PAT METHENY — New Chautauqua (review)

PAT METHENY — New Chautauqua album cover Album · 1979 · Post-Fusion Contemporary Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
EatThatPhonebook
7/10

"New Chautauqua" is one of Metheny's most solitary and melancholy albums.

Pat Metheny is a man who loves to travel. We can say this not only because he does about a billion concerts every year, but his main themes in his music are about the road, exploring the urban world, but also more isolated places. I feel that with "New Chautauqua" Metheny is in one of these places. This LP is once again a nice and enjoyable gem of Jazz music, something to not underrate and to listen to with care.

As someone who listened to Pat Metheny should know, this music is completely guitar based, whether it's electric or acoustic. As a matter of fact, they barely are any other instruments besides the acoustic and electric guitar. It is indeed a solitaire album, full of melancholy and sadness. But there is also joy and hope, as well as haunting beauty. An album with many faces, played basically with only one instrument, which is amazing to me. The production of the album is also very enchanting and gives the music that magical touch it needs. Many have called this Fusion, but I don't see why honestly, it is definitely not in the traditional sense of the genre, because this music in the end of the day is pretty minimalistic, and, even though virtuous, not so complex and just very far away from bands like Return Of Forever, or even Al Dimeola.

Some very delightful and pleasure-filled moments are here, the best one being the ten minute "Falling Star", in my opinion the "White Summer/Black Mountain Side" of the artist. A crushingly beautiful guitar soaked in reverb and chorus, it just makes it so haunting sounding, from beginning to end. For a lighter mood, there is the joyful title track, that also opens the album. The exotic "Sueno Con Mexico" has some Latin influences as the title implies, and "Hermitage" a delicate little song that often is forgotten by fans of Metheny.

"New Chautauqua" is a very delightful experience, just like many of Pat's albums. I would call it an essential release for whoever loves the work of this amazingly talented and very rightfully praised man.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Green Puma / Tropical Dandy Jazz Related Rock
THE LINK QUARTET
Buy this album from MMA partners
Vinny Golia Quintet : Can You Outrun Them? 21st Century Modern
VINNY GOLIA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Bow Code Fusion
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Anthem For No Man’s Land Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ANDREAS SCHAERER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cabaret Eclectic Fusion
MARIUS NESET
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Paper Plane Pilot
MIKE DE SOUZA
js· 7 hours ago
Green Puma
THE LINK QUARTET
js· 7 hours ago
Heavy Cream
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
js· 9 hours ago
Sunday afternoon
FURIO DI CASTRI
snobb· 22 hours ago
Harmônicos
FABIANO DO NASCIMENTO
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed