# Pat Methany's more adventurous music



## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

I'm looking for some of Pat Methany's more adventurous music. A lot of what I hear is fairly straight Jazz progressions, but I do like when he does more innovative things. I am looking for things that veer away from standard Jazz progressions.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

*Pat Metheny* has made some adventurous recordings, one is _Song X_ with *Ornette Coleman*. Others are _Orchestrion_ (2010) and _The Orchestrion Project_ (2013).




























But since I am not a huge fan I can't offer any other suggestions.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

The Pat Metheny Group compositions by Pat and Lyle Mays are the most interesting to my ears. Most of these are anything but straight jazz. I'm not sure what you mean by that statement concerning their music because this is not Tin Pan Alley stuff. I'd recommend pieces such as The First Circle, Minuano, Third Wind, James, Episode d'Azur, Imaginary Day, and The Roots of Coincidence.

To really learn what's going on in their music go to YouTube and watch Ryan Slatko's two videos on Lyle Mays, Composer. He analyzes a number of PMG compositions and you'll see that Lyle composed a lot of the unconventional sections of these tunes. It's really interesting.

BTW, there's no A in Metheny.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)




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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

This one is quite sophisticated.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

This one was written by Lyle.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I used to hear this tune at some of the concerts but Pat never identified it. It remained a mystery until it turned up on a couple of the concert DVDs. One of the more exciting, high energy numbers in the set.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

not mentioned yet: Zero Tolerance for silence






he worked also with Derek Bailey, I haven't heard their work together but considering how Bailey plays I'm sure it's quite out there too.


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

he recently wrote a piece for the LA Guitar Quartet, the disc also has a solo CG piece played by Jason Vieux


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## GucciManeIsTheNewWebern (Jul 29, 2020)

Some jazz snobs often dismiss PMG for their smooth sound but I personally feel like their smoother sound allows them to explore territory that grittier jazz doesnt.

Roots of Coincidence and Heat of the Day off of Imaginary Day come to mind for more adventerous Metheny, but theres plenty more including what was previously posted.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Assuming that the smoother sounding stuff is not adventurous is a mistake. Does music have to be coarse and edgy to be adventurous? Pat can make things sound smooth because he's a master musician who has worked incredibly hard to make soloing over a set of complex chord changes sound easy. It's not by a long shot. Listen to the rhythms and time signatures in many of the compositions. For example, The First Circle. That tune is incredibly challenging. And there are many others.


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## GucciManeIsTheNewWebern (Jul 29, 2020)

starthrower said:


> Assuming that the smoother sounding stuff is not adventurous is a mistake. Does music have to be coarse and edgy to be adventurous? Pat can make things sound smooth because he's a master musician who has worked incredibly hard to make soloing over a set of complex chord changes sound easy. It's not by a long shot. Listen to the rhythms and time signatures in many of the compositions. For example, The First Circle. That tune is incredibly challenging. And there are many others.


Perhaps edgier is a better way to put it?


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