antoniodeste

It seems incredible, but Symbad indicates EXACTLY the musical stages (chronologically, I wouldn't know) that I have also gone through. I mean, every time it mentions groups or musicians from this or that musical direction, I jump in my chair because they ALL belong (and I imagine it's only a small part of what he mentions) to my musical background. Even the specification of "Commercial" and "underground." Curious and stimulating. Regarding Beat Boy, I think it has become quite clear how "labels" can ultimately create an unpleasant, disorienting, and great confusion. For example, I would never dream of associating EL&P with the "parajazz" trend, but it is undeniable that the live improvisations of "Take A Pebble" or "Piano Improvisations" or "Aquatarkus" have a jazzy flavor. As I've stated and repeated, it would really be good to ABANDON labels. I know they are convenient, but then they become cages. And they started to feel tight for me a long time ago. I admit it, I am forced to use them too, much to my chagrin, because many people understand only that way. (like some only with numbers and statistics...) Best regards, Symbad. I would love to do a nice trio with you. Who should we put on drums? Or would you prefer a nice quartet?

I thank you, Fosca, for your foresight, and Nightwalker for... the blame attributed to me. There's no need to elaborate on what Fosca claims. It is now clear that free jazz is not her thing and does not interest her, as what attracts her to Metheny is undoubtedly and above all his ingenuity, harmonic imagination, and the intrinsic beauty of the melodies in their "soft-jazz" significance, as she wants to define it. As a connoisseur of the guitarist from Lee Summit, she indeed extracts the most emotionally romantic aspects, judging by the titles mentioned. And this is not necessarily a bad thing, mind you. The position of Nightwalker, which I also share, beyond the "contemptuous accusations," is that of an aficionado of a perhaps more open and selective understanding of music(mality), where there may be no room for those who also listen to lighter things. However, in my opinion, this should not authorize anyone to use such strong tones aimed at belittling the merit and value of a preference, whatever its motivation may be. Peace.

Yes, right, Renzo, but if "the others" are bothering me, I’m sorry, I’m not going to stay quiet and let them bother me just because that’s not my world. As for the rest: I’ve read it all: I really liked it and I agree with a lot of it. Regards.

I went back to reading the review, months later, to understand where and if there are the elements pointed out by Nightwalker and, possibly, to comprehend Fosca's somewhat grumpy reaction, to be honest. I don't know if the review could actually seem like a "gun in a child's hands," but, as often happens, when the music brings immense pleasure, one loses sight of critical sense and objectivity, allowing oneself (perhaps rightly) to get carried away by the stirrings of the heart. Perhaps this time Nightwalker (who, in my opinion, from other comments seems to be a "hardcore" type) went a bit heavy, and Fosca, for her part, tries to set some boundaries. But in the end: do you like "Offramp"? Yes. So why look for a hair in the egg? After all, Nightwalker, even pretending for a moment not to know Metheny, doesn’t seem to imply any "dangerous" or misleading derivations or intentions in the review, does he? At most, I might disagree with the conclusion of the review; Fosca doesn’t realize that "Offramp" (the composition) is one of the manifestos of Metheny close to the free philosophy of the master Ornette Coleman during those years. Fosca claims to have seen Metheny three times, if I'm not mistaken. I’ll tell you, Fosca, that besides having seen him more than twice as many times as you, the first time was in '83, just when Metheny live left large spaces (but he still does today, in certain contexts) for free-style improvisation. I spoke with him about it in Peschiera sul Garda in '87, then, during the promotional tour of "(Still) Life Talking"; Metheny entertained me for several minutes explaining his "contemporary" concept of Free linked (and updated) to Ornette's theories. And it wasn’t easy to follow those concepts. It’s evident that the guitarist's success comes from very different sources of inspiration and expression, but the collaborations, the episodes scattered throughout his works, and his jazz background cannot exempt an authentic connoisseur or "fan" of Metheny from considering this aspect of his music with some importance. If you "skip" that piece, it becomes curious: it’s the piece that should set the dominant tone of the Metheny thought of that period, even if it’s not the only one. Do you like Metheny halfway? I apologize for the length of the post. Regards.

For Beat Boy: as you can see, both Magg and Symbad have called the "thing" by its name: back then it was really called jazz/rock (thanks Magg); I'll tell you that in some cases I still find myself using this term when talking with friends about the bands that were directly and succinctly listed, especially by Magg. Together with those mentioned by Symbad, they form an excellent starting point (but also a destination, if you will) for understanding the state of that musical direction back then. Listen to them (all, if possible); your curiosity (and that’s a compliment) will surely teach you something. Best regards.

