overly facile and glib towards things that seem obviously excellent to me. I have arguments like this with my co- workers often too about work related things. Again, sorry for the tone.

Nissen67
May 28 2013
at 6:56 PM

Dull. Silly. Yawn. The great Will Ackerman (Will Ackerman?). Elitist. Creative spasms. Wow, tough crowd in here. Or, maybe it is something else and tough is not the right word. As for myself, I just listened to Tharsis for the third time today and it just keeps getting better.

Nissen67
May 28 2013
at 6:47 PM

Reading some of these comments caused me to refer to a brief exchange between Metheny and Zorn in the excellent New York Times interview with them. "ZORN People can’t say they like one thing of mine without saying they hate another. METHENY But to me, the achievement is actually the way it all goes together." What Zorn says more than applies to Pat from what I seem to constantly hear from other fans. And then Metheny’s response seemed to be a direct indictment of that attitude. Interesting, eh?

Kooltrane
May 28 2013
at 4:51 PM

There’s always been a bit of over- done idolatry in these posts. Whenever PM produces something new there’s usually an automatic response i.e. it’s "a new classic" or something similar. All artists should stretch however they are not always successful. I found "Tap" to be dull, "Orchestrion" technically interesting but ultimately silly and "What It’s All About" to be a major yawn. With that said The Unity Band is great and PM remains one of my fav’s.

mario toni
May 28 2013
at 3:16 PM

Fred, I don’t see why are you so angry! C’mon, it’s my opinion and I have a right to say that! Isn’t this forum made for discussions on Pat’s music or not? There some nice tunes on the album and some awful (as I said I bought the cd). And about the elitist thing; I didn’t say Pat was elitist because I don’t like much the last album. That’s incorrect! I am saying that he has became an elitist lately because of some of his statements about music and about other artists that he doesn’t like! I feel like he expresses that elitism in his recent works. That’s how I feel. I don’t think he is completely relaxed in his recent musical quest, he’s in some kind of creational spasm of always creating something new and not replicating something old. I mean there are a lot of (1st class) artists who enjoy their vintage work as well as new and they are completely relaxed about it (Lee Ritenour for instance). And at the end, if I remember correctly (correct me if I’m wrong), there was some statement about Spyro Gyra (and such music) by you from a few years ago on this forum in not so nice context... Does that make you cross the line also? BTW, I like your music very much! That’s all from me on this subject. p.s. no hard feelings! ;)

fredsimon
May 27 2013
at 11:41 PM

I’ve only heard one track, Sariel ... I dug it a lot and look forward to hearing more. ----- But I do want to weigh in on what I perceive to be an anti-artist attitude from some here who don’t care for the album. Like it, don’t like, it is jazz, it isn’t jazz ... whatever, like they say. ----- But to say "I know that artists are bound to discover new things but [Pat] has became too much of an elitist lately. He lost it!" is crossing the line ... you don’t dig it? Fine (although I do agree that with certain music, such as TAP, making an informed assessment of the music based on iTunes excerpts is inadequate, whether one ends up liking the whole album or not). ------ So, Pat is an elitist because he has made music you don’t dig? Exactly how does that make him an elitist? He’s "lost it"? Exactly what has he lost? And what evidence of this do you have ... simply your own dislike of the excerpts you’ve heard? ------ To head off anyone who thinks I’m saying that one must dig everything an artist creates, no, I’m not. What I am saying is that more than a few folks seem not to understand what makes a true artist tick ... it’s an inner drive that cannot answer to anyone but the artist her/himself, period. ----- An artist has no responsibility to please his/her audience ... either they dig it or they don’t, but to make spurious claims that an artist is "elitist" or has "lost it" just because you don’t like the art is nonsense.

djbinder
May 27 2013
at 1:21 AM

Not sure if folks have read it, but the All About Jazz reciew was up a couple weeks back : http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/artic le.php?id=44505

