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SUBJECT:	Pat Metheny Trios 1976-2022 Back to Subjects
MarcNebo Jun 12 2022 at 1:48 PM	While I was doing my favorite Pat Metheny Record post, I realized Pat has eight Pat Metheny Trio records with six different lineups. All the records and trios are excellent and hard to select my favorite. Pat’s first record as a leader, Bright Size Life (1976) had Jaco Pastorius and Bob Moses, then there was Rejoicing with Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins, followed by Question And Answer with Dave Holland and Roy Haynes, next were two records with Larry Grenadier and Bill Stewart (Pat Metheny Trio 99>00 and Pat Metheny Trio > Live, then two records with Christian McBride and Antonio Sanchez (Day Trip and Tokyo Day Trip and finally James Francies and Marcus Gilmore (NYC Side-Eye V1.IV). Every record with all-star musicians and at the top of critics polls. I got to see four of the trios live and every show was great.
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nemeth21 Nov 13 2022 at 4:57 AM	And don’t forget that Joshua Redman’s "Wish" record is essentially Josh and the Rejoicing trio, as well as Gary Burton’s "Like Minds" record is essentially the Q&A trio with the Gary/Chick duo.
MarcNebo Oct 24 2022 at 11:28 AM	yossarian : Glad to see that you also really appreciate From This Place. The record got me through COVID and especially this year. February 1st I had Acute Appendicitis and had a six week recovery and three weeks later was scheduled to have Rotator Cuff surgery. Long recovery and lots of PT. Still unable to return to work. Every time I deep listen to the record I hear something new (usually multiple details). Also once again I really appreciate how Pat sequences his records and shows. He really knows how to make the performance whether live or recorded flow. I read once at this sight where someone mentioned they would have changed the sequencing of the songs on one of Pat’s records. I don’t mess with perfection. I believe Gary Burton once commented that Pat does an incredible job in the studio after the record has been recorded. It has to be perfect for Pat before it’s released.
yossarian Oct 23 2022 at 7:29 PM	Marc, From This Place was my Covid soundtrack. I had it on throughout 2020 and 2021. You Are and the title track seemed to sum up something about that awful time with Trump in full idiotic flow and the virus unchecked. And so rich to listen to, as you say. Incredible details. I think of it as another Secret Story.
MarcNebo Oct 17 2022 at 9:40 AM	yossarian thank you for your comments. For the last couple of years I have been doing what I call a "deep listen". I have some very good headphones that I put on and turn off the lights in my living room. I then close my eyes and listen to the record. I find I can really appreciate the music more by blocking one of my senses. I listened to From This Place that way the other night and I heard things I hadn’t noticed in previous listenings. I did the same with Trio > Live.
yossarian Oct 14 2022 at 2:29 PM	MarcNebo: Yes, James and Unity Village are extraordinary on that recording - great to see you also feel the same. Pat’s solos are astonishing - harmonically, rhythmically... . I was trying to describe his live performances to a friend recently who’d never seen him live. I was slightly drunk and I just said ’he plays everything inside out’. I know what I mean!
MarcNebo Jul 23 2022 at 12:01 AM	Tonight I listened to Rejoicing, trio with Pat, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins. Another great trio and record from Pat. I know Pat and Charlie had a very special bond, both being from the Midwest. Both Charlie and Billy had such distinct sounds from their instruments. I see a pattern to Pat’s trio records, start out with several slow songs (this time five songs) and then turn up the heat. The sixth song "Song For A Stranger" was written by Pat and he deployed the Roland Synth Guitar. That was followed by another Pat song "The Calling" with the Roland again and Charlie bowing so fast that I thought the bass would catch on fire. Higgins pushed the tempo with the snare drum. The last tune was cowritten by Pat and Charlie and was a short ballad with Charlie bowing and Pat playing all the right notes. I will say it again, it’s really hard for me to pick a favorite Pat trio record.
MarcNebo Jul 08 2022 at 7:14 PM	franksexton : I’ll start the online petition at the AG and send it to his agent. It would be a great show, all three of them are playing even better now. There is a YouTube concert video with the trio. I will let everyone here know how to find it. I will watch tonight as my Cable Box/DVR is dead.
franksexton Jul 07 2022 at 5:06 PM	Marc , I am hoping for another Unity Group incarnation but would like a Trio 99 reunion as well . Trio 24>25 perhaps ?
