I recently read a Pat Metheny Solo Guitar show review on the Jazz Guitar Chat Facebook group and asked the original poster – Warren Cobb – if he wouldn’t mind me adding it here. Warren graciously agreed and so here it is. His review got me all excited to see Pat’s current tour and I am hoping he gets to Montreal sooner than later. Enjoy Warren’s review!
But first…
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And now, onto Warren’s review…
Show: Pat Metheny – Lexington Opera House in Lexington, KY – April 1st, 2024
I just saw Pat Metheny this week. What a beast. He hadn’t been to my city in 30 years and I missed him the last time, so this was a bucket list item for me.
This tour, he’s solo. Kind of. Solo as in he’s the only one on stage. I figured he might use a looper. But no, he used three.
The first hour or so focused mainly on acoustic guitar. Classical strings, baritone guitar, the “Picasso” guitar which I think of as sort of a harp guitar (42 strings). All tuned in a Pat M tuning. He showed how incredibly impeccable and musically tasteful his fingerstyle chops are on virtually any stringed instrument no matter how its strung or what tuning its in.
Then he moved to electrics of various types. Headed more into the kind of jazz he’s been known for. Using the other guitars on stage to build a bass and rhythm pad and then soloing over that. His looper skills were equally as impressive.
Then came the big wow. He ended the show with a combination of electric guitars with the final one being a midi guitar that was tied into a roughly 15 foot long set of three shelving units. Each unit with three shelves. These shelves were filled with handheld percussion instruments that you might see in a 4th grade music room. Xylophones, marimbas, spoons, shakers, etc. All at once, they all began activating as well as being lit up based on his midi guitar strings and what he played. The lights of course were also timed to the music.
Several of the guitars he used were covered in a black cloth or sheet. Just like a magician would do, throughout the performance he would unveil one after another and add it to the mix of sounds he was making.
It honestly was mind blowing. I don’t know of too many guitar players worldwide that can totally captivate an audience for over two hours and elicit hooping, hollering, and multiple standing ovations.
If he’s in your area, go see him. It would have been worth three times what I paid for my tickets to have that experience. Cheers!
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Warren Cobb graduated with a BA in music from the University of Kentucky and has had a 30 plus year career playing guitar while singing lead in every genre. Not only is he an executive producer – along with his wife – of the popular radio show Overtones LIVE out of Lexington, KY and Nashville, TN, he is also a partner in the Dreamland Entertainment Group out of Nashville as well as The Scribe TV Network.
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Saw Mr. Metheny’s show in Morristown, NJ on 4-5-24, and it was beautiful to experience. He is one of the most versatile guitarists on the planet, as he has an expertise is many different types of jazz fusion, as well as having the ability to play many different types of guitars and other string instruments. And yes, the “big wow” moment was totally unexpected, and very cool.
Hi Peter and thanks for dropping by 🙂
Glad to read that enjoyed Metheny’s show as well and I am in total agreement with all that you wrote. Pat is indeed a most wonderful player and composer. I am hoping that he makes his way to Montreal soon…maybe for the Jazz Fest here. Fingers crossed 🙂
Take care Peter and thank you for the coffee. You’re generosity and support is greatly appreciated 🙂
Lyle – Jazz Guitar Life
Yup Pat is super great! One of the best to ever do it. Him Wes, George and Allan Holdsworth were on a whole other level. Pat was a better composer than those guys for sure and also more creative in terms of sound creation. Those guys are like the Mount Rushmore of guitar for me. I saw Pat many times and I have to say my favorites were with Lyle and the group. I’m sure those type of shows would be crazy difficult to do now because of the expense and also cause there is no Lyle. Those times resonate the most for me in Pats career
Pat Metheny is my FAVORITE musician of ALL-TIME!! I first heard and fell in love with his music in the early 80s and I’d never seen him in concert.
I decided to go to the Atlanta concert, March 26 come hell or high water. It was also a bucket list event for me. I am so glad I went!! He was INCREDIBLE!! I sat with a silly grin on my face and was in pure heaven for the whole concert!! My jaw dropped when he played the Picasso guitar!! The “one man band” when he looped and basically played four or five guitars with himself and the percussive “contraption” finale was unbelievable!! Mind. Totally. Blown. I am STILL on a high!! I wish I could follow his tour in Europe. I LOVE THIS MAN AND HIS MUSIC!!!
Hi Gwen and thank you for such an enthusiastic comment. I am very happy that you were finally able to see Pat in concert and to tick off that special event from your bucket list 🙂
Take care and I hope you get to see many more Metheny shows!
All the best,
Lyle – Jazz Guitar Life