PAT METHENY - From This Place
Nonesuch/Metheny Group Productions
Pat Metheny: guitars, keyboards; Gwilym Simcock: piano; Linda May Han Oh: bass; voice, Antonio Sanchez: drums with the Hollywood Studio Symphony conducted by Joel McNeely. Special guests: Luis Conte: percussion; Gregoire Maret: harmonica; Meshell Ndegeocello: vocals.
This review is dedicated to the memory Lyle Mays (1953-2020). Your brilliance, and contribution to Metheny’s music, and the world of music as a whole will never be forgotten.
Pat Metheny enters a new phase of his career and era with From This Place. The guitarist has been regularly performing for the past several years be it with the stellar quartet that graces this release, Welsh pianist Gwilym Simcock, Malaysian-Australian bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer of choice, Antonio Sanchez, in addition to duos with bass legend Ron Carter, and the experimental Side Eye project prominently featuring acclaimed up and coming young musicians. However, From This Place is the guitarist’s first recording in six years since Kin (↔) with the Pat Metheny Unity Group. To round out the core group, Metheny enlisted Metheny Group alumni Luis Conte on percussion, in addition to harmonica ace Gregoire Maret who played on and toured behind The Way Up. The guitarist also welcomes back arranger Gil Goldstein to the fold who appeared on Secret Story as well as the tour that followed, and the legendary Alan Broadbent. Meshell Ndegeocello sings on the title track with lyrics written by her partner Alison Riley.
Metheny has been no stranger to touring and constant playing, although the 66 year old has scaled back his once massive nearly year round touring schedule to about 150-200 dates around the world to accommodate family life, the fact that From This Place is the first album in six years is a bit of anomaly in his release history. The music industry has rapidly changed in recent years: the rise of streaming sites like Spotify, Amazon HD Music, and Qobuz in addition to Youtube has changed the way the public consumes music. CD sales have rapidly declined, although they still outsell vinyl, which is continuing it’s resurgence. Metheny has been an example of an artist where physical releases are truly special, almost an event. Going back to his days on ECM, he has always benefited from striking cover art, often being involved directly in the process itself, something rare nowadays. He has adopted not only streaming, but usage of Bandcamp and offers up audiophile high resolution mastering of the new recording on platforms like HD Tracks and Pro Studio Masters, though the advent of Youtube almost a decade ago and frequent camera phone videos (as well as bootlegs in general) have been an impediment to the guitarist and thus resulted in the controlled studio environments that spawned The Orchestrion Project and Unity Sessions video and album releases reflective of how he approached the music live on tour.
The guitarist has also in the past decade drastically changed his approach to music. While his recordings with the Pat Metheny Group featuring co founder, keyboardist and writing partner, the late Lyle Mays were and continue to be his most popular works balancing complex forms with memorable melodies. Since the PMG’s final recording The Way Up in 2005, the guitarist has focused on increasingly complex, harmonically dense music that has entered new arenas. This music, featured on albums like Orchestrion, Tap (where he played the music of John Zorn) and Kin(<->) while bearing his inimitable melodic stamp, if one were to peruse various internet discussions, some fans felt that these albums had a higher barrier of entry and wished for more melodic material– while all these albums, plus Unity Band featured exemplary writing, occasionally the melodies took their time to unfold. While many of these melodies contained Metheny’s unmistakable essence, From This Place for the most part, goes back to where his melodies are instantly memorable and singable. Because the album features backing from the Hollywood studio symphony, in addition to the core quartet, some listeners may automatically assume it is a direct sequel to Secret Story, the album is anything but. Though it at times conjures moods of the earlier album, the similarities end beyond surface comparisons. The fact is Metheny has moved far beyond that period in his writing, and improvisational abilities, and his writing is the best it’s ever been. The album is somewhat of a career summation, but like many others in his discography like Speaking Of Now, or Imaginary Day, the contents also show a new path forward. This album is firmly rooted in the interplay and solos of a quartet, as Unity Band was, though the the backing of the orchestra, with arrangements centered on what the quartet played, change the complexion considerably. It is also the first time the guitarist has had a pianist for a foil in his own bands since Lyle Mays.
The genesis for how this music came to be is fascinating. Around December of 2017, Metheny went into the studio with Simcock, May Han Oh and Sanchez, and laid down sixteen new compositions, of which ten are on this release. As the music began to be played, he began to hear things inside of it that had yet to be manifested. The guitarist had logged considerable road time with bassist Ron Carter, whom he played several duo gigs. During the travel time, Metheny asked Mr. Carter, a lifelong hero of his about the process of playing in the Miles Davis Quintet from 1963-1968– more specifically, why did they stick to Davis’ standard book in concert? The bassist has frequently described the nightly experiences of playing with Davis as being a laboratory, and they developed a certain code on the bandstand, where through playing standards, they were able to use said code in the creation of new music in the studio.