METHenyaddicted
May 26 2013
at 8:49 PM

Certainly the first Pat cd that has made me LOL with its elements of satire - deliciously paradoxical, spaciously lyrical and a touch naughty. Did I mention crazy too. Ca’tharsis’of expression. Here’s to more ’in-house’ cds although I think some of these selections could be played on tour. Zortheny!

bluepno
May 26 2013
at 3:53 PM

remzelk? Is Tap Pat backwards? Cool middle eastern based scales over an Orchestrion background? What is this I hear Pat is using Ableton?

agamez77
May 26 2013
at 8:48 AM

What a Fantastic album! You did it again, Pat. Absolutely timeless.

mugsy
May 25 2013
at 12:07 PM

After many listens, I agree with a lot of what is being said here: TAP is definitely very different from many of Pat’s previous recordings, but I also hear a lot of what I would call traditional PMG in much of this CD. It feels like a natural progression of Pat’s interests to me. Sort of like PMG meets Orchestrion. I am surprised that no-one has mentioned Antonio’s playing. I think he is outstanding on this recording. He is the driving force that really keeps me hooked in. So powerful and masterful - the best he has played (IMHO). Any thoughts?

sunship
May 24 2013
at 7:14 PM

I have not heard "Tap" yet, but Mario Toni may be right; it may not be jazz at all. John Zorn probably would agree since genres are meaningless to him. (And I believe genres are meaningless to Pat as well). With that being said, it doesn’t matter if it is jazz or not. Judge the music on the notes themselves, everything else is irrelevant.

hman01
May 24 2013
at 5:52 PM

Well,as a school teacher,I can tell you that they dump all the special events into May and it all goes non- stop.So,I’ve been digesting this album a little bit at a time.So,I’ve had multiple listenings of Mastema and Albim.I was just able to take in Tharsis and Sariel as i sit here cruising the web and writing this.My impression so far is that I like what I’ve heard,but I can’t wait until the school year is over and I can give it the concept album treatment,headphones and all.From what I’m listening to,it’s kind of a mixture of Pat Metheny and John Zorn(obvious,huh?).When it come to Pat’s music in general,PMG recordings tend to grab me from beginning to end.But with all the latest projects,I’ve tended to pick out favorite tracks and just listen to them.Could be because I have so many demands on my time,but also a reflection of how I feel about the music.But,I remain excited about this release! I love the groove of Mastema and how the bass and drums kick in at a certain point with a certain amount of distorted guitar set against the groove.In Albim,I love the exquisite acoustic playing and Antonio’s brushed cymbal work.For,Tharsis,I like the cinematic use of the synth guitar played against the backdrop of what’s going on there.As always with Pat,much more to here on repeated listenings! To me,IT’S ALL GOOD !!!

CJ Shearn
May 24 2013
at 2:36 PM

mario toni, you don’t like the record, the music does nothing emotionally for you, that’sgreat. You have said in previous posts, the record is not jazz. IMO, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Jazz for me is more than whether or not something swings in a conventional manner, like Miles always said it’s an attitude. "Sariel" swings pretty hard to me. Is it spang a lang, bop swing? no, but it still swings pretty damn hard. What do you define as jazz? Everything from Bird, Dizzy, Miles, Monk, PMG, RTF, Mahavishnu, Weather Report, Jimmy Smith, (you gotta remember historically also, b/c he played organ, and with the funkier aspects his albums took from July 1958 onwards, many purists did not call that jazz, and it most certainly is) Jarrett’s solo recordings, it’s all jazz. Is something like George Howard or Brian Culbertson jazz? I think we all could agree that’s a stretch, and while many people call that jazz, it’s instrumental pop. I would be interested to hear you in a dialogue with Pat and Zorn as to why "Tap" is not jazz. You are entitled to your opinion, I do not agree however.

