Pat Metheny With Lyle Mays & Nanà Vasconcelos
As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls

THE REVIEW

I don't know if it's my age starting to creep up (I write this to hear "but it's not true, you're still a youngster!!") or simply because what I need in music is something calm and delicate. It turns out that over the last two years, Pat Metheny has become a kind of medicine against negative moments and excellent company during the best times.
Metheny is, as even the stones know by now, one of the most acclaimed and famous jazz guitarists, an artist capable of being direct yet very complex, without ever being excessive or pretentious in his compositions. But what I think sets him apart from the others is his extremely calm, soothing, and relaxing style, something I rarely encounter in my listening.
The album I want to talk about today is perhaps one of the lesser-known of Pat's (even though it's considered one of the best), yet I believe it is one of those works that most deserve to be listened to, not only because the music it offers is, as usual, full of emotions and an uncommon beauty, but because alongside Pat are two musicians of fundamental importance in jazz, who answer to the names of Lyle Mays (keyboardist and pianist who became famous precisely for his more than two-decade collaboration with Metheny) and that genius Nana Vasconcelos, already teamed up with Brian Eno and Jon Hassell, who never before has showcased such an ability to add a touch more personality to the music.
Recorded in Oslo a good 28 years ago, "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls" can be considered as a kind of summary of the American guitarist's musical explorations, which have often led him to merge jazz, new age, ambient, pop, rock, and folk elements together. It's precisely in the first track, the title-track, where all these elements come together, resulting in a long suite almost 21 minutes long, during which calm, relaxing moments with a strong new age flavor are joined with others close to Brazilian folk, culminating in the most classic guitar jazz of which Pat is a great master.
The other half of the album is divided into 4 episodes named "Ozark" (a piece with a festive atmosphere, truly a little gem in which Mays is the great protagonist, with his piano always ready to deliver a warm and captivating melody to captivate and seduce the listener), "September Fifteenth" (one of the saddest and most touching songs in Metheny's entire discography), and then "Estupenda Graça" (inspired once again by Brazilian tradition and "tinged" with soft jazzy hues). Splendid, in the case of this track, is Vasconcelos's voice, which proves to be an excellent singer when needed, endowed with a rich voice that can also be extremely delicate. The most classical "It's For You" closes the album, decidedly closer to the guitarist's typical musical canons.
In conclusion, this "Witchia" is one of those works that remind me that music isn't always a silly thing conceived by people who just want to make money, but it's above all a means of communication, from which the emotions and feelings of good and honest musicians can shine through. I'm glad that someone can still reach my heart so directly.
I believe I've said everything I wanted to tell you, I'll leave you to listen to the album, and as I sign off, a heartfelt thank you is due to these three immense masters of Music.
Thanks indeed to all three.