Stuff I’ve Been Listening To

I’ve  been listening to the new Giovanni Guidi album, A New Day a lot, and had written a detailed review to post here last week. Unfortunately, due to a freak accident, I lost the file just as I was about to post it. While not inclined to write another detailed review, I will just say here that it is an exquisite album which starts right out of the gate with a couple of dreamy rubato tunes in a row, setting the atmosphere for this largely introspective, ruminative recording. This album features some really nice writing on Guido’s part, with the exception of a free group improvisation and a distinctly abstract version of the standard, My Funny Valentine. 

Guidi always sounds great, and this outing is no exception. There are a few pianists out there as consistent as Giovanni Guidi. The same could be said about bassist Thomas Morgan, who seems to be appearing as a sidemen these days on a lot of records I like. The real surprise for me here was tenor sax master James Brandon Lewis, who I had not heard of before this record. Lewis is an unerring melodicist, and doesn’t seem to play a note he hasn’t completely internalized. Last but not least, drummer Joao Lobo keeps it all moving, with his subtle colors and when needed, solid groove. The album ends with the marvelous piece, Wonderland, which starts out with a rubato melody played in unison on piano with Lewis on sax. It’s a wistful, yet optimistic tune, vaguely reminiscent of some of Jarrett’s writing for the European Quartet. Eventually it goes into 3/4 time and a simple yet effective modulating Lydian progression becomes a vehicle for joyful improvisation which builds and then takes us back home to the lovely rubato intro melody.

I am also revisiting a couple classic PMG albums I recently bought in SHM SACD format. The first (aka White Album,) album has always been a favorite, and it sounds only marginally better in SACD format. Of all the new Japanese PMG SHM SACD reissues, I would say OffRamp sounds the best of this lot, but then, the original album already sounded pretty darn good. I already had the earlier SACD issue of Travels, which definitely benefitted markedly from the transfer and is still a favorite, especially in this format. Worth tracking down that one.

Incidentally, none of these SACD reissues are remasters, and honestly, they are not a huge upgrade in terms of SQ. I have always thought that PMG was given short shrift sound-wise on these early group albums, and I’ve never understood why they weren’t remastered, or better yet, remixed (doubt either will ever happen.) The same goes for Bright Size Life, which I also bought as a new SHM SACD. This one fared the least well of all these newish SHM SACD releases. Not that great recording in the first place, and there’s just not a whole lot of definition to recapture at a higher sample/bit rate, because it just wasn’t there in the first place.

Speaking of Pat Metheny, I’ve been listening quite a bit to the new solo baritone guitar recording, MoonDial. I’ve really been digging it. It has a number of new Metheny compositions, as well as a lovingly rendered version of Here, There and Everywhere, which modulates a few of times in a very subtle, tasty way. Metheny also manages to breathe new life into the Chick Corea composition, You’re Everything off of the iconic Return to Forever album, Light as a Feather, taking it all the way from the original uptempo samba down to an introverted ballad. And it really benefits from the reinvention. Metheny finds all kinds of sweet harmonic nooks and crannies to caress in this little gem. Listening to it at this slow tempo, one realizes just how beautiful this tune really is. He also puts together a really nice medley of Everything Happens to Me and the Bernstein (West Side Story) composition, Someday. At this stage of his career, Pat Metheny can take a tune like the much covered Londonderry air, a.k.a. Danny boy, and remake it into completely fresh. With its ingenuous chord substitutions, this reharmonization exceeds most versions I’ve heard in terms of harmonic invention. Metheny also explores two other standard ballads, My Love and I and Angel Eyes, breathing new life and substance into both of these chestnuts. The engaging, highly Metheny-esque title track bookends the album, giving a full reading at the beginning and then returning as a short reprise at the end of the album. 

Perhaps one of the best things about this album is the sumptuous sound of the guitar itself. Linda Manzer, who has been Pat Metheny’s luthier for decades, has really outdone herself here. As great as the baritone guitar sounded on the first solo album, One Quiet Night, a couple years ago Metheny asked her to build him a new guitar for the DreamBox tour, one which was specifically designed for nylon strings. Apparently it was quite difficult to locate a set of nylon strings that would fit a baritone guitar, and Manzer had to scour the globe in order to procure a set. All I can say is, the search was worth it; The guitar on this album is the perfectly balanced electro/acoustic blend. It has the warmth, detail and intimacy of an acoustic nylon, but also possesses the deep bottom and color of an electric. It fills the entire room, and one sometimes gets the sense Metheny is working with a portable orchestra in a guitar case. 

Metheny doesn’t feel the need to show off on this record, instead choosing understatement and subtle fretwork which underscores the beauty of the instrument and brings out the lyricism of the chosen originals and covers. This is a very laid-back album which suits my mood these days, when I find myself seeking solace in quiet down tempo music. And this gem fits the bill perfectly. It’s comfort food for the  soul, but not without its nutritional benefits.