Well, if that's the case, I have both (the brain and... yes, the oiseau, quite tough indeed, although, in the latter case, having no Bossian influence whatsoever). In any case, for observers, it is always possible to use different lenses to see things less rigidly, just to keep it simple. And I don't use arrows but rather bullets; I believe Odradek (no offense intended) has noticed this. But perhaps they are rubber.

For Odradek: I repeat: despite your kind invitation regarding the waterfalls of Wichita, I feel that I would need to make a considerable effort to be "credible" in a "critical" review. We’ll see, I might give it a try; it depends on inspiration (harmonic). Anyway, I thank you for your trust: I know you are a "smart" guy; I’m a bit less so. For Symbad: you did a great job telling the story of the old and new Chautauqua: I suppose not many know it and therefore associate it with the sense of the work. Why don’t you review Wichita? I've talked to Metheny several times, I adore him; I wouldn’t be able to escape the repeated charm of his works that have delighted me for almost thirty years; I simply couldn’t be objective, and it wouldn’t be fair to the potential readers of this forum; then I might even encounter some jerk who writes to me, “yeah, nice, but who knows what I was expecting” and I wouldn’t hesitate (wrongly) to hit back. No, really, that album is tied to a very particular period in my life, and the emotions I experienced around "september fifteenth" or "it's for you" still overflow inside me, in the memory, making a genuine and cold analysis impossible. I warmly invite anyone reading this post to review Wichita. In return, I promise comments (....what a change....!).

Well, let's put it pretty clearly: even though the term wasn't really used at the time, I would say that classifying Arti & Mestieri as a "prog" group is a bit bold..... Not that I care about labels or classifications, but being aware that many are influenced by them, I would like to dispel this doubt or statement.

Yes, alright, I've read all the posts and appreciated this delightful "exercise in style" at the time, which, as a long-time Metheny fan, I enjoyed in its perhaps apparent simplicity. However, no one, in terms of comparisons (which I don’t find particularly appealing anyway), has mentioned the only album in some way comparable to this one (excluding the zero tolerance for silence) which is "New Chautauqua." Do you know it? It's the Metheny carrying the ECM label and I believe the work is about 25 years old or so, but to me, that makes for a good comparison (especially with such a long interval). In the album, he overdubs his guitars two or three times and brings out a couple of his timeless gems for me: "Sueno con Mexico", "Heremitage", "New Chautauqua." I’ve always loved that record, as well as PMG (the "white" album from '77). And then I would love for someone to take the trouble to review "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls": I am too attached to that work to be objective. It is one of the peaks, always, of the Methenyana oeuvre (and Lyle Mays) and I consider it a "must." For Symbad: forgive me for the long absence, but aside from Debaser, I have a ton of things to take care of, and my absence proves it. I read your position on this album and I give you another nice little medal. You should have a full chest, in my opinion, now. I recently re-listened to Steve Khan's "Public Access," which you discussed some time ago, and the work still holds up well with the weight of the years. Great record (thanks also to the "pazzielle" of Manolo Badrena and the supreme bass of Anthony Jackson). It's a shame Khan has become so "precious." baibai

I join the chorus of those rejoicing by adding my voice. A&M were really good; technically impressive and musically expansive. However, I personally prefer "Tilt!"; "Giro di valzer," although very pleasant, is less inspired and a bit fragmented. "Sagra" is rhythmically just fantastic. I tried to purchase "Quinto stato" some time ago, and recently "Murales"; in the first case, I have a rather confused memory, while in the second, it's beautiful and encouraging. I would conclude on a positive note (..-..negative....) by remembering the two splendid albums (at the time "posthumous") by Arti & Mestieri, by Venegoni & Co.: "Rumore rosso" and "Sarabanda." My good friend, photographer Marco Zanta, was so impressed by them that a few years ago he published (among others) a curious photo book entitled "Rumore rosso." And since I'm on the topic, I like to remember that when I used to do radio (over twenty years ago....sigh) I hosted a show called "Tilt! Immagini per un orecchio." Thanks to Gigi, Furio, Marco, Beppe, Giovanni, Gianfranco, Arturo. Thanks also to Nightwalker10. Well done!