Metheny Pat, actually Patrick Bruce Metheny, *12 August 1954 Lee’s Summit (Missouri), American guitarist, and jazz composer. His first instrument was trumpet; he started playing the guitar at the age of twelve. As an 18-year-old, he was already a guitar teacher at the University of Miami; in 1973, recommended by G. Burton, he became a lecturer (the youngest of the entire staff) at the Berklee College of Music in Boston; soon he joined the vibraphonist’s band. In 1975, together with J. Pastorium and B. Moses, he recorded his debut album Bright Size Life (ECM, 1976). In 1978, he started his own band and recorded an album Pat Metheny Group, which brought him wide recognition. At the end of the 1970s, his next albums were released: New Chautaqua (1979), American Garage (1979) and 80/81 (1980) featuring M. Brecker, J. DeJohnette, C. Haden, and D. Redman. At the beginning of the 1980s, he recorded As Falls Wichita, so Falls Wichita Falls (1981), Travels (1983), Rejoicing (1983), and First Circle (1984); he received a Grammy Award (he has won 20 by 2022) for the album Offramp (1981), which included his greatest hit Are You going with Me. He performed in Poland with a cycle of concerts in 1985; in the same year, he composed music for the film The Falcon and the Snowman (the song from the film, This is Not America, became a hit of D. Bowie). In 1986, with O. Coleman, he recorded an experimental album Song X, and later returned to his main style (albums: Still Live (Talking), 1987; Letter from Home, 1989). In 1990, he worked with G. Burton (Reunion), D. Holland and R. Haynes (Question and Answer), H. Hancock and J. DeJohnette (Parallel Realities). In 1994, he recorded a controversial solo album Zero Tolerance for Silence. In 1996, he received an honoris causa doctorate from the Berklee College of Music; he also performed with guitarist D. Bailey at Knitting Factory. In 1997, he released an album Imaginary Day, gave concerts and made recordings with M. Johnson, D. Liebman and M. Brecker Quintet. In 1998, together with C. Haden, he received the New York Jazz Award for the album Beyond the Missouri Sky. In 2000, the concert album of the guitarist, Trio Live, was produced, with his own compositions and jazz standards, maintained in the style of modern post-bop. In 2010, he recorded Orchestrion, a solo album with the use of guitar, piano and an “orchestra of robots” – a group of percussion instruments powered by a system of electromagnets and controlled by MIDI. In 2012, together with, among others, C. Potter, he recorded an album Pat Metheny Unity Band (Grammy Award for the best jazz album). Metheny regularly gives concerts in Poland; in 2002, he took part in the recording of A.M. Jopek’s album Upojenie, and in 2019, he was the central figure (“Artist-in-residence”) at the Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa (workshops, concert with NOSPR in Katowice).
Since the early 1980s, Metheny has been one of the most popular jazz, fusion and world music guitarists. His music, combining jazz, rock, pop, electronics and Latin elements, is addressed to a wide audience; the artist does not shy away from experiments (Song X, Zero Tolerance for Silence, The Sign of Four). Initially, he was influenced by bebop and jazz guitar classics (W. Montgomery, K. Burrell and J. Hall); after forming the Pat Metheny Group, he developed a recognisable style, which is characterised by rich melodics (extended legato lines), warm guitar sound, technical perfection, rich articulation, precision and liveliness of improvisation, jazz shaping of phrase, unconventional harmony and artistic arrangement with the exposure of keyboard and percussion instrument colours. An important role in Metheny’s music is played by electronic instruments, which the artist has used since the beginning of his career. The use of a whole range of guitar attachments, digital converters and sound recorders (including guitar synthesisers and multi-effects, the Synclavier system, MIDI, and computers) influences the colour rather than the formal structure of the pieces. In the studio and during performances, he uses electric and acoustic guitars (six- and twelve-string, as well as a custom-made 42-string Pikasso), which he tunes in various ways.