From that inspiration, Metheny toured the quartet on the road playing selections from his vast songbook. They too, would use their own code, something not entirely unfamiliar. After all, the first recording that Antonio Sanchez participated in was Speaking of Now (2002) with the Pat Metheny Group, and that album, like From This Place was an evolutionary album, which set the stage for the larger territory tackled in The Way Up. The seeds sown in the compositional processes found there would be in Orchestrion and Kin (↔). The present quartet has really inspired him, and arguably is closest in conception and flavor to the original PMG in terms of broad stylistic conception. Longtime Metheny fans who have been at shows in that period, or in collector’s circles are quite familiar that the early PMG experimented with new tunes before recording, including standards into the set list as well as playing fan favorite tracks. Something quite similar to the current quartet. As Metheny explained vis a vis the approach to add orchestration to flesh out the playing of the quartet he notes:
"As much as folks might describe the sonic language of the avant-garde movement of the sixties as falling into an identifiable generic sound, I have always regarded the general expansion of creativity of that era in a more ecumenical way. The stylistic changes that occurred then in our community included not only the obvious examples of individual players utilizing extended techniques on their instruments in new ways, or new types of ensembles, but also the wildly new approaches that technology, particular recording technology, offered. Multi-track recording allowed for entirely new kinds of music to be made."
It is unlikely that the recordings of the CTI label of that time would likely never be thought of as “avant-garde” by garden variety jazz critics of that (or probably any other) era. But from my seat as a young fan, the idea of an excellent and experienced arranger like Don Sebesky taking the improvised material of great musicians like Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter and weaving their lines and voicings into subsequent orchestration was not only a new kind of arranging; it resulted in a different kind of sound and music. It was a way of presenting music that represented the impulses of the players and the improvisers at hand through orchestration in an entirely new way. I loved those records.This will not be the first recording of mine where that equation—record first, orchestrate later—has come up. But it is by far the most extensive one, and I would offer the most organic. From the first notes we recorded, this was the destination I had in mind.
Don Sebesky’s arranging skills, found on recordings such as First Light (1971) by Freddie Hubbard, Sunflower (1972) by Milt Jackson and his own Giant Box (1974) illustrate the approach Metheny had in mind. The track “Wide and Far” is not the first Metheny track to feature an overt homage to the CTI sound. “So May It Secretly Begin” from the classic (Still Life) Talking (1987) was also an Sebesky homage, particularly in the rich Synclavier string arrangement, but “Wide and Far” positioned as the second cut on From This Place takes that arranging influence to a far deeper level. The melody is simply prime Metheny, with string, reed and brass sections that in some ways are reminiscent of Freddie Hubbard’s Sky Dive (1972)album. The guitarist, spurred by Sanchez’s liquid ride and May Han Oh’s of the earth bass takes an inspired solo, amidst soaring orchestral harmonies. There is a deep in the cut funkiness aspect of Metheny’s playing here that not only exhibits the sheer joy of playing with this special class of musicians, but his nods to George Benson here appear more overt than they did on “Here To Stay” from the Metheny Group’s We Live Here (1995). It is a beautiful homage, and the handoff to Gwilym Simcock on the bridge section is seamless, where the pianist weaves, fresh lines in his very individual voice. The Welsh pianist was a late bloomer to the jazz world, as he began playing the music in his twenties. Over the course of two decades with associations such as former reedist with Chick Corea’s Origin, Tim Garland and the Steve Rodby produced Impossible Gentlemen, Simcock has been one of the most in demand pianists. During the quartet’s 2017 performance at the Beacon Theater it was amply evident how much the guitarist enjoyed having a pianist against as co conspirator and solo voice. The quality is evident in spades on From This Place and one wonders the possibilities were Metheny and Simcock to become co writers. Also in the Davis Quintet mold, Metheny had each member have input on the material and three of the four members arrange pieces, save Sanchez who acts as an arranger in real time crafting colors and textures based on what the music calls for. While the recording has several trademark cinematic numbers, perhaps none so than “America Undefined” a defiant statement against the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President. The piece draws on the more complex material found on Orchestrion and Kin (↔). Linda May Han Oh, a wonderful leader and composer in her own right, most recently used strings in provocative ways on her latest work Aventurine, and brings that deep orchestral awareness and attention to shading found in her own work to From This Place.
