Pat Metheny Group (Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays) / IA, USA – September 17, 1989 – Complete Soundboard Edition

Here is a definitive live recording capturing the Pat Metheny Group (PMG) at the absolute peak of their powers—a period marked by the release of the masterpiece *Letter from Home*, which topped the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and won a Grammy Award. This 2-disc set features the complete concert from their 1989 world tour (specifically the Ohio show), including the encore, all presented in superb, high-fidelity stereo soundboard audio that has been meticulously mastered. This tour—and this specific performance—marked the live debut of most tracks from the *Letter from Home* album, including the title track and “Have You Heard” (a song that would go on to become a staple of the PMG repertoire). Despite the audience’s unfamiliarity with the new material, the crowd’s enthusiasm was immense—a true testament to the immense popularity and musical prowess PMG commanded during this era. The band delivers a magnificent performance that truly defines their prime. The songs being played live for the first time radiate a dazzling, vibrant energy—like a newborn—and feel incredibly fresh. The band members themselves seem to play with a palpable sense of focused intensity, skillfully crafting a long, dynamic set that perfectly balances these new compositions with their established classics. The setlist is a definitive compilation of the Pat Metheny Group’s work up to that point. It centers on tracks from the new album *Letter from Home* and includes fan favorites from the previous album *Still Life (Talking)*—such as “Minuano” and “Last Train Home”—alongside classics like “Phase Dance,” “First Circle,” and “Are You Going with Me?” The same lineup that recorded *Letter from Home*—Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, Steve Rodby, Paul Wertico, Armando Marçal, and Pedro Aznar—delivers a flawless, unified performance. Live at Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, September 17, 1989. Disc 1: 1. Phase Dance 2. Have You Heard 3. Every Summer Night 4. Hermitage 5. Better Days Ahead 6. Last Train Home 7. First Circle 8. Scrap Metal 9. The Road to You 10. Spring Ain’t Here. Disc 2: 1. Straight on Red 2. Are You Going with Me? 3. The Fields, the Sky 4. Are We There Yet? 5. Vidala 6. Slip Away 7. Letter from Home 8. Beat 70 9. Minuano. Pat Metheny (g), Lyle Mays (keyboards), Steve Rodby (b), Paul Wertico (dr), Armando Marçal (perc), Pedro Aznar (vocals, various instruments).