Pat Metheny
Speaking of now

After the shared perplexities of Pat and Lyle Mays (including the public and critics) regarding the group's last work dating back to 1997, Imaginary Day, it was decided to rebuild the group with a view to a new very ambitious project. There were many ideas, but there was a need to refresh the image, find fresh forces, and relaunch the historic ensemble. Pat had just come from Like Minds, played with Burton and Corea, a collaboration with the Heat Bros (a return to Latin-derived fusion), the excellent and introspective acoustic work with Jim Hall, the soundtrack of the film A Map of the World, and the incredible work with the Trio, alongside Stewart and Grenadier.

The need to shake off the group's image of stagnation and decline pushed Pat to contact a new and very young Mexican drummer, Antonio Sanchez, born in 1971, recommended by some musicians, and to release the seasoned Paul Wertico, ending a collaboration that had lasted twenty years. For the vocal section, the two leaders relied on the highly skilled Cameroonian multi-instrumentalist Richard Bona (see the live on DVD to believe it) and on Cuong Vu, a Vietnamese trumpet player with excellent vocal qualities. It is the rebirth of the PMG: the stylistic and creative abilities of the new ensemble thus met in 2001, with Pat and Lyle intending to bring the group back to its former glory and rediscover the path to the Grammy Awards (the group won 7 consecutive awards, albeit of little depth, even Imaginary Day won the award in '98 for Best Contemporary Jazz). What particularly excited Pat and Lyle during the preparation of the material for the album was the thought of the talent and capabilities of the new members, Sanchez, Bona, and Vu (with the tried-and-tested Steve Rodby on bass).

The album opens with the acoustic "As It Is": Mays' piano and Metheny's synth present the theme, while Bona and Vu already show good harmony in the choral part of the piece. In "Proof" Pat and Lyle unleash, convincing Sanchez's arrangements. Intriguing with a "recognizable" mood. Pat's solo in "Another Life" is interesting, set in a sacred music atmosphere. So far, the album conveys a certain freshness and appears much more concrete than the 1997 work. I get the impression of a more modern, urban, and sunny sound even in "The Gathering Sky". In this piece, Richard Bona opens with an acoustic guitar. Again: this artist's versatility, especially live, has amazed, and will amaze you in future works. In "You", a piece that doesn't particularly excite me, though romantic, Bona's voice is like an instrument. The Latin influences are evident. Delight in "On Her Way": a refined piece with the presence of highly unique percussion instruments: marimba and kalimba evoke South American sounds, but with contortions of purely jazz piece. I love it. Cuong Vu's improvisation in "A Place in the World", not particularly memorable (exercises in style?). "Afternoon" fits perfectly for Bona and Sanchez, a discreet and relaxing melody, an engaging sound (listen to that marimba). Extraordinary closure with "Wherever You Go", ethereal and very delicate, which I always listen to fascinated, while I leaf through the album's colorful cover full of drawings of urban and bucolic landscapes. In one drawing in particular, a young man sitting on a hill looks far away. As I hear the notes of the closing piece it's as if I immerse myself in the drawing and feel my mind open to the most melancholic and delicate thoughts. A shudder.

The work impresses with its desire for change, good creativity, the intensity of searching for a specific sound to highlight the new entries, but these are only the premises, good premises for a path that will take years to reach the right feeling, and thus the sonic peak and the definitive groove. I don't feel like praising this album, which gave me decent satisfaction, but certainly did not lift me from the disappointment of the group's previous work. If I think back to The Way Up, the PMG's 2005 work immediately following this one, I can say that great strides forward (and a desire to create) can already be felt. Who knows where these artists will go! In conclusion, I would like to state that it is truly pleasant to see Pat and Lyle continue to work together: I believe that the two artists can give their best with each other's help.