mario toni
May 24 2013
at 5:20 AM

Well, that argument is pretty weak since I am also a musician (pianist) and different musicians have different views on music. I never looked at music as matemathical order or hidden meanings, I look at music as a print of emotions described thru notes which coorespond with ones mind (or soul or whatever you want to call it). This work of Pat doesn’t coorespond with me at all. I see you guys are getting very philosophical about TAP which is funny. I see you follow Pat wherever he goes (from his struggling to find musical holy grail to his philosophy on music). But, that’s not necessary for me. I like to listen and enjoy my music and I certanly can’t enjoy HURMIZ, for instance. If you can enjoy that, well, good for you. Anyway, I bought TAP since I have all Pat, Lyle and Group has ever done and it feels weird not to have an album (but that’s a weak argument). I’ll finish with quote from great Will Ackerman: " I had an interviewer ask me many years ago how my music had evolved over the years and I think I sat there in stunned silence for the better part of a minute searching for the answer. I finally said “It hasn’t.” I remember that answer making me feel a bit embarrassed as it came to me, but by the time I said it, it was actually rather joyful and peaceful. I do what I do. I do it pretty well, and I have always been at peace with being who I am musically. People have written me over the years saying how much my music has mattered to their lives. There was the woman from Idaho who told me she loved washing lettuce every evening to my music. There are the stories of how my music helped them through heartbreak and loneliness. Then there are the ones that tell me that a husband, wife, father or mother, brother or sister chose to listen to my music as they left this earth. There is no honor that could ever fall to someone more beautiful than this and I have tears in my eyes as I write this. I have been lucky."

mugsy
May 24 2013
at 12:26 AM

Mountain: I had a very different experience with Amazon. I also ordered it in April and it was at my door on May 21st!

CJ Shearn
May 24 2013
at 12:01 AM

blisterfree, you make a great point. For me the use of the Phrygian scale here is also evoking Italian and Greek music, and it’s nice to hear Pat stretching out in his unique voice. I feel this record is really exposing the gulf between those of us who are fans and fans who are also musicians who can articulate why the music id just really cool. The "I don’t like it because" opinions are equally valid, but there’s not as much weight in the "why". People are having surface reactions. "Tharsis" and "Albim" should be right up fans of the PMG’s alley and everything else should appeal to those of us who like everything. You see, I’ve learned to appreciate Pat’s voice in every project he participates in. The PMG while probably not finished is not Pat’s primary mode of expression anymore, some of the larger compositional concerns will be addressed in the Unity Group, and we all should be looking forward to that as well. I go along with him for the ride, and it’s a good one.

joed
May 23 2013
at 7:56 PM

i think the album is fantastic. i’ve been getting more into world music lately, and the cd has a Steve Tibbetts vibe that i really love. kudos to Pat for trying something different.

john
May 23 2013
at 5:51 PM

This is a great recording. I’d rather listen to this than PMG playing their greatest hits anytime. Cheers John.

mountain
May 23 2013
at 3:15 PM

I think this is a great addition to Pat’s discography. I wish he would do more projects like this. I have played through 10 or so times already. They all don’t have to be the big chart topping PMG, accessible to the smooth jazz community or the straight ahead jazz community, projects. Kudos Pat, Antonio and John!

mountain
May 23 2013
at 3:09 PM

Two comments. Funny and disappointing to hear people dissing the work without fully listening to it or taking the time to understand where the compositions come from and why the Phrygian dominant scale is prominent...so to speak. Go and listen to some of the other Book of Angels releases and take the time to listen through a few times. Secondly, I am annoyed that after pre-ordering the release through Amazon on April 1st, it still has not shipped. I did plunge in to iTunes and downloaded it the day of release. Shame on Amazon for not mailing upon its release and shame on me not ordering it directly through Zorn’s label.

blisterfree
May 23 2013
at 2:38 PM

"Albim" is another truly standout track that gets more and more profound the more I listen. There is a grand theme going on here, culminating in an absolutely brilliant ending. One of Pat’s best (or rather Pat and John’s) and perhaps an ideal gateway to this record for anyone predisposed to any skepticism. I’ll admit I’m disheartened by some of the luke-warm to outright cold responses some folks have posted, and wonder if I’m even in the right place here. I appreciate **everything** Pat does, even if this or that record is less interesting to me. I approach all of it as a gift, and perhaps with that mindset am more willing to go along for the ride. Certainly this album stands on its own merits, though -- TAP is an essential add, as to OP predicted it would be, and I can’t see anyone fan enough to hang out here not giving it a fair shake, recognize its significance, and be very judicious with any criticism.

