JAM Magazine: February/March 1998 Issue: For the Record

Pat Metheny
IMAGINARY DAY
Warner Bros.

Personnel: Pat Metheny, guitars; Lyle Mays, acoustic piano, keyboards; Steve Rodby, acoustic, electric bass; Paul Wertico, drums; Mark Ledford, vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn, bass trumpet; David Blamires, vocals, mellophone, baritone acoustic guitar, electric guitars, violin, recorder, trumpet; Mino Cinelu, David Samuels, Glen Velez, Don Alias, percussion

Tracks: Imaginary Day, Follow Me, Into the Dream, A Story Within the Story, The Heat of the Day, Across the Sky, The Roots of Coincidence, Too Soon Tomorrow, The Awakening

Recorded Spring 1997 at Right Track Recording, New York, NY; Rob Eaton, engineer

For the Pat Metheny Group the unusual has become usual.

But Imaginary Day, the group's 12th album and its first for Warner Brothers, is unusually unusual.

In his review in the current Jazz Times, Josef Woodard asks, "Is it jazz?" Critics used to ask the same question about bebop. At some point that question, when aimed at Pat Metheny, will seem as silly as it does today, when applied to Charlie Parker or Dizzy Gillespie. (Woodard's answer, by the way, is "Yes and no, and maybe, depending on your perspective.")

Jazz is about freedom, vision, imagination, inspiration, improvisation and chops. The road to Warner Brothers is littered with the carcasses of players who lacked the full package. This album has it all. It also has a theme: An imaginary journey through a musical and magical dream landscape. It begins with the CD cover, an iconographic rendering of the names of the album and the group in hieroglyphs. (The group's web site, www.patmethenygroup.com, includes an interactive translator for the pictographs.) It involves instruments that are not of this earth, as well as acoustic bass, piano and guitars.

The songs are stunning. I once visited a temple in the old section of Kathmandu, that featured both Buddhist and Hindu gods, and music that melded both religions. The landscape of Imaginary Day has that sound, plus sounds that are Javanese, North African, Iranian, Celtic, and Silicon Valley.

The curtain opens with, "Imaginary Day," featuring Pat Metheny on the fretless classical guitar, and a sound that was influenced by a gamelan concert the group attended while touring Indonesia. (My Webster's defines "gamelan" as a Javanese instrument resembling the xylophone, or a flute, string and percussion orchestra of southeast Asia.)

The next tune, "Follow Me," sounds more like the Pat Metheny Group on their last album, the 1995 Grammy winner We Live Here. It features beautiful and cleanly picked lines on the acoustic sitar guitar, guitar synth, baritone guitar, and the vg-8 (a pick-up that manipulates the guitar sound to make it sound like other combinations of guitars, amps, microphones, speakers, and rooms, according to the website).

The third song, "Into The Dream," is a solo offering on the 42-string pikasso guitar, a conventional guitar with sets of multiple strings over and under the basic six, which ring and hum. The sound is hauntingly beautiful. It sounds like a harp might, if it had frets; it's the Double Whopper of 12-string guitars.

My favorites on the album, and the most interesting compositionally, are "A Story Within A Story," which is the most traditional "jazz" sound, with a lovely Blue-Note-like muted trumpet solo by Mark Ledford, "The Heat Of The Day," which evokes sprinting up a mountain in order to dive into the sea, and "The Roots Of Coincidence," driven by the bass in the pistons and Pat at the wheel.

I'm a slow learner and a bebop fan. It took me a couple of listenings to really appreciate the beauty of this album. But when it hit, it hit hard.

The Pat Metheny Group, and especially Pat Metheny, continue to push the envelope of composition, rhythm, instrumentation, computerization and... jazz.

