Pat Metheny

Editor's Note: Pat Metheny was also one of the most frequently appearing in the pages of Down Beat music, from the very beginning of his career when he was first mentioned as a scholar Down Beat in 1969. His story is told and retold in countless biographical essays and interviews, our critics constantly publish reviews of his albums and collaborative projects, his work is lauded by our readers in many polls. And now we have decided to use a different approach and give him a chance to write something myself. One of the qualities inherent in everything he touched Pat for all these years, no matter in what part of it - its inimitable sound. Therefore, we asked him to tell me what it means - to have a sound, a real musical handwriting, and what it takes to develop its. Below is a response to Pat first person.

When I think of my favorite musicians, it seems that something in common that binds them - actually, may be the only characteristic that unites them - that they all - the true identity. They all - unique. Speaking of Miles Davis [Miles Davis], . Uese Montgomery [Wes Montgomery], . Bill Evans [Bill Evans], . Freddie Hubbard [Freddie Hubbard], . Keith Jarrett [Keith Jarrett], . Charlie Heydene [Charlie Haden], . Ornette Coleman [Ornette Coleman], . Stevie Wonder [Stevie Wonder], . Golf Blee [Paul Bley], . Milton Nascimento [Milton Nascimento], . Milt Jackson [Milt Jackson], . Roe Haynes [Roy Haynes], and many other, . the mere mention of these names, we immediately "hear" their sound,
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Despite the fact that when I was a young musician, the very abstract idea of possessing its own unique "sound" seemed to me a great ideal, the perception of movement towards this goal has been and will be for me the process of lifelong. In my case, I'm from a very early age (around 12 years) subconsciously felt that improvisation will be for me the most important of all musical languages, and its study will be all-consuming

. I always liked all kinds of music, . from country music, . that was played everywhere in my hometown (Lee's Summit, . Missouri), . to the surprising variety of music, . is abundantly fed a mainstream cultural life of that era - rock n 'roll (especially the Beatles [the Beatles]), . soul and rhythm and blues in those days equally with classical music,
. But I had only once listen to the recording of Miles Davis [Miles Davis] ( "Four" & More, . which brought home the elder brother, . Mike), . I stepped onto the path, . which must pass all serious musicians, improvisers: the path of understanding the history, . shape and structure of this most beautiful and most complex language,


. During, . when I was 13 to 19 years, . I was completely obsessed with the desire to learn about music as much as possible: the records trio, Sonny Rollins [Sonny Rollins] on Tillage Vanguard; all the records of Miles Davis [Miles Davis], . but especially - the quintet with Wayne Shorter [Wayne Shorter]; remarkable quartet of Gary Burton [Gary Burton] late 60-ies; Monk [Monk]; significant increase in the role of guitar in jazz, . made Uesom Montgomery [Wes Montgomery], . Kenny Burrel [Kenny Burrell] and Jim Hall [Jim Hall]; expressiveness and style of Bill Evans [Bill Evans]; amazing overall musicality Herbie Hancock [Herbie Hancock]; depth, . inspiration and innovation, . that is the essence of music of John Coltrane [John Coltrane]; melodic charm of Ornette Coleman [Ornette Coleman]; and, . sure, . all, . is related to Charlie Parker [Charlie Parker],
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I constantly rehearsed for six - twelve hours a day. But the place where I really learned a lot about music, this concert stages Kansas City, with many of the best musicians of the city (Gary Sivilz [Gary Sivils], Paul Smith [Paul Smith], Tommy Ruskin [Tommy Ruskin], Russ Long [Russ Long] and many others). It was like learning on the job. All I wanted to do in those years - is to play in the bebop and post-hop compositions, an organ trio and various free jazz compositions

. However, . as I developed as a musician in one of the most exciting and turbulent periods in musical history (60 th and 70 th year), . for my (and subsequent) generations of musicians, one of the most exciting Test was the agreement of those traditions with the specific realities of the world in which we live and the changing topography of the musical structure of our era,
. Ultimately, the execution of abstract standards and blues forms, the form in which I loved (and still love) to do it, gave me a feeling that my existence justifies the responsibility that impose those traditions. When I really looked closely at their heroes, . I realized, . that's Online is triggered not just "idiom": these were improvisers, . who literally showed in sound ideas and feelings are not only embodied, . but also defines the culture in which they existed,
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I will always work hard to play as best as possible in directions where they left a distinct footprint wizard. But only on this loop led to a feeling that I avoid the more difficult and more important task of searching my own musical syntax based on language which I learned while playing in those directions. I felt, . I should take a chance to step beyond the theoretical ideas, . I had the opportunity podcherpnut visiting someone's skin by imitation or copying, . and find that, . that would be typical for me, . that would be consistent with me and would make sense for the time in which I was,
. I vowed to focus on the, . to voice those ideas, . which sounded in my head, and which, . perhaps, . not exist before me, . try to express things in music, . that characterized the spiritual, . cultural and technological capacity, . which seemed quite accessible for me in terms of my own aesthetic values,
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For many reasons, it is very difficult to make this breakthrough. Devoting almost all his time over many years, . to understand how to understand and play bebop, . when I had the opportunity in 1973 to make his first the first record (in retrospect, . This record could be the album Bright Size Life), . I was tempted to make this record consisting only of the standards,
. It was music that I played the most, which I know best, and I knew that this music gives me a great chance to sound so good at what I was capable of. I struggled with this for quite some time: I thought seriously about, . I can offer the world in those plays more, . than that, . has already been played countless times before togoN My case is - to offer just one more version of "Autumn Leaves", . despite the fact, . how cool would that arrangement or, . I love to explore different ways to improvise on this temuN,