A Sanchez cymbal roll leads into May Han Oh’s ascending arco bass melody, which bears some similarity and extends on a bit, the post solo interlude section of the Kin (↔) title track featuring Giulio Carmassi’s ascending vocals in tandem with guitar in piano. May Han Oh’s arco melody sets a prominent melodic thread through the piece, and Metheny adds signature hollow body guitar over a rubato foundation that gives way to him once again stating the melody with orchestra behind him in a 5/8 time signature. During the melodic statement, Simcock and May Han Oh play a stunning unison counterpoint line, reminiscent of Bach. Simcock’s piano solo begins with the rubato foundation, Sanchez adding provocative rim clicks and fascinating comping underneath. From there, Simcock is vaulted into a burning 4/4 swing and samba section sans bass drum accents, the orchestra reminding listeners of the melodic cel behind them. Simcock’s solo is filled with vigorous single note ideas, he is a devotee of Metheny’s entire catalog, also bearing out why he is an evolution in Metheny’s concept of a pianistic foil—something the guitarist clearly relishes. Metheny follows with a soaring, inspired hollow body solo, the orchestra’s harmonies providing a huge lift.
May Han Oh returns with the initial melodic figure at the top, and then around 8 minutes into the piece, what sounds like Orchestrion vibes introduce a much darker, brooding mode. Shades of the sound effect and musique concrete driven sections of “As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls” are here, with some of the strangeness of the soundscape section of “Are We There Yet?” from Letter From Home in terms of eerie sounds wafting in and out of the mix. The sounds of clunking, and railroad tracks dominate as the strings remind of the melody once again, May Han Oh’s thunking pedal point from earlier in the composition is yet another thematic thread. Metheny uses slide and ebow guitar as a constant distant drone, and provides disembodied strands of further distanced electric guitar in the sound stage bouncing between speakers (or headphones). At first listen it seems to be a call back to “Cathedral in a Suitcase” from Secret Story (1992), but upon further listens is more reminiscent of the distorted guitar deeply embedded into the mix at the start of “Psalm 121” on the soundtrack of The Falcon And The Snowman (1985). The bluesiness of these disembodied lines somehow evokes uncertainty, and the loud bells of a railroad sign, as the orchestra spins variations on the main theme, let you know something is coming. Suddenly, Sanchez’ slightly gated drums, a not so subtle Phil Collins and 80’s production reference, and reminder of Steve Ferrone’s toms on “Cathedral in a Suitcase” thunder in, to the sound of a loud train whistle, panning through the speakers. Sanchez’s driving, John Bonham inspired rock beat along with the symphonies’ restatement of a portion of the melody makes things truly epic. The five minutes of orchestral investigation is truly thrilling and shows how deep of a writer Metheny has become. Indian flavored strings play portamento glissando with microtonal elements, like those used on “Within You, Without You” from The Beatles are an unexpected but pleasant element in a breathtaking finale. The piece dies down with the fluttering of castanets, like birds flying away in a flock, eerie sampled vocal sounds in the left channel, fluttering and processed abrupt flutes and strings. It’s an unexpected end to a piece using some variant of a sonata form but never resolves itself completely. Make no mistake about it, the piece is foreboding and dark, tapping into a new area of Metheny’s writing, but strangely, there is also a trace of hope.
“You Are” is one of the most striking offerings on the recording. Since Bright Size Life (ECM, 1975) on every album, the guitarist has had a melodic idea that his pushes to the breaking point through motivic development. Simcock’s piano quietly begins the track doubled by chiming orchestra bells, a tip toeing two note figure is stated in unison, with sparse brushed cymbal work from Sanchez. Metheny’s dark hollow body tone announces the melody, as the two note figure is enhanced by a wall of synthesizers, and strings. May Han Oh’s soprano voice is added to the density as she and Metheny state an arresting three note idea that builds and builds to a dramatic climax, before gentle strings sing in hushed tones as the original two note motif returns to close the piece.
Flutes double May Han Oh’s resonate bass for the gentle melancholic theme of “Same River”. The acoustic sitar guitar makes it’s first appearance since “Wherever You Go” from Speaking of Now, and Metheny’s double tracked guitar and sitar make use of one of his favorite devices, the glissando. Simcock plays a tasteful brief piano solo before the guitarist takes a trademark flight on Roland GR300 guitar synth, gorgeous ascending french horn and string harmonies– the CTI reference is indeed very clear in this track with strong doses that will recall listeners of the PMG at their peak and some flavors of Secret Story (1992).
