Pat Metheny Group: Speaking of Now: Introduction

Over the course of more than 20 years as a recording artist, guitarist Pat Metheny has released album after album, each one brilliantly documenting another aspect of his unique and nearly uncategorizable musical journey. Exhibiting an insatiable creative energy, Metheny has participated in just about every avenue of modern music-making that the early 21st century might offer a musician. Seemingly bent on blurring and obliterating stylistic boundaries at every opportunity, he has created an expansively impressive body of work that includes a series of highly influential trio recordings, award winning solo albums, scores for hit Hollywood motion pictures, duets with major artists such as Charlie Haden and Jim Hall, and collaborations with other significant figures in modern music such as Ornette Coleman, Steve Reich and many others.

But for legions of his fans worldwide, there is no setting that defines Metheny the musician more than his role as bandleader of one of the most acclaimed and influential musical ensembles of the past quarter century, the Pat Metheny Group. As the only group in history to win seven consecutive Grammy awards for seven consecutive releases, the Pat Metheny Group has occupied a nearly undefinable musical territory that is accessible to listeners of all kinds while never compromising a unique compositional and improvisational integrity that is unparalleled among contemporary and mainstream jazz groups.

Founded by Metheny in 1977, the PMG has relentlessly traveled the world playing and selling out concerts, festivals and clubs in more than 40 countries, becoming one of the most active and popular touring acts of any kind anywhere. Each new record and tour are awaited with eager anticipation and speculation; this is a band with an imagination and no-holds-barred creativity that has constantly surprised and delighted fans with the unexpected, yet always delivers on the endless promise of imagination and pure melody that was invoked from the first notes of their first record.

With "SPEAKING OF NOW", their eleventh studio album, the Pat Metheny Group has evolved to a new level, a new high and a joyous new stride in their journey of discovery. With three exciting new faces in the band, Metheny and his longtime pianist/collaborator, Lyle Mays, join bassist and co-producer Steve Rodby (now in his 20th year with the band) to once again challenge the basic premise of what a modern day jazz group can be, delivering a collection of music that delights and resonates with its unique musical perspective into the now of this moment in time while striking a universal and timeless note of hope that will speak to listeners everywhere.