Amazon.co.uk Review
Pat Metheny literally sat down
One Quiet Night to record some solo guitar in his home studio. Using a semi-acoustic baritone made by the esteemed Canadian luthier Linda Manzer, he recorded most of these pieces towards the end of 2001. After returning from a lengthy tour Metheny was impressed with the results and decided to add six more tunes to make an album's worth of material.
It's as calming as you might expect, with Pat investigating a more esoteric tuning mode and playing pure, with no overdubs. His lone axe is given a big, reverb-soaked sound, acting like a virtual orchestra in a cavernous space. The bass strings resonate with a plump power, silvery high-string phrases dancing above.
Metheny deliberately avoids any flashy fingerpicking, concentrating on gentle plucks, savouring the scrape, rub and click of his strings and allowing gaps for thought. He's completely relaxed and spontaneous, sustaining a mellow mood throughout. Around the midway mark of "Time Goes On" and Keith Jarrett's "My Song", the ideas seem to get cut adrift, yearning for bold gestures or emphatic statements. One problem is that Metheny doesn't vary the sound zones that he's exploring.
On "Peace Memory", ascending lines never quite reach their conclusion, but climb back up from the bottom again, then "Over on 4th Street" introduces a vigorous strum, underpinned by seeping bass notes. "I Will Find the Way" rejoices in singing harmonics, producing a luminous stasis that's in sharp contrast with "Ferry Cross the Mersey", which is certainly an unexpected song-choice for Metheny. --Martin Longley
CD Description
Over the years, progressive jazz guitarist Pat Metheny has covered a lot of ground, from Brazilian-inflected world jazzto gentle, ambient soundscapes to fiery, avant-garde experimentation. So it should come as no surprise that his eclectic muse has led him on ONE QUIET NIGHT to a new sonic neighborhood. The album is just Metheny alone with a baritone acoustic guitar--no band, no overdubs, no production, just a man and his musical gift with nothing to get in the way.
Accordingly, this is probably the most intimate, personal statement Metheny has made to date. Most of the songs are his own,but he branches out a bit as well, taking on the hit song that Jesse Harris penned for Norah Jones ("Don't Know Why") as well as a chestnut from the catalogue of pianist Keith Jarrett ("My Song"). Whatever the framework, he works his unique brand of subtle-but-intense, emotive-but-intellectual magic on these tunes. His touch, his tone, and his taste are what come out most clearly here, proving why he's widely regarded as one of the most skilled guitarists of his generation.
~ Charlie Haden
~ Pat Metheny & Anna Maria Jopek
~ Pat Metheny Group
~ Pat Metheny
~ Pat Metheny
