Pat Metheny Trio
Trio 99 -> 00

THE REVIEW

August 1999. Together with Larry Grenadier (double bass) and Bill Steward (drums), Pat Metheny produces a fresh and energetic album. The TRIO is well-tested by a long European tour, with generous feedback from critics and the public. Pat is focused on a very specific research goal. The trio indeed proposes a return to pure jazz, seasoned with improvisations, clear sounds, and a couple of tributes (John Coltrane with "Giant steps" and Wayne Short with "Capricorn"). Larry and Bill are young and capable, bringing energy and freshness to the sound, knowing how to "play" with Pat, and quickly learning to build a well-defined language. The album was recorded in just one week. Imagine that well five pieces were written by Pat just a few days before entering the recording studio.

"Get it" opens the album with energy and eclecticism. It’s the appetizer to a truly memorable album, in which good Pat shows the audience how much his style has refined. You can sense a return to the classic, and at the same time a purity that cannot go unnoticed. For the more refined palates, blues accents are perceptible. "Giant steps" follows, a great homage to John Coltrane. Personally, I find this piece incredible and poignant. Pat knows how to add color and vigor to his performance, conveying freshness even though it’s an old piece. The harmonic progression allows a better enjoyment of the melody. The slower rhythm makes it all dreamy and unusual. Pleasant, but forgettable, is the acoustic ballad "Just like the day" (which should evoke travel according to Pat) and "Soul cowboy," where you will appreciate the ensemble and the imprint of the musicians in the attempt to retrace a sparse and simple blues. "The sun in Montreal" is a true masterpiece. We are in full Methenyesque jazz, a sort of new contemporary jazz, soft, knowledgeable, and disciplined. Believe it or not, this piece matured over 25 years and only saw the light in '99. Steward’s brushes give grace and softness. "Capricorn" pays homage to Wayne Shorter. The piece has always held a special place in Pat's heart, a classic revisited with respect and wisdom. "We had a sister" very acoustic, crystalline, with the double bass in the foreground, and "What do you want" transport you into the modern and rigorous atmosphere of the formation, leading you to the absolute masterpiece "A lot of living to do," a real marvel of softness and elegance. Dive into the melancholic and fluid atmosphere of the piece, vibrate to Steward’s brushes. The old tracks "Lone Jack" and "Travels" close the album.

After the introspective album with Jim Hall and the impersonal "Like minds" with Burton, Trio represents a truly welcome unexpected explosion that restores vigor and popularity to the good old Pat.