1. A Night Away
2. The Sound of Water
3. Fear and Trembling
4. Don’t Wait
5. Towards the Light
6. Long Before
7. En La Tierra Que No Olvida
8. Santa Cruz Slacker
9. Secret Beach
10. Silent Movie
11. Marta's Theme (from Passagio
per il Paradiso).
Pat Metheny – Guitar, guitar synth
Brad Mehldau – Piano
Larry Grenadier – Bass
Jeff Ballard - Drums
When
I reviewed the previous Metheny/Mehldau album
(review),
I preferred the two quartet tracks to the
duets between Metheny and Mehldau. Seven of
the eleven tracks on this new disc are by
the full quartet, and they benefit from the
additional bass and drums, which somehow prevent
the tracks from becoming too introverted.
Again,
all the tunes are original compositions: seven
by Pat, three by Brad, and the opening track
a collaboration between the two. This opener
illustrates the group’s appeal and the sympathetic
interplay between the two protagonists, with
solid but never intrusive support from bass
and drums.
Metheny’s
composition The Sound of Water is an
appropriately liquid duet between Metheny
and Mehldau, with both men picking their way
tentatively through the theme and Metheny
drawing some Japanese koto sounds from his
42-string (sic) guitar. Some of Mehldau’s
compositions are harder to catch hold of.
Fear and Trembling wanders towards
discords and Santa Cruz Slacker is
wayward, although Secret Beach is an
ingratiating bossa nova.
Mehldau’s
enigmatic pieces are fascinating but I prefer
Metheny’s outing on guitar synth in Towards
the Light – a questing piece where Pat
makes the instrument sound like keyboards
reaching heavenwards. It is reminiscent of
the lyricism of Metheny’s own groups with
keyboardist Lyle Mays, and it introduces a
welcome extrovert mood in what is otherwise
a predominantly inward-looking album.
Yet
the pairing of Pat and Brad is unlikely ever
to be uninteresting and this album maintains
one’s interest throughout. It is a meeting
of two musicians who genuinely respect each
other – and that respect is clear in their
thoughtful playing together. The album is
also impeccably recorded.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
Nonesuch
7559 79994 0