harn
May 23 2013
at 12:36 PM

The album has only been out since Monday (UK) and I think it’s a bit silly to be judging it this soon whether your first impressions are good or bad. There is no point in artists who release the same record over and over, diversity is one of the many qualities that I like and admire about Pat. Personally I’ve been really enjoying it so far, it’s actually much more melodic and rhythmic than I’d been expecting. It’ll be in my CD player for the foreseeable future as I can tell from 5 or 6 listens so far that there is depth and substance there which merits proper attention and concentration. If it’s a quick fix you want then listen elsewhere.

Tom Rudd
May 23 2013
at 7:13 AM

Tap is going to take me a number of listens to sink in. The whole CD has a middle eastern vibe that sometimes gets a little tedious for me. The only thing I can think of that Pat has done that is similar to this is the song Heat of the Day, which to me is better than any of these tunes. I do like it though, but I don’t think it’s one that I will be playing a whole lot over and over. And track 6 is an automatic skip button for me.

Ian
May 22 2013
at 4:28 PM

After one listen I think it’s awesome, but I’m not nearly familier enough with it to speak to any specifics. Part of what I like about it is exactly what some other folks on here don’t like about it - that it’s not jazz or anything that we would expect, but yet sonically it fills the air with warmth. That’s exciting music to me. I know from past experience of listening to Pat and others who play complex music that I will be discovering wonderful things in this for quite a while.

blisterfree
May 22 2013
at 2:24 PM

Homework assignment for the long weekend coming up: For anyone dissing this album without actually listening to the whole album, please listen to the whole album. Then listen to it several more times. In particular, listen to Sariel. Listen to where Pat is going melodically, stylistically, and tonally on that track. Then on Tuesday there will be a quiz on whether or not anything of great significance has happened. There may be different opinions but there is only one correct answer. So study well.

mario toni
May 22 2013
at 1:38 PM

Yeah, it’s sometimes funny how people react. I never questioned Pat’s technical excellence but this is, for me, an experimental project which has very little with things that made me love Pat’s music so much (great melodies and emotions). I know that artists are bound to discover new things but he has became too much of an elitist lately. He lost it! I am above all a jazz fan and this TAP has nothing to do with jazz. Okay, so now bring on the lynch mob, hehehe...

aloc
May 22 2013
at 12:07 PM

Just finished my first listening (though I had previously heard a couple of tunes in some radio shows) and all I can say is that TAP is simply gorgeous! I smiled and laughed, grinned and cried, shivered and rejoiced in the vibrating streams of sound. This is _the_ Pat album I’ve been waiting for a long time - not to put down any of his recent releases, which are all great aswell, but this just is something else. Haven’t been so jubilant after a first listening of a Pat release since Tokyo Daytrip (in my opinion an often overlooked gem). At the moment my favorite tune is Phanuel - it is so subtle and sublime, gripping and truly rooted in the Beautiful. I’ll end this rambling post with a quote from Zorn (from the liner notes), with whom I concur completely: "From first note to last the music here is filled with love - the love of life, love of the world, the love of music, and the love of the ETERNAL ENERGY OF CREATIVITY ITSELF ... it makes me smile, it makes me think, and sets my imagination free, it makes me laugh out loud and makes me cry from a deep and humbling joy ... This is music that speaks to, of, and for the eternal." Never look back, Pat!

thehague
May 22 2013
at 10:28 AM

Before he gets dissed all over the place: I sincerely happen to concur with Mario Toni. From Pat you’d expect sheer excellence, however this album is far from that in my opinion. In my view it’s kind of fabricated (I hope I say this right, as English is not my native tongue), it does show Pat’s excellence in playing, but the compositions are really fickle and most of the time far from beautiful imho. Anyone can like it, please be my guest, but I don’t. Please allow people (like Mario and me) the right to not like the album, much as we are (great) Pat Metheny admirers. To each his own.

