Question and Answer

Dear Pat, One thing I love about you as an artist is that I have no idea what to expect next. On the other hand you have so many “classic” configurations that you have developed over the years, will you consider returning to them? For instance, the PMG configuration in one form or another? Or coming up, you could get Bob Moses and a great electric bass player and celebrate 40 years since Bright Size Life. So, in short, what's next? Whatever you do, I will be listening! Thanks for all the great music!

My instinct is to keep moving and stay exactly true to what my interests are at a particular moment, especially at this point in life. Looking back has never been a big thing for me. I know there are people who celebrate 20 years of this and 30 years of doing that or whatever but there is no aspect of that that is appealing to me at all and never has been. The current Unity Band project has been life- changing for me, I have led many groups of talented musicians, but what went down with that band on a night after night basis was inspiring in a way that was really unlike anything else. When we did our last gig, as we walked off the stage all I could think about was that I didn’t want it to end, and I knew it was the same for Chris, Antonio and Ben too. That band is just unbelievable. So I have been trying to find a way to extend our time together. At the same time, I have been feeling the pull to do the kind of lush and harmonically dense music with lots more written material that has always been a big part of my larger groups and projects. So I think I am going to build on that core and see where it goes. Regarding the PMG “classic” lineup in one way or another, of course Antonio has been working with me in just about every situation anyway, Lyle is enjoying civilian life in California and Steve has become one of the most in demand producers in jazz and both of them seem happily comfortable at this moment in their lives so there doesn’t seem to be any urgency to get that going right at the moment although I am sure we will all do something again at some point in the future. Regarding Bright Size Life, without Jaco I wouldn’t be inclined to go there although I love Moses and would always welcome any chance to play with him. Basically I want to do new things but also every “older” thing doesn’t seem out of bounds either. It is all kind of one big thing for me and I tend to gravitate towards the place where the fire seems to be burning brightest for me at the moment. That all said, the next thing that is going to happen is something different from all of that! So, stay tuned!