Pat Metheny Group Lyle Mays/Tokyo,Japan 1983 & mor

Following Pat Metheny Group’s 1980 Tokyo Studio Live and 1992 Live Under the Sky, So What! The third Pat Metheny release from the astonishing, other-dimensional, superb, high-quality stereo soundboard sound source series, recorded directly from the never-before-heard, unreleased original 4 or 2 track open reel master, PCM digital recording master, and high-fidelity recording master, has arrived! ! A rare, first-time sound source that has never been available on the Internet or among collectors, unearthed by the label itself, is finally here! Pat Metheny’s first visit to Japan was at the 1979 ECM Super Guitarist Festival under his solo name, and then to Japan for the ECM 10th anniversary concert with the Pat Metheny Group (PMG). He also came to Japan the following year in 1981 as both PMG and solo. And the 1983 Japan tour recorded in this work was the first performance in Japan of the new PMG after a member change. After that, in 1985, 1987, and again in 1988, which is included in this album, he performed with PMG drummer Paul Wertiko, Charlie Haden, and Ernie Watts in a special quartet that was a one-off meeting. Since then, he has visited Japan many times, and Pat’s relationship with Japan is very deep. This album, “TRAVELS,” was the first live album by the Pat Metheny Group on ECM, and was the culmination of PMG’s work up to that point. It was released after the 1982 US tour, which consisted of 80 shows, and was the final album of the new PMG. The new PMG consisted of Metheny, Lyle Mays, and Steve Rodby, with drummer Paul Wertiko replacing Dan Gottlieb on drums, and with Pedro Aznar, an Argentinean vocalist, saxophonist, acoustic guitarist, vibraphone, percussionist, and other multi-instrumentalist, joining the group to realize Metheny’s idea of ​​incorporating a Brazilian flavor into the Metheny Group, which he had had in his mind for some time. The final day of the 1983 Japan tour, titled “G!”, was held on November 12, 1983 at the Kanpo Hoken Hall in Gotanda, Tokyo, and the “Live Under the Sky” performance held on July 30, 1988 at Yomiuri Land East in Tokyo, featuring a truly special quartet consisting of Charlie Haden, Pat’s beloved fellow countryman and member of the Ornette Coleman Original Quartet, tenor Ernie Watts, who was highly regarded by Haden and was the core member of Haden’s Quartet West, and Paul Wertiko, who has been the backbone of PMG since joining in 1983. Although neither of these performances are complete recordings of the concerts, the details of each member’s playing can be clearly and distinctly heard, and these are the ultimate items recorded directly from the original PCM digital recording masters that have never been released to the public, on an astonishingly high-quality stereo soundboard that is on a completely different level! The 1983 performance featured Metheny, Mays, Rodby, Paul Watico, and Pedro Aznar (with percussionist Armand Marsal joining later), and was the first step towards their worldwide breakthrough during their time at Geffen. The entire performance was an overwhelming performance that left a strong impression of the new PMG. With the addition of Aznar, the PMG’s musical scope has expanded and they have evolved even further than before. Not only are the wonderful solos by Metheny and Mays amazing, but the ability of the members to work together to play intricate and complex rhythms in a way that is not obvious to the listener is astonishing! The 1988 concert was a special arrangement featuring Charlie, who is from the same hometown as Pat and is a close friend of his, Ernie Watts, a talented saxophonist who is the core of Quartet West, which Charlie has been working on as his life’s work with the Liberation Orchestra since the late 1960s, and Paul Wertiko, a regular drummer for PMG. It goes without saying that Metheny was amazing as a lead player at the peak of his career, but the real star of this quartet is Ernie. Ernie is known as a star player in the fusion scene in its heyday and also active in the rock and pop scene as a tour member of the Rolling Stones in the 1980s, but he was originally a member of the Buddy Rich band and was known as the John Coltrane of Los Angeles in the 1960s, specializing in hard-blowing. By playing with such masters as Charlie Haden and Paul Motian, who reigned over the royal road of jazz, in the Quartet West, Ernie’s original form, his jazzman’s blood boiled and he fully demonstrated his true talent. Here too, the long solo overflowing with endless phrases reminiscent of Coltrane at his peak, and the incredible energy and overwhelming technique throughout the entire performance are sure to stun all listeners. Please enjoy this special performance by a once-in-a-lifetime special quartet! ! This is a dream-like item that perfectly captures the precious Japanese performance of the new PMG just before their big break and the once-in-a-lifetime special quartet, recorded directly from the miraculously unearthed PCM digital recording master that was not available to the public, on an amazing, super high-quality stereo sound board that can be said to be in another dimension! !