• About

listeningatlunch

~ Thoughts on music — from Schubert to Slayer

listeningatlunch

Tag Archives: Steve Rodby

Pat Metheny Group: We Live Here (Live in Japan)

26 Sunday May 2013

Posted by listeningatlunch in Jazz

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

David Blamires, Lyle Mays, Mark Ledford, Pat Metheny, Steve Rodby

Since the 1970’s, Pat Metheny (1954 – ) has been one
of the major Jazz guitarists on the music scene, both as
a leader and a sideman. He has played with many
“heavyweights,” and his musical credentials are
impeccable. Not long ago, I watched
“Pat Metheny Group: We Live Here (Live in Japan),”
a DVD release of a 1995 concert performance. Not only
did it showcase Metheny’s formidable playing skills,
but also those of his band members. It was a sort
of democratic “cooperative,” and included interview
footage with each participant.

For example, bassist Steve Rodby mentioned his
occasional dual roles as band conductor and
wordmeister, stating that “…whenever everyone’s
playing their best, it means I’ve done my job.”
David Blamires shared vocal and multi-instrumentalist
duties with the late trumpeter Mark Ledford (1960-2004)
and during this concert, Blamires played guitar,
mellophone, flügelhorn, accordion, and marimba!
In fact, when interviewed, Blamires and Ledford
both mentioned that they were occasionally asked
to learn entirely new instruments on two months’
notice. Talk about “pulling your weight” in a band!

As the main composers of the group, Metheny
and keyboardist Lyle Mays were prominently featured
throughout the disc, and although the group has
Metheny’s name, it was clear that the primary
purpose of this group wasn’t to just “show off” his
or any other band member’s playing chops,
regardless of their individual virtuosity. It was
evident that the MUSIC mattered the most, with
each musician’s abilities solely used in the service
of the various compositions. The set list included
numbers, such as “This Is Not America,” from
Metheny’s score for the film, “The Falcon and the
Snowman,” “Have You Heard,” “To the End of
the World,” and “Here to Stay.”

At the same time, I would like to say that I was
quite impressed with Metheny’s tasteful playing,
on a few different instruments. He used the tonal
settings of a true Jazz guitarist, without noticeable
distortions or effects. In general, the music seemed
to mostly adhere to the Smooth Jazz/Fusion genre
that is commonly heard in Los Angeles on KTWV-FM,
aka “The Wave.” While this music is quite beautiful,
impeccably arranged and performed, I’m not
particularly drawn to this genre. Nevertheless,
I welcomed the change of pace, combined with
the knowledge that I was watching and hearing
first-rate musicians. As I haven’t heard a lot of
his music making, I’m curious to check out Metheny’s
other work in different musical contexts. Based upon
the class and quality of the overall show, I’d have
to highly rate this one-hour and 42-minute DVD.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • More
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Blogroll

  • Amazon.com: Here, you can find additional related items and purchase options.

Recent Posts

  • Alfred Schnittke: Psalms of Repentance / Swedish Radio Choir / Tõnu Kaljuste
  • Carmen McRae – Live
  • Charles Gounod: Mors et Vita

Categories

  • Blues
  • Classical
  • Country
  • Folk
  • Gospel/Sacred
  • Hip-Hop
  • Jazz
  • Multigenre
  • Music Education
  • Music History
  • Opera
  • Popular
  • Reggae
  • Rhythm and Blues
  • Rock
  • World Music

Archives

  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • March 2016
  • October 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
Subscribe in a reader

RSS Feeds

  • Alfred Schnittke: Psalms of Repentance / Swedish Radio Choir / Tõnu Kaljuste June 3, 2017
    When listening to “Psalms of Repentance,” a CD of music by Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998), I was amazed at the sounds …Continue reading →
  • Carmen McRae – Live June 1, 2017
    “Carmen McRae – Live” is an 81-minute DVD released under the Image Entertainment label. It is footage of a 1986 …Continue reading →
  • Charles Gounod: Mors et Vita May 31, 2017
    Like his previous 1882 oratorio, “La Rédemption,” Charles Gounod composed his ambitious Sacred trilogy, “Mors et Vita,” for the Birmingham …Continue reading →
  • Michael Finnissy: The History of Photography in Sound / Ian Pace May 30, 2017
    Michael Finnissy’s “The History of Photography in Sound” for solo piano is another listening “Mount Everest” for me, both in …Continue reading →
  • Tennessee Ernie Ford: His Life and Times May 25, 2017
    My mother owned an album by Tennessee Ernie Ford entitled, “This Lusty Land” which was released in the mid-1950’s, following …Continue reading →

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
%d bloggers like this: