By Chris Young Daily Bruin Contributor
Guitar players of all styles should especially take note of Pat
Metheny’s performance Sunday night at Royce Hall, where a major
innovator of jazz graced the stage and brought a mixture of jazz
and rock together in a smoking two-hour set.
Metheny has steadily redefined the language of the instrument
for more than 20 years. His fluidity, technical mastery of the
guitar and profound sense of melody establish him as one of jazz’s
modern masters.
Sunday’s group was a trio, with Larry Grenadier on acoustic bass
and Bill Stewart on drums. Both have played with other musicians of
the highest caliber, such as Joe Henderson, Chick Corea and John
Scofield, and are complete masters of their instruments.
Interestingly, the concert featured a blend of different styles
of music, most notably jazz and rock, but also borrowing from world
music. The Metheny trio played some of the songs in a traditional
straight-ahead jazz style, some in a rock style and a few that
sounded like pop music. A couple of notable songs fused the styles
together in a series of movements or suites.
To vary the texture of the music, Metheny had on hand at least
four guitars, some acoustic and some electric, each with a
distinctive sound. At one point during the set, Metheny pulled out
a monstrous-looking hybrid guitar with two separate sets of strings
on it: a regular setup, with a smaller group of strings higher up
on the guitar. He then played both sets simultaneously, one with
each hand, and it sounded like two or three people were playing
different instruments all at once. Grenadier’s bowed bass and
Stewart’s cymbals added to the effect remarkably.
One of the ballads the trio played had Metheny on acoustic
guitar, finger-picking multiple notes simultaneously almost the
entire song. Instead of having it turn into a gimmick, Metheny used
it to great effect, and the result was dramatic. In contrast to the
faster songs in the set, this one allowed him to stretch out and
use just a few sparse notes; the result was some really beautiful
melodic lines.
On the next tune, the trio belted out a barrage of notes and
rhythms that explored a much more dissonant world. The song was
broken up into segments; some screamed with cacophony, others could
have been mood music for the astronaut’s trip at the end of "2001:
A Space Odyssey," and the computer game "Myst." Occasionally
Metheny achieved an ear-jarring screeching noise over the
percussive drum hits and bass lines by apparently running his
fingernails over the steel-wound strings.
This tune seemed to paint a picture of a journey through the
nine levels of hell in Dante’s "Inferno." Most interesting was the
way in which the group of three made this song sound like an
orchestra was behind it.
Throughout the set, Bill Stewart propelled the music with
polyrhythms that had swing with funk undertones. Stewart had great
musicality in his improvisational work. Grenadier was also
rock-solid, with a keen sense of melody as well as a rich full
sound.
The Pat Metheny trio took advantage of a factor not normally
varied much in jazz: the stage lighting. The person controlling the
stage lights must have been told to take whatever creative
liberties he wanted that night; there were so many flashing lights
with various colors and patterns, it almost turned into a rock
concert. On occasion it was very appropriate for the music, while
at other times it was just distracting.
Sunday’s performance was the most recent product in a history of
Metheny trios with different musicians, originating in the 1970s
with the album "Bright Size Life" with electric bass pioneer Jaco
Pastorius and drummer Bob Moses. Two other albums also defined
Metheny’s trio work: "Rejoicing," recorded in 1984 with bassist
Charlie Haden and drummer Billy Higgins, and "Question and Answer,"
recorded in 1989 with Dave Holland on bass and Roy Haynes on drums.
Some of the material from Sunday’s concert came from Metheny’s
latest album, "Trio ’99-’00," with Grenadier and Stewart.
Metheny has said in past interviews that he enjoys working the
trio setting with Grenadier and Stewart because they understand his
artistic goals and contribute the kind of support that Metheny
thinks the music should have. Also, the trio setting allows for
more flexibility in going between roles as a soloist, rhythm
section member, accompanist and colorist.
At the conclusion of the set, the crowd gave the trio a standing
ovation, inspiring Metheny to play two encores. The first was a
lovely ballad, the second a burning fast tune that brought down the
roof of Royce Hall and gave an air of finality to the two hour long
set.
Metheny enthusiasts and casual listeners alike will enjoy this
trio for its innovation and original and creative departures from
jazz’s standard repertoire. Their mixture of different styles of
music also proves that there is still innovation happening in
jazz.