tiny_tim
May 22 2013
at 9:23 AM

"Mastema".. whoa!!! Diggin’ it.

roxanneivey
May 21 2013
at 9:30 PM

Listen to "Mastema" for free, courtesy of this NPR review, "Pat Metheny And John Zorn: A Vivid Sound World": http://www.npr.org/2013/05/21/185824573/pat-metheny-and-john-zorn-a-vivid-sound-world

CJ Shearn
May 21 2013
at 7:06 PM

mario toni, I guess you cannot argue with taste, but I would urge you to listen to this album in full. It’s easily one of Pat’s best records and shows a new phase of development. The orchestrion is so organic here it’s just another texture. People wished Miles would have gone back and played acoustic music like the Second Quintet’s once he went electric, but a great artist such as Pat , will always move forward. Reliving his past glories is as easy as putting on an older album, problem solved. nissen67 makes a point that it’s essential to play this album many times.

akakak
May 21 2013
at 6:19 PM

Heard it twice today. I agree you need to listen to this several times to absorb the content. Very stunning record. The whole thing plays like a large suite, each piece flows from the other, but each has its own color. I hate song samples also, they give a very skewed perspective on the entire recording. Just another amazing work of art from one of the best artists in modern music!

Nissen67
May 21 2013
at 3:32 PM

You are judging this record based on iTunes clips??!!?! That is just sad.

Nissen67
May 21 2013
at 3:28 PM

Listened to it four times this morning. This is a record that if you don’t listen to it a few times, you can’t possibly have heard it. That seems to be true often with Metheny and so often I see reviews where it is clear that the listener skimmed without really understanding. Won’t work here. My early sense is that this will go down as one of Metheny’s greatest recordings. The amount of creativity here is astounding. Almost like a Beatles record or something. And yet it is nothing like any other record he has ever made. (Almost like a Beatles record or something). He is on an incredible roll over the past few years starting with Orchestrion. What’s It All About has not left my turntable since I got the vinyl version, the Orchestrion Project DVD and CD are landmark projects that will be genre changing and appreciated probably more in 20 years than now. And Unity Band is my favorite lineup of his ever. And what other artist ever has made four records in a row as diverse and as great as these? I am so glad he is not going back to rest on laurels (as Kelman put it in his review) or revive his other earlier incarnations. It is interesting how many oldtimers keep wanting him to do what he did "before" (in conversations...). I applaud him for as always, as from the beginning, continuing to honestly follow his muse. IMO He is at a pinnacle with this release. The fact that that is him playing all those instruments which would be a big deal alone for just about any artist is almost incidental to the beauty and unbridled creativity he is giving here. However he got to this, I can only shake my head and say wow.

blisterfree
May 21 2013
at 2:57 PM

I predict we’ll be hearing Mastema for a long time to come, and in all sorts of pop culture contexts. What a great pop-rock hook, inflected with just the right amount of off-color experimentation to keep it fresh and entertaining for 7 minutes. And the coda is just plain grin-inducing!

mario toni
May 21 2013
at 2:02 PM

Well, according to samples from iTunes, this will be the 1st Pat album I’m not going to buy! I had that feeling all along! Too abstract, too, well, world music-ish, too not Pat as I used to like...Oh yeah, and again those Orchestrion robots! I dig Orchestrion, Orchestrion Project and even Orchestrion blu ray, but hey, this is really too much!!! If I wanted robots I would listen to Kraftwerk. Maybe someday I’ll change my mind but at this moment this is the farthest from Pat it has ever been... TAP!

mountain
May 21 2013
at 11:16 AM

I am rocking to Mastema! I pre-ordered, but could not wait so I also bought it through iTunes this morning and listening at work!

hman01
May 21 2013
at 7:15 AM

Downloaded first thing this morning.Listening to the first track.I’m diggin’ it!!!