. Around this time (when I played in the group of Gary Burton [Gary Burton]), . I realized, . that there is a manner of performance and composition, . which I would like to follow, . and which has no relation to the clearly obvious things, . that would be obtained, . if I played or wrote in a more familiar, . idiomatichnom style,
. In a sense, it frightened me: for the Road Not Taken almost non-existent cards. Eventually, . with special support Steve Suallou [Steve Swallow], . I tried to write plays and perform them in situations, . which would contain melodic and harmonic zone, . are interested me, . thus, . to that, . manifested itself as my "voice" of the improviser, . could develop in these zones,


. I was lucky - I was surrounded by other musicians of my generation, . especially - Jaco Pastorius [Jaco Pastorius], . who have had the same goal - to try to realize a new way of thinking about sound, . the role of our tools and methods, . through which we would like to change the course of things, . increase the relevance of our instruments in an improvised, . nevertheless structured environment,
. I always managed to combine music-making with the older and more experienced musicians with sotrudnichkstvom with people of my generation, such as Jaco.

Having made a few records, while continuing to tour for several years with the Gary Burton [Gary Burton], I felt significant progress in advancing the many conceptual goals that I set for myself. But when it came time to leave Gary, in 1977, I looked up at the musical landscape and realized that there are very few teams where I could play like that would. Except for a few great teams, . who used the guitar, . but the place is a guitarist in their ranks were already occupied (as in the case of a group DeZhonetta Jack [Jack DeJohnette], . in which he played the guitar, John Abercrombie [John Abercrombie]), . Several other guitar teams were either too unpretentious, . or "post-Mahavishnu" - neither one thing nor the other was not a suitable place to continue my research,
. I had no choice but to how to create your own group.

I was lucky that I found in Laila Meishе? [Lyle Mays] partner, musician and composer, whose interests coincided with my uncanny way. During those twenty years, . we are playing with him, . we (together with Steve Rotbi [Steve Rodby] Vertical and Paul [Paul Wertico]) attempted to develop a sound team, . which reflects our common interests and knowledge, . as well as our almost constant travel,
. One of the greatest pleasures of our work as a team began the process of shared growth as a consequence of overcoming the issues, . Temporary - protivrechivyh, . harmonize the new tools, . appearing throughout the history of, . standards, . established by our favorite music,
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Over the years, one is constantly monitored and exciting things for me is the diversity of the world's musicians improvisers. The range of musical approaches, instrumentation, philosophies and personalities that make up the skeleton of this society, worthy of astonishment and admiration. It can serve as an example the rest of the world in many ways. (If only we could get rid of pointless petty vanity, or at least reduce its impact - this fuss is not so peculiar nature of music). One of the main perlestey such music - it is natural nature, . nature, . through which the best and brightest of its representatives, for historical reasons were the excellent musicians, . able to listen to the essence of the huge range of personal styles, . animate and inspired by the living culture of their time (or, . sometimes, . rejection of it), . and seeking a bright-sounding voice through improvisation,
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It requires that each musician showed a thorough understanding of the history and discipline, and at the same time had the courage to discard all this to find new angles and points of view.

This, to me, is a tradition, which I have followed in most cases, and used as a guide in search of sound. Of course, implying that it is necessary to have an initial experience of what is required to become a good performer, a good musician, and (in our dialect) free improviser. To do something worthwhile in music, first and foremost must consider these elements. But this approach requires an equally high level, to the musician came out on stage with his set of concepts and ideas that are based on his personal cultural knowledge and love of music. Best of the musicians, . I know, . from those, . to whom I admire and whom, . seems, . I listen to most, . are able to deeply listen to the musical moment and respond quickly to him with such a sense, . to make this moment immediacy, . reflecting the spirit of the times in which they live,
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In many cases this is tantamount to the creation of the folk music of our time, even if it is difficult for us to recognize that not being able to look at it from the future.

Sometimes it seems the music we create as improvisers, and indelibly marked with magic water marks, bearing a temporary code that tells our future students, special priceless message about what the people we are. This process of inspiration and purification through sound and has been for me what it means for a musician to have a "voice".


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. Interviews Pat Metinina annual jazz festival JazzFest'99


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. History of the continuation of Master improvisation emphasizes the importance of narrative


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. Inadmissibility


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. Pop-exam


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. I - electric guitarist ..
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. It is no secret Interview magazine Guitarist Pat Metheny
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. THE JOURNEY Metheny Feel at home interview to the newspaper Philadelphia Inquirer, March 17, 1995