COST: £3.00 Place of purchase: HMV bargain bin Released 2005 Record label: Nonesuch
Cover: Although the picture above shows splashed red paint across a silver pole, my CD has a completely red pole, with people in the street walking by, just as in picture here.
Tracks: 1. OpeningMusic 2. Part OneMusic 3. Part TwoMusic 4. Part ThreeMusic
Okay, as you can see from above there are only 4 tracks on the album, but they link from one to another and are designed to be listed to in one run. In all there's 68 minutes, thats one hour and eight minutes of Jazz torture. Not that i hate jazz and that is why I say the CD was awful to listen to, not at all, infact some jazz is truely wonderful such as Still Life Talking.
This album isn't what anyone could consider easy-listening jazz, or dinner jazz, and maybe thats the problem - i adore saxaphone with a slow and soulful expression which unfortunately this album lacks completely.
This is a type of modern music jazz which trys an alternative approach to funk jazz - it's a type i havent come across before and honestly can say did not enjoy one little bit. True to say it's being a bit ambitiousand attemps to delivery jazz on the front line. Unfortunaltely it didnt do anything for me and I won't be making the mistake of buying anything from Pat Metheny in the future.
There is a variety of instruments used throughout the 68 min duration - of which make a horrid racket in an attempt to experimentally modernise jaz. This is something that shouldn't really be attempted. Jazz is as it is, a soulful and expressional artform that does not require tinkering or 'hipping' up to ''get down with the kids''. Instruments include the harmonica, which is in parts overdone, also the piano and the keyboard which instead of keeping tempo, often go off on one into a semi solo performance and ruins the flow of the music. The bass is thunderous and although expressive it does come across as if it's just fighting to be heard apart from the crazed guitar pickings. Drums are also porrly used - they tend to clash with the bass and makes listening a real challenge.
Overall I would not recommend this album, unless you are having one of those days when everything is goign far too well and you just need something to remind you about the hidious things in life. A grappling 3/10 and it really did deserve it's place in the HMV bargain bin.
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I'm not sure this is a fair review. There's more than one type of jazz, just as there's more than one type of each of pop, rock and classical.
You said 'This is a type of modern music jazz which trys an alternative approach to funk jazz' - This jazz genre known as jazz fusion. Fusion fans will like this album, but straight-ahead bigband jazz fans will hate it. I think it would have been fairer to make this distinction.
nereesa85 06.03.2006 11:58
A bit short but has all the info. Good op lv N xx
Martinscholes 05.03.2006 16:37
Quite clearly the type of Jazz my late Father would have hated! If it was post-1940, he did not consider it jazz.
Thanks. We are forwarned!
For nearly 30 years, guitarist Pat Metheny and his long-time musical cohort, ... more
pianist/keyboardist Lyle Mays, have covered an incredible amount of diverse material. On their debut recording for this label, they and their international group--bassist Stev...
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