blisterfree
May 20 2013
at 11:21 PM

May 20- iTunes has Tap! Search on John Zorn and scroll waaaay down. Downloading now...

mountain
May 20 2013
at 3:51 PM

Nice article in NY Times. "They Fathom Distinctive Languages" By NATE CHINEN Published: May 19, 2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05 /20/arts/music/a-word-with- pat-metheny-and-john- zorn.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

mugsy
May 19 2013
at 5:15 PM

hman01 - my experience is that iTunes often doesn’t have pre-orders, but I’d be surprised if TAP doesn’t show up on Tuesday.

hman01
May 18 2013
at 4:59 PM

Hey,does anybody know if itunes will be carrying this? I don’t see any ops for pre- ordering.

naut
May 18 2013
at 6:49 AM

Thanks for the explanation, aloc. So I guess I’m getting the real deal, whenever the A-zon shipment arrives.

dwi4001
May 13 2013
at 6:07 PM

I sure don’t know what’s it all about, but I do know I can’t wait to hear it!

hman01
May 10 2013
at 1:53 PM

I wanna preview,I wanna preview,I wanna preview,I wanna preview,I wanna preview,I wanna preview

aloc
May 09 2013
at 6:50 PM

The other is released by Nonesuch and the other by Zorn’s label, Tzadik. I’d reckon -pure speculation- that Nonesuch was reluctant to "lease" Pat to another record company (let’s face it, anything Pat does is bound sell a decent amount) but understandably Zorn wouldn’t want a disc that’s part of a series on his label to be an isolated island to it’s own - thus the two simultaneous releases. Same content, different covers. The Tzadik version conforms with the artwork of previous volumes. I’ll be buying the Tzadik version to support Zorn’s efforts as an independent agent working on his own artistic terms in a field too often mired in its inner economics instead of the artistic content. Not to put down Nonesuch by any means, that too is an awesome label with a broad artistic vision.

naut
May 09 2013
at 6:28 AM

What is the difference between the two red Zorn/Pat records: "Tap: John Zorn’s Book of Angels, Vol. 20 by Pat Metheny" and "Tap: The Book of Angels, Vol. 20 by John Zorn and Pat Metheny" with the gold star on the cover? I’m cornfused.

aloc
May 07 2013
at 5:58 AM

I managed to catch "Phanuel" from the forthcoming volume on a webcast of a belgian radio station. It was really great. Haunting and gripping. Now I’m even more jazzed about this record than previously! Has anyone else managed to catch any sneak peeks?

bluepno
Apr 27 2013
at 5:30 PM

may 21 key information..

hman01
Apr 27 2013
at 1:52 PM

I’m a itchin’ to hear this rainbow! Come on May 21!

aloc
Apr 26 2013
at 9:36 AM

Darn, I only just discovered that BBC’s Jazz on 3 played "Mastema" from the forthcoming record. Did any one here happen to catch it? I’ve read elsewhere that it’s great. Found one review aswell, on a site called Marlbank.

hman01
Apr 09 2013
at 2:25 PM

"sunship"-Yes,Volume 10 Book of Angels:Lucifer with a group of musicians called Bar Kokhba is a great recording.In fact,I liked it so much,I also downloaded off of itunes the 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 11,also with Bar Kokhba.It’s a 3 CD set.It’s also outstanding.

sunship
Apr 09 2013
at 8:59 AM

hman-01 -- How is the volume 10 of Book of Angels: Lucifer? Is that a "can’t go wrong" album. I wanted to jump into that series and might start with volume 10.

djbinder
Apr 03 2013
at 9:23 PM

My review copy just arrived today. About to spin....