“Pathmaker” represents some of Metheny’s most adventurous writing on record. The track, along with “Everything Explained” bear a strong Chick Corea influence. Metheny is positively lyrical on his first solo, then Simcock is at once melodic and knotty. One of the most exquisite aspects of the track is the unison line between Metheny and Simcock following the second guitar solo as Sanchez frames a volcanic dialogue around their line. The provocative dreamy coda, sounding something out of a French film score, utilizes choice coloration from bass clarinet amidst butterfly esque clarinet string trills and some electronics popping in and out. Atop all that, Metheny’s heavily reverbed slide guitar offers a longing melodic aside as the composition finishes. PMG alum and frequent Phil Collins percussionist Luis Conte’s omnipresent colorations are a tremendous asset to the track.
If anything will make listeners make direct comparisons to Secret Story it will be the track “The Past In Us”. PMG alumni Gregoire Maret’s reflective harmonica solo may remind some of the late Toots Thielemans’ unforgettable eight bar contribution to “Always and Forever”, with the swelling strings behind him. Metheny graces the track with an absolutely gorgeous nylon string guitar solo. The final tracks are also perfectly programmed. The title track stands as one of the guitarist’s prettiest ballads, gorgeous strands of Bach inspired baroque strings frame a long intro, from which hymn like harmonies emerge. Ndegeocello’s rich voice in alto and soprano ranges paints a picture of despair and hopelessness with tender lyrics related to the current cultural climate– yet like much of Metheny’s music over the years stands a bright ray of hope. He takes an exquisite nylon string solo here as well.
“Sixty-Six” is a beautiful reminder of the midwestern tinges returning to the fore in Metheny’s music. The train motif is once again stated, with Sanchez’ brushes on snare, and the guitarist spins a wonderful, singable melody over the top, and mixes the lyrical with the more harmonically rich approach to improvisation that has marked his work over the past decade. Linda Oh’s initial solo is full of ripe ideas, and her double tracked bass interlude following the guitarist’s solo is an affectionate wink to Eberhard Weber. To close the album, the Sebesky arranged CTI vibe returns on “Love May Take A While”, a wonderful ballad that if one closes their eyes, one can almost imagine Metheny’s nuanced hollow body solo to be a horn, in his assurance of ideas.
From This Place was principally recorded and mixed by Pete Karam at Avatar Studios (now Power Station, Berklee) with the orchestral parts recorded by Rich Breen in Los Angeles. Karam has inherited the very rich sonic world found on Metheny recordings that was originally created and perfected from the Geffen era on by Rob Eaton. Metheny’s guitars take front and center in the sound stage with the delay from his multiple amp set up panning between the left and right speakers– the effect is not as pronounced as say Travels, Question and Answer or Letter From Home, but is still there and has evolved as Metheny’s tone has changed through the first two decades of the 21st century. Linda May Han Oh’s basslines appropriately showcase the deep woodiness of an acoustic bass sound and is quite accurate to the real thing. Antonio Sanchez’ drums are very present and forward in the mix with the main ride cymbal in the left channel, and his multiple snare drums being placed across the sound stage.
Luis Conte’s percussion is also quite forward in the mix, and Simcock’s piano is rich. Orchestra placement is subtle to the rear of the soundstage. What is apparent though is unlike earlier Metheny albums, the mix, like Kin (↔) the previous studio album is heavier on the mids, with not as much treble sparkle up top though this may be clearly system dependent. Also interesting, while the album will be released in high res, the promo copies that were distributed by Nonesuch are 16 bit WAV files with a 48 KhZ sample rate equivalent to DVD quality, so while not hi res, the quality is a step from CD quality. Thankfully Ted Jensen’s mastering maintains a strong sense of dynamics which is imperative for music of this scope.
In what has been a career spanning nearly a half century, and filled with gems and milestones from both solo work and the Pat Metheny Group combined, From This Place may very well be one of the best albums of Metheny’s career, if not the best. His writing is clearly on another level, and as great as recordings with orchestra accompaniment have been like The Falcon and The Snowman, Secret Story and A Map of The World have been, the combination of one of his best ensembles in years, the inspired memorable tunes, great solos and the high level of arranging prowess, represent the guitarist at his best. The music is as much a summary of what has been to this point as it is pointing some new directions into the future. Those who take the time to listen, understand the music for what it is, rather than what it should be, or is not, will be greatly rewarded.