-- Gregg Ottinger

Dean Stringer &
The River City Jazz Orchestra
TONGUE & GROOVE

Personnel: Dean Stringer, leader; Randy Woy, Coker Thomas, Bob Ousley, Jim Barker, Tony DiBenedetto, saxophones, flutes; Dave Simes, Tom Quinlin, Al Pearson, Jay Sollenberger, trumpets, flugelhorns; Jeff Hamer, Matt Kern, Ken Clond, Chuck Elliott, trombones; Dave Baker, piano; Ed Billings, bass; Andy Hambleton, drums

Tracks: Fly Me To The Moon, When You're Smilin', Alex's Big Time Band, Angel Eyes, Honey Buckle Hose, AMC Blues, Early Autumn, Which Craft, Stompin' At The Savoy, Bill Bailey

Recorded at Sound Trek Studio, Kansas City, MO; Ron Ubel, engineer.

No two ways about it: Dean Stringer's River City Jazz Orchestra really swings! The arrangements on this debut CD are outstanding (seven are by the renowned Tom Kubis), the ensemble work and improvisations are first rate, and the rhythm section infuses abundant energy all the way through.

If you're looking for the "Kansas City groove," look no further than this CD. As a matter of fact, that's part of the reason (according to Stringer) for the album's title, Tongue & Groove -- "groove" for the members of the band who have played in the KC groove for over 50 years, "tongue" for the band's crisp articulation. (Also, "Tongue & Groove" is one of Dean Stringer's favorite jazz clubs in San Jose, CA.)

"Fly Me To The Moon," arranged by Tom Kubis, features solos by Al Pearson on trumpet, Bob Ousley, soprano sax, and Ed Billings on bass. As with all Kubis arrangements herein, it swings hard; the harmony is full and lush, the ensemble passages are interesting and melodic, and it all provides a wonderful background for the soloists.

Next is the standard, "When You're Smilin'," also arranged by Kubis. This features the flugelhorn of Jay Sollenberger, and the trombone of Jeff Hamer. The tempo is laid-back and relaxed, but it's still hard to keep your toe from tapping.

Third is "Alex's Big Time Band," arranged by Kubis and based, of course, on "Alexander's Rag Time Band." Dave Baker starts this track off at a pretty good clip on electric piano, and after a chorus or two of standard ensemble work, there is a nice ensemble line played without the rhythm section. Bob Ousley then solos on soprano sax, followed by trumpeters Sollenberger and Pearson who first split whole choruses, then eights, fours, twos, ones, then together.

"Angel Eyes," a lovely ballad arranged by Frank Foster, is a feature piece for the alto sax of Bob Ousley who turns in a beautiful and emotional performance.

The fifth cut, "Honey Buckle Hose," composed and arranged by Kubis, is based on "Honeysuckle Rose." A medium-tempo chart with trademark Kubis ensemble sounds, it features solos by Al Pearson on trumpet, Matt Kern on trombone, and Bob Ousley on soprano sax.

Next is another Kubis composition/arrangement, "AMC Blues," an up-tempo blues, featuring a trumpet battle between Jay Sollenberger and Al Pearson, plus the drum work of Andy Hambleton.

"Early Autumn" is another standard, but this arrangement by Dean Stringer is definitely not the ballad we're accustomed to. This up-tempo toe tapper features solos by Bob Ousley, this time on tenor sax, and Hambleton on drums.

Yet another Kubis composition, "Which Craft" is based on the better known "Witchcraft," and features Jay Sollenberger on flugelhorn.

The Benny Goodman standard, "Stompin' At The Savoy" is arranged by Matt Cattingub. It is laid back and spare, and has a solid Basie-like groove. Dave Baker, piano, and Al Pearson, trumpet, are the soloists.

"Bill Bailey," the final Tom Kubis arrangement and also the final track on the CD, features many soloists and more wonderful Kubis ensemble passages minus rhythm section. Dave Baker starts the tune on organ followed by solos from Al Pearson and Jay Sollenberger on trumpet, Jeff Hamer on trombone, Bob Ousley on clarinet, and finally Andy Hambleton on drums.

This is another fine CD showcasing Kansas City musicians playing in that unmistakable KC groove. The more you listen to this, the more it will grow on you.

Any Kansas City jazz fan would be happy to add Tongue & Groove to their collection. Look for it at BB's Lawnside BBQ, 1205 E. 85th, where the River City Jazz Orchestra appears the first Wednesday of each month.