mountain
Apr 01 2013
at 1:16 PM

Funny comments and some completely in the dark. I would not expect any live performance by Pat of the Zorn music, except for maybe an occasional tune at some future date. Zorn is not playing on it at all. Antonio Sanchez is playing drums on it and he is the only other musician. From what I read, Pat put this together between tours over the past few months. I have already pre-ordered the release. I have been a fan for many years. Luv the Naked City stuff and I did see Zorn perform Masada in Philly several years ago. Also like the Spy vs. Spy Music of Ornette Colman project he did. I find Zorn one of the more interesting artists out there...always omni-creative and extending the vocabulary or inventing a new vocabulary. Can’t wait to hear what Pat does with the Book Two compositions. Also, you need to check out Zorn’s Arcana: Musicians on Music book series. Outstanding!

hman01
Apr 01 2013
at 12:52 PM

Not only am I excited about Pats’ upcoming release,I’m getting introduced to a lot of new music.I’ve been listening to Volumes 10 and 12 of Book of Angels.There’s so much to choose from in this series based on ones’ personal tastes.It’s all good,but some I like more than others.But it’s always great to be introduced to new music.

naut
Apr 01 2013
at 10:56 AM

Can’t wait...well, I can wait, but I don’t want to. Really, I guess I don’t mind the wait. Let’s just say I look forward to hearing this. Pat plays flugelhorn!? That I want to hear. I wonder if he’ll ever do Zorchestrion?

jnyutah
Mar 29 2013
at 10:44 AM

theres actually a documentary on Zorn that was on netflix watched it a while ago and don’t know if its still available streaming, one of my favorites is spy vs spy that album is really good, i also like the one where he plays the music of enio morricone and of course the naked city but his output is so vast that its pretty incredible

thehague
Mar 29 2013
at 10:00 AM

Really looking forward to this album. John Zorn is like Pat Metheny a master at versatility and a great artist and musician.

bluepno
Mar 29 2013
at 8:45 AM

Through the Book of Angels clarity returns not to be passed over on a good friday no less.

aloc
Mar 29 2013
at 4:39 AM

Sorry for the cryptic nature of the previous posts. I remember first hearing rumours about this project about a year and a half ago (and also posted about it on another thread to little response), but then the chatter vanished and I thought -disappointedly- that the rumours were wrong, until recently. Zorn is one of my favorites, alongside Pat (and others) so, as mentioned before, very very excited about this!!!

Dylan03
Mar 28 2013
at 8:03 PM

I’ m so excited for this new record. I’ve just been getting into Zorn and he has become one of my favorite artists and I’ve always thought that even though Pat and his styles are different they’d work well together especially on the Masada material. I think this is going to be great! Does anyone know if he has plans to perform this live?

hman01
Mar 28 2013
at 11:12 AM

So,now we know what Tap is!!! Pat’s new project,written up on this site’s home page.It sounds like something new and different from him.Totally unexpected.This will probably all make even more sense when we get to hear it.He continues to amaze us with his diverse virtuosity.I can’t wait!!!!!

thehague
Mar 28 2013
at 3:55 AM

Palin-drone, I like that. Must be a drone driven by Michael Palin. Can’t be that bad then.

mugsy
Mar 27 2013
at 4:45 PM

I didn’t mean to sound like a "know it all" - this thread is pretty confusing. Other than doing my own research which did find a new CD titled "TAP" coming later this spring, I was pretty lost on this one.

blisterfree
Mar 27 2013
at 4:28 PM

Hman must be thinking of a Palin- drone, which is operated remotely by a trained handler, I believe, yet frequently crashes nevertheless.

sunship
Mar 27 2013
at 12:44 PM

Is this about the upcoming Zorn/Metheny collaboration?

hman01
Mar 27 2013
at 9:45 AM

Thank you mugsy.I never knew what a palindrome was.I always thought a PALINdrome was something like "I can see Russia from my house."

bluepno
Mar 27 2013
at 9:42 AM

very true mugsy but read... a man a plan a canal panama ...backwards.I was deliberately looking for a deceptive resolution...Tap would be retrograde to be concise and clear, which this thread is not asking for.

mugsy
Mar 27 2013
at 12:43 AM

Bluepno: TAP is not a palindrome. A Palindrome is a word that reads both ways (such as madam).

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