Product Description

Issued in early 2008, DAY TRIP finds jazz-guitar hero Pat Metheny collaborating with the top-notch rhythm section of Christian McBride (bass) and Antonio Sanchez (drums). While McBride anchors the proceedings with understated grace, Sanchez often cuts loose with busy percussive patterns, though he never steals the spotlight away from Metheny.
The versatile veteran six-stringer spins deft Wes Montgomery-like lineson "Son of Thirteen", eases into a delicate acoustic mode on "Dreaming Trees", and amps up on "The Red One", resulting in an excellent showcase of his widely renowned artistic range. While preceding Metheny releases were more ambitious (THE WAY UP) or piano-oriented (see his albums with Brad Mehldau), DAY TRIP presents the guitarist getting back to basics while losing none of his eclecticism.

Track Listing

1. Son Of Thirteen
2. At Last You're Here
3. Let's Move
4. Snova
5. Calvin's Keys
6. Is This America (Katrina 2005)
7. When We Were Free
8. Dreaming Trees
9. Red One
10. Day Trip

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7593 in Music
• Released on: 2008-01-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds

Customer Reviews

Major release
With all due respect to the superb Metheny-Mehldau recordings, this has to be the most significant Metheny release since The Way Up.

It's the most mellifluous, colourful, catchy and accessible of his trio recordings, so definitely a required purchase for all fans. Think of the track "Three Flights Up" from "Question and Answer" and you get the picture.

A side of sheer quality...
I'm going to continue to listen to this disc every day for the coming weeks, and will continue to discover more and more wonderful hidden depths..

For now let me say that it is, without doubt, an excellent album.

The tunes are varied and colourful, with some absolutely brilliant playing from all three musicians (Pat, Chris McBride, Antonio Sanchez), and as with all of Pat's (and esp. Nonesuch) it is just BEAUTIFULLY recorded. I never cease to be amazed at how good these records Pat makes sound on my hi-fi. All the nuanced subtleties of this truly immense trio are displayed in glorious detail. The production is so transparent, and the different guitar sounds are so lush to the ears. The drums sound just great (a lot to do with A.S.'s playing, I know!), and the bass purrs throughout. Brilliant.

Perhaps I'll come and write another review in a few weeks that says more about the tracks!... but for now, I'll turn it up and carry on getting lost in the music.

Great stuff. Hope I get to see them play live soon...

L

Great playing from this stellar lineup
Apart from taking time out to play with Brad Mehldau last year, Metheny has been playing in this trio extensively since the release of his last Group effort in 2005; in fact, it turns out that all the pieces on this CD were laid down in October of that year during a recording session that lasted a single day (hence the title). Sanchez is the current drummer in his group, and McBride - while still only in his mid 30's - has played with the likes of Benny Carter, Freddie Hubbard, Michael Brecker and Sting. When these three stellar musicians get together, it's a powerful mix, ranging from the supremely confident opener, "Son Of Thirteen" to the terrific title track (known, somewhat confusingly, as "Number 13" in early live setlists). Others have already commented on the elegaic "Is This America?", though the titular connection with Metheny's hit single "This Is Not America" doesn't seem to have registered.

I bought this disc in HMV Ottawa a couple of weeks ago, having had my eye on it since its release. Personally, my preference is always for Metheny's group outings with Lyle Mays, as they seem to offer a little more scope for his gifts of melody and texture, but I'll take him in pretty much any form that he chooses to dispense himself, as I've long thought of him as an artist of impeccable taste and ability.