-- Jerry Landsbaum

RETURN TO FEBRUARY/MARCH 1998 MAIN INDEX

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© Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.






	Search our site:		Pat Metheny IMAGINARY DAY Warner Bros. Personnel: Pat Metheny, guitars; Lyle Mays, acoustic piano, keyboards; Steve Rodby, acoustic, electric bass; Paul Wertico, drums; Mark Ledford, vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn, bass trumpet; David Blamires, vocals, mellophone, baritone acoustic guitar, electric guitars, violin, recorder, trumpet; Mino Cinelu, David Samuels, Glen Velez, Don Alias, percussion Tracks: Imaginary Day, Follow Me, Into the Dream, A Story Within the Story, The Heat of the Day, Across the Sky, The Roots of Coincidence, Too Soon Tomorrow, The Awakening Recorded Spring 1997 at Right Track Recording, New York, NY; Rob Eaton, engineer For the Pat Metheny Group the unusual has become usual. But Imaginary Day, the group's 12th album and its first for Warner Brothers, is unusually unusual. In his review in the current Jazz Times, Josef Woodard asks, "Is it jazz?" Critics used to ask the same question about bebop. At some point that question, when aimed at Pat Metheny, will seem as silly as it does today, when applied to Charlie Parker or Dizzy Gillespie. (Woodard's answer, by the way, is "Yes and no, and maybe, depending on your perspective.") Jazz is about freedom, vision, imagination, inspiration, improvisation and chops. The road to Warner Brothers is littered with the carcasses of players who lacked the full package. This album has it all. It also has a theme: An imaginary journey through a musical and magical dream landscape. It begins with the CD cover, an iconographic rendering of the names of the album and the group in hieroglyphs. (The group's web site, www.patmethenygroup.com, includes an interactive translator for the pictographs.) It involves instruments that are not of this earth, as well as acoustic bass, piano and guitars. The songs are stunning. I once visited a temple in the old section of Kathmandu, that featured both Buddhist and Hindu gods, and music that melded both religions. The landscape of Imaginary Day has that sound, plus sounds that are Javanese, North African, Iranian, Celtic, and Silicon Valley. The curtain opens with, "Imaginary Day," featuring Pat Metheny on the fretless classical guitar, and a sound that was influenced by a gamelan concert the group attended while touring Indonesia. (My Webster's defines "gamelan" as a Javanese instrument resembling the xylophone, or a flute, string and percussion orchestra of southeast Asia.) The next tune, "Follow Me," sounds more like the Pat Metheny Group on their last album, the 1995 Grammy winner We Live Here. It features beautiful and cleanly picked lines on the acoustic sitar guitar, guitar synth, baritone guitar, and the vg-8 (a pick-up that manipulates the guitar sound to make it sound like other combinations of guitars, amps, microphones, speakers, and rooms, according to the website). The third song, "Into The Dream," is a solo offering on the 42-string pikasso guitar, a conventional guitar with sets of multiple strings over and under the basic six, which ring and hum. The sound is hauntingly beautiful. It sounds like a harp might, if it had frets; it's the Double Whopper of 12-string guitars. My favorites on the album, and the most interesting compositionally, are "A Story Within A Story," which is the most traditional "jazz" sound, with a lovely Blue-Note-like muted trumpet solo by Mark Ledford, "The Heat Of The Day," which evokes sprinting up a mountain in order to dive into the sea, and "The Roots Of Coincidence," driven by the bass in the pistons and Pat at the wheel. I'm a slow learner and a bebop fan. It took me a couple of listenings to really appreciate the beauty of this album. But when it hit, it hit hard. The Pat Metheny Group, and especially Pat Metheny, continue to push the envelope of composition, rhythm, instrumentation, computerization and... jazz. -- Gregg Ottinger Dean Stringer & The River City Jazz Orchestra TONGUE & GROOVE Personnel: Dean Stringer, leader; Randy Woy, Coker Thomas, Bob Ousley, Jim Barker, Tony