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(More customer reviews)Most artists who have more than 30 years of success behind them usually talk about that one unfinished masterpiece, the one that's swimming around in the brain just waiting to come out at just the right time. In the case of Pat Metheny, his latest effort "The Way Up" could very well be such a piece.
Consisting of a single 68-minute piece broken into four sections, "The Way Up" finds the Pat Metheny Group diving head first into unknown yet familiar musical territory. Musically, the piece is not too different from that heard on previous efforts such as "Speaking of Now", "Imaginary Day", "Letter From Home" or even "First Circle". However, there are some brilliant new elements heard in the music as well. Metheny's latest drummer Antonio Sanchez plays with more complex syncopations and has a unique style different than his predecessor Paul Wertico. The addition of the young harmonica player Gregoire Maret gives the music more of a folk flavor at times. Maret has an excellent harmonica spot which can be heard in the middle of part two of this piece. Pat's guitar work also seems to be more varied as well alternating between electric, acoustic, slide, 12-string, fuzz and guitar-synth. His playing is acceptional through the piece especially from the middle of part one to the part's conclusion. Trumpeter Cuong Vu shines with brilliance throughout the disc as well displaying a style that echoes Miles Davis with a slight hint of Arturo Sandoval and (dare I say it) Herb Alpert.
Despite this CD being comprised of a single piece of music, there is plenty to digest here. The changes of mood and texture heard throughout the piece make the 68-minute running time almost seem like nothing at all. The strong musicianship between Pat and his bandmates is sensational while the compositional structure is flawless.
Applause must be given to Pat Metheny and keyboardist/collaborator Lyle Mays for taking such a daring step and successfully pulling it off. This is Pat Metheny's definitive magnum-opus, a mountain-top acheivement for this brilliant guitar genius. Bravo.
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The Way Up represents, in the words of guitarist Pat Metheny himself, "our most ambitious undertaking ever as a group"-a single, brilliant 68-minute piece composed by Metheny and his collaborator of 28 years, Lyle Mays. Metheny has likened the creation of The Way Up to making a film, and in some respects, the album feels like a vividly rendered journey, its moods shifting like scenes glimpsed from a fast-moving vehicle.
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