PAT METHENY — Pat Metheny Group ‎: Imaginary Day (review)

PAT METHENY — Pat Metheny Group ‎: Imaginary Day album cover Album · 1997 · World Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
FunkFreak75
The last Group album to be graced with the drumming of the amazing Paul Wertico (and to contain my favorite core of PM Group musicians: Pat, Lyle, Paul, and bassist extraordinaire, Steve Rodby--one of the finest rhythm sections EVER assembled. The band's infusion of world musics continues with more Indian and Southeast Asian sounds and structural elements as well as some from Scotland. Plus, this album came with one of the most fascinating (and ingenious) album covers ever! Code!

Five star songs: My favorite song on the album and one of my all-time favorite Pat Metheny songs, the Scottish-infused, 9. "The Awakening" (9:39) 10/10); 1. "Imaginary Day" (10:11) odd but effective mixing of SE Asian sounds with some pretty raw and raunchy guitars (9/10); 2. "Follow Me" (5:56) this one grabs you right from it's start with the multiple layers of melodies and riffs but these catchy riffs occur and recur throughout (9.5/10); 3. "Into the Dream" (2:28) harkens back to earlier PM stuff (New Chautauqua and the song "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls") (9/10), and; the techno-contemporary (for 1997), trip-hoppy blended with minimalist (and Grammy Award winning), 7. "Roots of Coincidence" (7:48) (9/10). Four songs: the more straightforward jazz song--with some awesome muted trumpet play, 4. "A Story Within the Story" (8:01) (8.5/10); the Spanish flamenco feeling epic with some of my favorite Lyle piano passages and percussion work from the support staff, 5. "The Heat of the Day" (9:24) (8.5/10); one of Pat's requisite soft emotive guitar-based pieces (with some nice orchestral support--which I live--á la "Secret Story"), 6. "Across the Sky" (5:03) (8.5/10), and; the other, more acoustic, requisite Pat solo guitar-based soft-jazz piece, 8. "Too Soon Tomorrow" (5:51) (8/10).

4.5 stars, rated up for overall high quality and extraordinary musicianship.
Share this review

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!

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

Port’Inglês World Fusion
CARMEN SOUZA
Buy this album from MMA partners
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
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Paper Plane Pilot
MIKE DE SOUZA
js· 12 hours ago
Green Puma
THE LINK QUARTET
js· 12 hours ago
Heavy Cream
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
js· 15 hours ago
Sunday afternoon
FURIO DI CASTRI
snobb· 1 day 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