DiBenedetto, saxophones, flutes; Dave Simes, Tom Quinlin, Al Pearson, Jay Sollenberger, trumpets, flugelhorns; Jeff Hamer, Matt Kern, Ken Clond, Chuck Elliott, trombones; Dave Baker, piano; Ed Billings, bass; Andy Hambleton, drums Tracks: Fly Me To The Moon, When You're Smilin', Alex's Big Time Band, Angel Eyes, Honey Buckle Hose, AMC Blues, Early Autumn, Which Craft, Stompin' At The Savoy, Bill Bailey Recorded at Sound Trek Studio, Kansas City, MO; Ron Ubel, engineer. No two ways about it: Dean Stringer's River City Jazz Orchestra really swings! The arrangements on this debut CD are outstanding (seven are by the renowned Tom Kubis), the ensemble work and improvisations are first rate, and the rhythm section infuses abundant energy all the way through. If you're looking for the "Kansas City groove," look no further than this CD. As a matter of fact, that's part of the reason (according to Stringer) for the album's title, Tongue & Groove -- "groove" for the members of the band who have played in the KC groove for over 50 years, "tongue" for the band's crisp articulation. (Also, "Tongue & Groove" is one of Dean Stringer's favorite jazz clubs in San Jose, CA.) "Fly Me To The Moon," arranged by Tom Kubis, features solos by Al Pearson on trumpet, Bob Ousley, soprano sax, and Ed Billings on bass. As with all Kubis arrangements herein, it swings hard; the harmony is full and lush, the ensemble passages are interesting and melodic, and it all provides a wonderful background for the soloists. Next is the standard, "When You're Smilin'," also arranged by Kubis. This features the flugelhorn of Jay Sollenberger, and the trombone of Jeff Hamer. The tempo is laid-back and relaxed, but it's still hard to keep your toe from tapping. Third is "Alex's Big Time Band," arranged by Kubis and based, of course, on "Alexander's Rag Time Band." Dave Baker starts this track off at a pretty good clip on electric piano, and after a chorus or two of standard ensemble work, there is a nice ensemble line played without the rhythm section. Bob Ousley then solos on soprano sax, followed by trumpeters Sollenberger and Pearson who first split whole choruses, then eights, fours, twos, ones, then together. "Angel Eyes," a lovely ballad arranged by Frank Foster, is a feature piece for the alto sax of Bob Ousley who turns in a beautiful and emotional performance. The fifth cut, "Honey Buckle Hose," composed and arranged by Kubis, is based on "Honeysuckle Rose." A medium-tempo chart with trademark Kubis ensemble sounds, it features solos by Al Pearson on trumpet, Matt Kern on trombone, and Bob Ousley on soprano sax. Next is another Kubis composition/arrangement, "AMC Blues," an up-tempo blues, featuring a trumpet battle between Jay Sollenberger and Al Pearson, plus the drum work of Andy Hambleton. "Early Autumn" is another standard, but this arrangement by Dean Stringer is definitely not the ballad we're accustomed to. This up-tempo toe tapper features solos by Bob Ousley, this time on tenor sax, and Hambleton on drums. Yet another Kubis composition, "Which Craft" is based on the better known "Witchcraft," and features Jay Sollenberger on flugelhorn. The Benny Goodman standard, "Stompin' At The Savoy" is arranged by Matt Cattingub. It is laid back and spare, and has a solid Basie-like groove. Dave Baker, piano, and Al Pearson, trumpet, are the soloists. "Bill Bailey," the final Tom Kubis arrangement and also the final track on the CD, features many soloists and more wonderful Kubis ensemble passages minus rhythm section. Dave Baker starts the tune on organ followed by solos from Al Pearson and Jay Sollenberger on trumpet, Jeff Hamer on trombone, Bob Ousley on clarinet, and finally Andy Hambleton on drums. This is another fine CD showcasing Kansas City musicians playing in that unmistakable KC groove. The more you listen to this, the more it will grow on you. Any Kansas City jazz fan would be happy to add Tongue & Groove to their collection. Look for it at BB's Lawnside BBQ, 1205 E. 85th, where the River City Jazz Orchestra appears the first Wednesday of each month. -- Jerry Landsbaum RETURN TO FEBRUARY/MARCH 1998 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.