Reviewed by CJ Shearn
Nonesuch/Metheny Group Productions
Pat Metheny: guitars, keyboards; Gwilym Simcock: piano; Linda May Han Oh: bass; voice, Antonio Sanchez: drums with the Hollywood Studio Symphony conducted by Joel McNeely. Special guests: Luis Conte: percussion; Gregoire Maret: harmonica; Meshell Ndegeocello: vocals.
This review is dedicated to the memory Lyle Mays (1953-2020). Your brilliance, and contribution to Metheny’s music, and the world of music as a whole will never be forgotten.
Pat Metheny enters a new phase of his career and era with From This Place. The guitarist has been regularly performing for the past several years be it with the stellar quartet that graces this release, Welsh pianist Gwilym Simcock, Malaysian-Australian bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer of choice, Antonio Sanchez, in addition to duos with bass legend Ron Carter, and the experimental Side Eye project prominently featuring acclaimed up and coming young musicians. However, From This Place is the guitarist’s first recording in six years since Kin (↔) with the Pat Metheny Unity Group. To round out the core group, Metheny enlisted Metheny Group alumni Luis Conte on percussion, in addition to harmonica ace Gregoire Maret who played on and toured behind The Way Up. The guitarist also welcomes back arranger Gil Goldstein to the fold who appeared on Secret Story as well as the tour that followed, and the legendary Alan Broadbent. Meshell Ndegeocello sings on the title track with lyrics written by her partner Alison Riley.
Metheny has been no stranger to touring and constant playing, although the 66 year old has scaled back his once massive nearly year round touring schedule to about 150-200 dates around the world to accommodate family life, the fact that From This Place is the first album in six years is a bit of anomaly in his release history. The music industry has rapidly changed in recent years: the rise of streaming sites like Spotify, Amazon HD Music, and Qobuz in addition to Youtube has changed the way the public consumes music. CD sales have rapidly declined, although they still outsell vinyl, which is continuing it’s resurgence. Metheny has been an example of an artist where physical releases are truly special, almost an event. Going back to his days on ECM, he has always benefited from striking cover art, often being involved directly in the process itself, something rare nowadays. He has adopted not only streaming, but usage of Bandcamp and offers up audiophile high resolution mastering of the new recording on platforms like HD Tracks and Pro Studio Masters, though the advent of Youtube almost a decade ago and frequent camera phone videos (as well as bootlegs in general) have been an impediment to the guitarist and thus resulted in the controlled studio environments that spawned The Orchestrion Project and Unity Sessions video and album releases reflective of how he approached the music live on tour.
The guitarist has also in the past decade drastically changed his approach to music. While his recordings with the Pat Metheny Group featuring co founder, keyboardist and writing partner, the late Lyle Mays were and continue to be his most popular works balancing complex forms with memorable melodies. Since the PMG’s final recording The Way Up in 2005, the guitarist has focused on increasingly complex, harmonically dense music that has entered new arenas. This music, featured on albums like Orchestrion, Tap (where he played the music of John Zorn) and Kin(<->) while bearing his inimitable melodic stamp, if one were to peruse various internet discussions, some fans felt that these albums had a higher barrier of entry and wished for more melodic material– while all these albums, plus Unity Band featured exemplary writing, occasionally the melodies took their time to unfold. While many of these melodies contained Metheny’s unmistakable essence, From This Place for the most part, goes back to where his melodies are instantly memorable and singable. Because the album features backing from the Hollywood studio symphony, in addition to the core quartet, some listeners may automatically assume it is a direct sequel to Secret Story, the album is anything but. Though it at times conjures moods of the earlier album, the similarities end beyond surface comparisons. The fact is Metheny has moved far beyond that period in his writing, and improvisational abilities, and his writing is the best it’s ever been. The album is somewhat of a career summation, but like many others in his discography like Speaking Of Now, or Imaginary Day, the contents also show a new path forward. This album is firmly rooted in the interplay and solos of a quartet, as Unity Band was, though the the backing of the orchestra, with arrangements centered on what the quartet played, change the complexion considerably. It is also the first time the guitarist has had a pianist for a foil in his own bands since Lyle Mays.
The genesis for how this music came to be is fascinating. Around December of 2017, Metheny went into the studio with Simcock, May Han Oh and Sanchez, and laid down sixteen new compositions, of which ten are on this release. As the music began to be played, he began to hear things inside of it that had yet to be manifested. The guitarist had logged considerable road time with bassist Ron Carter, whom he played several duo gigs. During the travel time, Metheny asked Mr. Carter, a lifelong hero of his about the process of playing in the Miles Davis Quintet from 1963-1968– more specifically, why did they stick to Davis’ standard book in concert? The bassist has frequently described the nightly experiences of playing with Davis as being a laboratory, and they developed a certain code on the bandstand, where through playing standards, they were able to use said code in the creation of new music in the studio.