MarcNebo Jul 05 2022 at 11:48 PM	facing west : I think it is time for a Pat Metheny, Larry Grenadier and Bill Stewart trio reunion tour and record. At the time of two records and tour by that trio (2000) Bill had been John Scofield’s primary drummer, and still is twenty-two years later. Larry Grenadier had several records in the 90’s but became Brad Mehldau’s primary bassist in 1995 and he still is with Brad today. In 2000 Bill Stewart was only 33, Larry was 34 and Pat was the old guy at 45. As good as Bill and Larry were at that time they have become even better in those twenty-two years. Bill is one of my favorite drummers and possesses an unmistakable style of drumming. Same with Larry, who is one of my favorite bassists with a distinct sound on the bass. It would one incredible reunion that shouldn’t be missed.
facing west Jul 05 2022 at 8:31 AM	Any mention of Metheny trio tunes has to include the incredible Three Flights Up on Metheny / Haynes / Holland. Sheer joy. It reminds me a bit of Lone Jack for some reason. Metheny knows how to close an album.
facing west Jun 24 2022 at 10:36 AM	Trio Live is such an interesting document. The band is a monster, led by a guy who had a radio station from outer space blasting in his head since he was a kid. Now he’s grown up, he’s been practicing 18 hours a day, and he has a killer band. Question and Answer’s scale is galactic. As Marshall points out, Pat’s soloing on James is completely off the charts. Then, as Marc says, disc 2 ’goes to a different place.’ And as molesoulsandal says, you rarely even hear anyone discuss ’Faith Healer.’ It’s as if Metheny defies any conventional narrative. It’s just full-on. I still vividly remember the physical sense of seeing this band live. You just felt like you were knocked into another dimension. I actually got to shake Pat’s hand after one of the shows. I had absolutely no idea what to say.
Dudely Jun 24 2022 at 9:41 AM	Question and Answer is at the top of my list.
MarcNebo Jun 24 2022 at 12:29 AM	mole soulsandal, Those are the songs I was talking about. Good description of them, I would have said Zero Tolerance For Silence Trio.
MarcNebo Jun 23 2022 at 12:13 PM	facing west and marshall, I listened to the second disc of Trio > Live the other night. After the first two songs, James and Unity Village it went to a different place. Very good but intense, guitar wailing fast music. Great version of James, faster tempo than the original version. Excellent trio and record, another great live recording. Steve Rodby’s production made it what it was.
molesoulsandal Jun 23 2022 at 7:30 AM	imo, the most overlooked pat composition, ever, is ’faith healer’, from the trio>live record w/grenadier and stewart. 18 minutes of psychedelic glee and in one ’section’ for about 3 or 4 minutes, they become a raging freight train. i have never, ever heard anyone speak of this piece. also, the nearly 20 minute version of ’question and answer’ on that album is totally lights out. also, the 11 minute ’soul cowboy’ is killer diller, too . . . . . . but ’faith healer’ is truly from another world.
MarcNebo Jun 19 2022 at 11:34 AM	facing west & marshall: I didn’t read your posts until just now, I totally agree that Trio > Live is amazing. I played Side One the other night and it blew me away. Both Larry and Bill are such incredible and creative musicians. I remember reading that Pat especially likes the trio format. From Bright Size Life to NYC Side-Eye he has assembled some excellent trios. I am very happy that I saw Pat, Larry and Bill during that tour. I wish I would have seen the BSL trio with Jaco. Pat and Jaco with Joni Mitchell was as close as I got, but not the same. I won’t even attempt to say which trio is my favorite. Best I can do is use pick my favorite in seven year periods (1976-1982). That way they all are my favorites. Another overlooked achievement by Pat, all those incredible trios. I am going to listen to Side Two of Trio > Live today.
facing west Jun 15 2022 at 3:13 PM	I was also fortunate to see Pat, Christian & Antonio live at Yoshi’s in San Francisco in (I believe) 2008. We caught both sets one glorious Saturday night. Just astounding. For some reason, it seems to me the trio thing works best live. But I look back on all PM shows as peak experiences in my life.
marshall Jun 15 2022 at 12:36 PM	Pat’s solo on James in Pat Metheny Trio > Live is probably IMO his best solo to date. It’s so perfect it sounds completely written beforehand, but of course it wasn’t, it was just genius Pat at work.
facing west Jun 13 2022 at 9:59 AM	Great stuff, and I didn’t realize there was so much of it. Eight records is almost an entire career for some people. One track that totally knocks me out is So May It Secretly Begin from Trio Live with Larry and Bill. Possibly my favorite Metheny tune, and possibly my favorite solo. The solo seems to arise out of the tune organically and it’s almost over before you realize that it’s happening. Hard to put into words why it’s so great. Another co-production with Steve Rodby with sound so alive it jumps out of your speakers. Glad I was able to catch two dates on this tour, and that this live document exists.
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