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Pat Metheny
The hook behind Pat Metheny’s new album is a doozy: All accompanying instruments are performed by an army of machines. Simply put, the famed jazz guitarist has raised the bar for inventiveness, which says a lot for a career stretching over three decades. For his latest, the 55-year-old conceptualized and oversaw construction of each instrumental trigger (employing solenoid technology), which fulfilled a childhood fantasy inspired by his grandfather’s player piano.
The fusion forerunner’s nimble leads preserve a badly needed human touch, countering the stiff precision of his man-made “band.” The seductive “Entry Point” sets the album’s washy tone, while the opening title track dances with elegant piano runs, echoed by marimbas and assorted percussion.
Of the album’s five simmering cuts (all original), the centerpiece, “Expansion,” feels the most like an organic composition with syncopated Latin rhythms and straight-ahead swing. There’s no question the visionary ax man’s at the forefront of technology, but the fact that he’s managed to mellow out the sound of machinery might be the most astonishing aspect of the entire endeavor.
Pat Metheny brings his Orchestrion to Symphony Center Monday 10.
Download Orchestrion at iTunes | Buy it from Amazon.com