From that inspiration, Metheny toured the quartet on the road playing selections from his vast songbook. They too, would use their own code, something not entirely unfamiliar. After all, the first recording that Antonio Sanchez participated in was Speaking of Now (2002) with the Pat Metheny Group, and that album, like From This Place was an evolutionary album, which set the stage for the larger territory tackled in The Way Up. The seeds sown in the compositional processes found there would be in Orchestrion and Kin (↔). The present quartet has really inspired him, and arguably is closest in conception and flavor to the original PMG in terms of broad stylistic conception. Longtime Metheny fans who have been at shows in that period, or in collector’s circles are quite familiar that the early PMG experimented with new tunes before recording, including standards into the set list as well as playing fan favorite tracks. Something quite similar to the current quartet. As Metheny explained vis a vis the approach to add orchestration to flesh out the playing of the quartet he notes:
"As much as folks might describe the sonic language of the avant-garde movement of the sixties as falling into an identifiable generic sound, I have always regarded the general expansion of creativity of that era in a more ecumenical way. The stylistic changes that occurred then in our community included not only the obvious examples of individual players utilizing extended techniques on their instruments in new ways, or new types of ensembles, but also the wildly new approaches that technology, particular recording technology, offered. Multi-track recording allowed for entirely new kinds of music to be made."
It is unlikely that the recordings of the CTI label of that time would likely never be thought of as “avant-garde” by garden variety jazz critics of that (or probably any other) era. But from my seat as a young fan, the idea of an excellent and experienced arranger like Don Sebesky taking the improvised material of great musicians like Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter and weaving their lines and voicings into subsequent orchestration was not only a new kind of arranging; it resulted in a different kind of sound and music. It was a way of presenting music that represented the impulses of the players and the improvisers at hand through orchestration in an entirely new way. I loved those records.This will not be the first recording of mine where that equation—record first, orchestrate later—has come up. But it is by far the most extensive one, and I would offer the most organic. From the first notes we recorded, this was the destination I had in mind.
Don Sebesky’s arranging skills, found on recordings such as First Light (1971) by Freddie Hubbard, Sunflower (1972) by Milt Jackson and his own Giant Box (1974) illustrate the approach Metheny had in mind. The track “Wide and Far” is not the first Metheny track to feature an overt homage to the CTI sound. “So May It Secretly Begin” from the classic (Still Life) Talking (1987) was also an Sebesky homage, particularly in the rich Synclavier string arrangement, but “Wide and Far” positioned as the second cut on From This Place takes that arranging influence to a far deeper level. The melody is simply prime Metheny, with string, reed and brass sections that in some ways are reminiscent of Freddie Hubbard’s Sky Dive (1972)album. The guitarist, spurred by Sanchez’s liquid ride and May Han Oh’s of the earth bass takes an inspired solo, amidst soaring orchestral harmonies. There is a deep in the cut funkiness aspect of Metheny’s playing here that not only exhibits the sheer joy of playing with this special class of musicians, but his nods to George Benson here appear more overt than they did on “Here To Stay” from the Metheny Group’s We Live Here (1995). It is a beautiful homage, and the handoff to Gwilym Simcock on the bridge section is seamless, where the pianist weaves, fresh lines in his very individual voice. The Welsh pianist was a late bloomer to the jazz world, as he began playing the music in his twenties. Over the course of two decades with associations such as former reedist with Chick Corea’s Origin, Tim Garland and the Steve Rodby produced Impossible Gentlemen, Simcock has been one of the most in demand pianists. During the quartet’s 2017 performance at the Beacon Theater it was amply evident how much the guitarist enjoyed having a pianist against as co conspirator and solo voice. The quality is evident in spades on From This Place and one wonders the possibilities were Metheny and Simcock to become co writers. Also in the Davis Quintet mold, Metheny had each member have input on the material and three of the four members arrange pieces, save Sanchez who acts as an arranger in real time crafting colors and textures based on what the music calls for. While the recording has several trademark cinematic numbers, perhaps none so than “America Undefined” a defiant statement against the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President. The piece draws on the more complex material found on Orchestrion and Kin (↔). Linda May Han Oh, a wonderful leader and composer in her own right, most recently used strings in provocative ways on her latest work Aventurine, and brings that deep orchestral awareness and attention to shading found in her own work to From This Place.
