
Speaking Of Now (Warner Bros. Records)
Pat Metheny Group
Released February 12, 2002
Grammy Award Best Contemporary Jazz Album 2003
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/browse/MPREb_5fEnaLRS9j1
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/2XlIL7wXd4j2vAUvFI3cO8?si=__uAaRfhSA-iAPsSM9ByIw
About:
The recording
took place during the late spring and summer of 2001 at Right Track Recording
in New York City. The well oiled production team of Metheny, Rodby and Mays
were joined once again by their longtime engineer, Rob Eaton for sessions that
Metheny has described as “one of the most satisfying and fun recording
experiences of my career.”
“Beyond everything we do together as players, Steve, Lyle and I have
worked on putting together so many records together on a production level that
we can really communicate effectively amongst ourselves to get the kinds of
results that reflect the level of quality that we all aspire to. In particular,
the way Steve is able to function on so many levels during the organization and
recording of these records is very important. He is one of the best people I
have ever seen at getting the very best out of everyone involved and the
material itself during a recording session.”
“As a team, We have recorded so many times together over the years that we usually have a pretty precise sense of what is going to happen when and at approximately what rate before we start recording. This time however, the sheer speed at which this very ambitious music was able to get recorded kind of took us all by surprise. Within a little over a week, we had all the basic tracks done and were able to finish the first stage of the project with time to spare, something that has rarely been the case with us in the past when working on our studio recordings.” After a 2-month break for Metheny to fulfill his summer commitments at an array of continental jazz festivals with his trio, the core team of Metheny, Mays and Rodby regrouped for the final stages of recording and mixing, finishing the record in the fall of 2001.
Track Listing:
1. As It Is (Lyle Mays / Pat Metheny) 7:42
2. Proof (Lyle Mays / Pat Metheny) 10:18
(Pat Metheny, Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo 2003)
3. Another Life (Pat Metheny) 7:13
4. The Gathering Sky (Lyle Mays / Pat Metheny) 9:26
5. You (Pat Metheny) 8:57
6. On Her Way (Lyle Mays / Pat Metheny) 5:41
7. A Place in the World (Lyle Mays / Pat Metheny) 9:54
8. Afternoon (Pat Metheny) 4:45
9. Wherever You Go (Lyle Mays / Pat Metheny) 8:03
Pat Metheny: acoustic and electric guitars, guitar synth
Lyle Mays: acoustic piano, keyboards
Steve Rodby: cello (1), acoustic bass
Richard Bona: vocals, percussion, acoustic guitar (4), the high fretless electric bass (7, 9)
Cuong Vu: trumpet, vocals
Antonio Sanchez: drums
David Samuels: additional percussion and marimba
Recorded 2001 at Right Track Recording, NYC
Produced by Pat Metheny
Co-Produced by Steve Rodby and Lyle Mays
Recorded and Mixed by Rob Eaton
Digital Editing: Rob Eaton and Steve Rodby
Additional Digital Editing: Pat Metheny
Technical Coordination and Production Assistance: David Oakes
Assistant Engineer: Andrew Fellus
Technical Assistance: Carolyn Chrzan
Post-production Preparation: Pete Karam
Lead Sheet Preparation: Steve Rodby and Wally Dunbar
Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound
Project Coordinator: David Sholemson
Packaging Design: Doyle Partners
Review:
One would be hard pressed to find a jazz-based ensemble that has stayed together for as long as the Pat Metheny Group, which was formed in 1977. Of course, the band is not the sole musical outlet for any of its members and fans wait patiently as much as five years between releases. Still, over the course of eleven studio albums, the Pat Metheny Group has carved a distinctive niche and gained an unparalleled following.
A successor to 1997’s Imaginary Day, the newly issued Speaking of Now marks somewhat of a milestone for Metheny and the guys in that three new faces take their spots aside the guitarist, alter ego Lyle Mays, and bassist Steve Rodby. Drummer Paul Wertico finally decided to split the scene, with Antonio Sanchez taking his place. Interestingly enough, this native of Mexico City relies on a great variety of drum and cymbal textures very much in the tradition of Wertico and Danny Gottlieb. Much more surprising would be the inclusion of Richard Bona on vocals and percussion, plus trumpeter Cuong Vu adding a new sonority. While Bona has put his West African spin on the plethora of assignments he has taken part in, Vu will be most familiar to those who follow the avant-garde scene.
Musically Speaking of Now is as strong as any of the group’s best albums, even if it plays it a bit safe when compared to the far reaching implications of its predecessor. The scope of the material is narrower, without any overt flag wavers in the lineage of such challenging tunes as “The Roots of Coincidence” or “The Heat of the Day” from Imaginary Day. There’s also less of a reliance on electronic layering and Mays fans will be pleased in regards to how much exposure is given to his acoustic piano forays.
The centerpiece of a 72-minute program is “Proof,” which gets a setup from Rodby’s six-note bass riff. Impressive is the way the group negotiates some irregular phrase lengths that navigate through different time signatures. Then, it’s a quick launch into a lengthy Metheny solo. Cuong Vu has assimilated his employer’s muse to the point that when he first enters you’re almost fooled into thinking that Metheny has merely switched to guitar synth.
“Another Life” introduces us to a new vocal timbre provided by Bona and Vu, with a chant of Gregorian proportions that unpredictably leads to a delicate bossa groove. “You” also finds Bona’s characteristic vocals as part of the mix on an expansive track that includes a lengthy Mays feature in the tradition of “San Lorenzo.” A percussive gamelan pastiche makes the briefest of appearances as an intro to “The Gathering Sky,” which sports a Ralph Townerish melody and the kind of flamboyant ending that has become a Metheny trademark.
Arguably, the most memorable tracks are the two that seem to have a connection to past glories. “On Her Way” is preceded by a mix of African kalimba and a Middle Eastern trumpet fanfare, only to settle into a back beat groove similar to “Praise” (from First Circle ) and some double time shouts from Metheny. “Afternoon” may be short, but it is undeniably addictive and includes a hook that will have you reaching for the remote and the repeat function. In fact, the entire program holds up very well under repeated listening, even if some high expectations might have initially been dashed.
C. Andrew Hovan (All About Jazz)