Author: Primož Novak
Photos: Jernej Vene
Location: Cankarjev Dom / Ljubljana /Slovenia
Concert date: 03.06.2017
Ticket price: 26€ – 39€
Pat Metheny is today one of the greatest jazz guitarists around, a man who over a long and prolific career spanning more than four decades has proved himself in both huge projects and stripped-down, more intimate performances. He’s played in Slovenia quite a few times, the first one back in the seventies, as he told the crowd, and he’s come back fairly regularly ever since. Plenty of people still have fond memories of the concert at the end of June, a few days after Slovenia declared independence, and Metheny likes to point out that there was something special in the air back then. More than a quarter of a century later, Pat Metheny still loves to stop by Slovenia on tour. This time Cankarjev Dom was booked for him, and he rolled in with his quartet.
One look at the stage at first suggested Metheny would be showing his softer side, since there was no extra percussionist, vocalist or saxophonist. The quartet was focused purely on guitar, double bass, piano and drums. But as anyone familiar with Metheny knows, his repertoire is full of surprises. With every song he showed a different face: sometimes a wilder, more complex piece in the vein of jazz fusion, free jazz or even avant-garde, other times something calmer, in the style of the mellower jazz (sub)genres.
Metheny was the first on stage, with his wondrous 42-string so-called Pikasso guitar, which works as a hybrid of a lute, a harp and a guitar. After that opening, more laid-back set, Metheny was joined by pianist Gwylim Simcock, bassist Linda Oh and longtime drummer Antonio Sanchez. The quartet delivered a kind of cross-section of Metheny’s long career. It was definitely praiseworthy that Metheny gave every member enough room to show what they’ve got. Who stood out most is hard to say, since everyone showed just the right amount of talent and professionalism. Many were struck by drummer Antonio Sanchez, who among other things worked on the music for the film Birdman in 2015. Sanchez is one of those guys who’s pretty much at war with ordinary rhythms, so broken, unconventional beats were in no short supply. His unusual transitions put the cherry on top of his complex playing. Also worth praising is his feel for playing just on the cymbals, which fit the mellow numbers, of which there were plenty. Pianist Simcock gave Metheny’s guitar a great foundation all night long, while his solo spots showed off his skill and inventiveness, touching on both jazz and classical music. Simcock promises more than enough, and soon we’ll be able to put him alongside giants like Chick Corea and the like. Linda Oh, the Malaysian-born bassist, didn’t stand out much at first, but once Metheny gave her free rein, she showed an exceptional command of her instrument too.
Metheny of course introduced the band members, but otherwise he didn’t waste time on chatter between songs, putting the music first, which was mostly a plus, given how many interesting pieces were on the program. Metheny won the crowd over time and again. The opening bars of each song drew strong applause as soon as he played the familiar notes. He ran through a medley of hits like Have You Heard, Better Days Ahead, James, Unity Village and others. His guitar chops kept surprising throughout, and his feel for effects-laden guitar was front and center. A few times he also picked up a classical guitar, with Simcock adding extra backing to make the sound fuller. At times Metheny truly stood out, especially when he grabbed the electric guitar with a synthesizer, showing off his signature sound.
After roughly an hour and a half of playing, Metheny made an excellent move, wanting to spotlight the crew he’s currently touring with once more. He played one song with each member. Phase Dance especially stood out, played with pianist Simcock, who meshed perfectly with Metheny’s nimble fingers.
A short break followed, after which Metheny came out alone and played snippets of well-known songs on a classical guitar, including the famous Last Train Home, which earned him a roaring ovation. Just when it seemed like it was all over, Metheny came back out with the full lineup and closed with »Are You Going With Me?«, which deserves all the respect, seeing as a man in his sixties can still pull off a concert of more than two hours.
Pat Metheny and his quartet spent more than two hours in Cankarjev Dom building an incredible atmosphere out of mellow and more intense numbers alike. Definitely a gig tailor-made for fans of guitar wizardry and jazz lovers in general.
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