A Sanchez cymbal roll leads into May Han Oh’s ascending arco bass melody, which bears some similarity and extends on a bit, the post solo interlude section of the Kin (↔) title track featuring Giulio Carmassi’s ascending vocals in tandem with guitar in piano. May Han Oh’s arco melody sets a prominent melodic thread through the piece, and Metheny adds signature hollow body guitar over a rubato foundation that gives way to him once again stating the melody with orchestra behind him in a 5/8 time signature. During the melodic statement, Simcock and May Han Oh play a stunning unison counterpoint line, reminiscent of Bach. Simcock’s piano solo begins with the rubato foundation, Sanchez adding provocative rim clicks and fascinating comping underneath. From there, Simcock is vaulted into a burning 4/4 swing and samba section sans bass drum accents, the orchestra reminding listeners of the melodic cel behind them. Simcock’s solo is filled with vigorous single note ideas, he is a devotee of Metheny’s entire catalog, also bearing out why he is an evolution in Metheny’s concept of a pianistic foil—something the guitarist clearly relishes. Metheny follows with a soaring, inspired hollow body solo, the orchestra’s harmonies providing a huge lift.
May Han Oh returns with the initial melodic figure at the top, and then around 8 minutes into the piece, what sounds like Orchestrion vibes introduce a much darker, brooding mode. Shades of the sound effect and musique concrete driven sections of “As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls” are here, with some of the strangeness of the soundscape section of “Are We There Yet?” from Letter From Home in terms of eerie sounds wafting in and out of the mix. The sounds of clunking, and railroad tracks dominate as the strings remind of the melody once again, May Han Oh’s thunking pedal point from earlier in the composition is yet another thematic thread. Metheny uses slide and ebow guitar as a constant distant drone, and provides disembodied strands of further distanced electric guitar in the sound stage bouncing between speakers (or headphones). At first listen it seems to be a call back to “Cathedral in a Suitcase” from Secret Story (1992), but upon further listens is more reminiscent of the distorted guitar deeply embedded into the mix at the start of “Psalm 121” on the soundtrack of The Falcon And The Snowman (1985). The bluesiness of these disembodied lines somehow evokes uncertainty, and the loud bells of a railroad sign, as the orchestra spins variations on the main theme, let you know something is coming. Suddenly, Sanchez’ slightly gated drums, a not so subtle Phil Collins and 80’s production reference, and reminder of Steve Ferrone’s toms on “Cathedral in a Suitcase” thunder in, to the sound of a loud train whistle, panning through the speakers. Sanchez’s driving, John Bonham inspired rock beat along with the symphonies’ restatement of a portion of the melody makes things truly epic. The five minutes of orchestral investigation is truly thrilling and shows how deep of a writer Metheny has become. Indian flavored strings play portamento glissando with microtonal elements, like those used on “Within You, Without You” from The Beatles are an unexpected but pleasant element in a breathtaking finale. The piece dies down with the fluttering of castanets, like birds flying away in a flock, eerie sampled vocal sounds in the left channel, fluttering and processed abrupt flutes and strings. It’s an unexpected end to a piece using some variant of a sonata form but never resolves itself completely. Make no mistake about it, the piece is foreboding and dark, tapping into a new area of Metheny’s writing, but strangely, there is also a trace of hope.
“You Are” is one of the most striking offerings on the recording. Since Bright Size Life (ECM, 1975) on every album, the guitarist has had a melodic idea that his pushes to the breaking point through motivic development. Simcock’s piano quietly begins the track doubled by chiming orchestra bells, a tip toeing two note figure is stated in unison, with sparse brushed cymbal work from Sanchez. Metheny’s dark hollow body tone announces the melody, as the two note figure is enhanced by a wall of synthesizers, and strings. May Han Oh’s soprano voice is added to the density as she and Metheny state an arresting three note idea that builds and builds to a dramatic climax, before gentle strings sing in hushed tones as the original two note motif returns to close the piece.
Flutes double May Han Oh’s resonate bass for the gentle melancholic theme of “Same River”. The acoustic sitar guitar makes it’s first appearance since “Wherever You Go” from Speaking of Now, and Metheny’s double tracked guitar and sitar make use of one of his favorite devices, the glissando. Simcock plays a tasteful brief piano solo before the guitarist takes a trademark flight on Roland GR300 guitar synth, gorgeous ascending french horn and string harmonies– the CTI reference is indeed very clear in this track with strong doses that will recall listeners of the PMG at their peak and some flavors of Secret Story (1992).
