Beyond The Missouri Sky

Metheny's acoustic steel-string and classical guitars predominate, but he also applies discreet overdubs (including some delicate synthesizer and keyboard textures) to sculpt orchestral detail. Haden, as always, is both a generous foil and a deft melodist on his own, moving easily into his instrument's upper register as he twines through Metheny's lines. The set's emotional coherence is particularly satisfying in light of the material, which spans Ennio Morricone ("Cinema Paradiso"), Henry Mancini ("Two for the Road"), Jim Webb ("The Moon is a Harsh Mistress"), and Roy Acuff ("The Precious Jewel") as well as affecting originals by both leaders. And giving the project a sense of closure, while commenting obliquely on the generational dialogue it represents, is the luminous "Spiritual" (composed by Haden's son, Josh), an instrumental prayer that exemplifies the balance of concision and deep emotion at the heart of this exquisite triumph. --Sam Sutherland

Description
Metheny and Haden have a lot in common. They're two of the most respected musicians at the vanguard of contemporary jazz, and they've worked together in Metheny's own band as wellas with people like Ornette Coleman, Abbey Lincoln and Michael Brecker. They're both innovators who've blazed new trails on their respective axes. They're also both from small towns in Missouri, which is the underlying theme of this collaboration. Essentially an acoustic duet album, MISSOURI SKY finds these old friends joining together to paint an aural landscape that evokes the wide open spaces and heartland Americana of the place where they grew up.
The album mixes original tunes by Haden and Metheny with some carefully chosen outside material, including Jimmy Webb's "The Moon Is A HarshMistress" and Roy Acuff's "Precious Jewel". All the tunes on the album benefit from the precision and grace of Metheny's acoustic guitar and the thoughtful fluidity of Haden's bass.