“Pathmaker” represents some of Metheny’s most adventurous writing on record. The track, along with “Everything Explained” bear a strong Chick Corea influence. Metheny is positively lyrical on his first solo, then Simcock is at once melodic and knotty. One of the most exquisite aspects of the track is the unison line between Metheny and Simcock following the second guitar solo as Sanchez frames a volcanic dialogue around their line. The provocative dreamy coda, sounding something out of a French film score, utilizes choice coloration from bass clarinet amidst butterfly esque clarinet string trills and some electronics popping in and out. Atop all that, Metheny’s heavily reverbed slide guitar offers a longing melodic aside as the composition finishes. PMG alum and frequent Phil Collins percussionist Luis Conte’s omnipresent colorations are a tremendous asset to the track.
If anything will make listeners make direct comparisons to Secret Story it will be the track “The Past In Us”. PMG alumni Gregoire Maret’s reflective harmonica solo may remind some of the late Toots Thielemans’ unforgettable eight bar contribution to “Always and Forever”, with the swelling strings behind him. Metheny graces the track with an absolutely gorgeous nylon string guitar solo. The final tracks are also perfectly programmed. The title track stands as one of the guitarist’s prettiest ballads, gorgeous strands of Bach inspired baroque strings frame a long intro, from which hymn like harmonies emerge. Ndegeocello’s rich voice in alto and soprano ranges paints a picture of despair and hopelessness with tender lyrics related to the current cultural climate– yet like much of Metheny’s music over the years stands a bright ray of hope. He takes an exquisite nylon string solo here as well.
“Sixty-Six” is a beautiful reminder of the midwestern tinges returning to the fore in Metheny’s music. The train motif is once again stated, with Sanchez’ brushes on snare, and the guitarist spins a wonderful, singable melody over the top, and mixes the lyrical with the more harmonically rich approach to improvisation that has marked his work over the past decade. Linda Oh’s initial solo is full of ripe ideas, and her double tracked bass interlude following the guitarist’s solo is an affectionate wink to Eberhard Weber. To close the album, the Sebesky arranged CTI vibe returns on “Love May Take A While”, a wonderful ballad that if one closes their eyes, one can almost imagine Metheny’s nuanced hollow body solo to be a horn, in his assurance of ideas.
From This Place was principally recorded and mixed by Pete Karam at Avatar Studios (now Power Station, Berklee) with the orchestral parts recorded by Rich Breen in Los Angeles. Karam has inherited the very rich sonic world found on Metheny recordings that was originally created and perfected from the Geffen era on by Rob Eaton. Metheny’s guitars take front and center in the sound stage with the delay from his multiple amp set up panning between the left and right speakers– the effect is not as pronounced as say Travels, Question and Answer or Letter From Home, but is still there and has evolved as Metheny’s tone has changed through the first two decades of the 21st century. Linda May Han Oh’s basslines appropriately showcase the deep woodiness of an acoustic bass sound and is quite accurate to the real thing. Antonio Sanchez’ drums are very present and forward in the mix with the main ride cymbal in the left channel, and his multiple snare drums being placed across the sound stage.
Luis Conte’s percussion is also quite forward in the mix, and Simcock’s piano is rich. Orchestra placement is subtle to the rear of the soundstage. What is apparent though is unlike earlier Metheny albums, the mix, like Kin (↔) the previous studio album is heavier on the mids, with not as much treble sparkle up top though this may be clearly system dependent. Also interesting, while the album will be released in high res, the promo copies that were distributed by Nonesuch are 16 bit WAV files with a 48 KhZ sample rate equivalent to DVD quality, so while not hi res, the quality is a step from CD quality. Thankfully Ted Jensen’s mastering maintains a strong sense of dynamics which is imperative for music of this scope.
In what has been a career spanning nearly a half century, and filled with gems and milestones from both solo work and the Pat Metheny Group combined, From This Place may very well be one of the best albums of Metheny’s career, if not the best. His writing is clearly on another level, and as great as recordings with orchestra accompaniment have been like The Falcon and The Snowman, Secret Story and A Map of The World have been, the combination of one of his best ensembles in years, the inspired memorable tunes, great solos and the high level of arranging prowess, represent the guitarist at his best. The music is as much a summary of what has been to this point as it is pointing some new directions into the future. Those who take the time to listen, understand the music for what it is, rather than what it should be, or is not, will be greatly rewarded.
Reviewed by CJ Shearn
