The Pat Metheny Unity Group—Chris Potter, Antonio Sanchez, Ben Williams, and Giulio Carmassi—concluded the North American leg of its world tour, performing music from the debut album, Kin (←→), and much more at New York's Town Hall on Friday. "Metheny is one of the most industrious creative engines in jazz, and his relentless breadth has become a calling card, if not a selling point, among his fans," says the New York Times. "New York was his final stop on a grueling North American tour, which meant that the structure and pace of the production had been nailed down tight." The Group begins a months-long European tour at the end of April.
Last year, for the first time since 1980, guitarist Pat Metheny recorded with a band that highlighted tenor saxophone. Unity Band, which went on to win Metheny his 20th Grammy Award, featured Chris Potter on sax and bass clarinet, longtime collaborator Antonio Sanchez on drums, and Ben Williams on bass. Now, Metheny has added another musician, multi-instrumentalist Giulio Carmassi, and christened the ensemble Pat Metheny Unity Group. The Group’s first record, Kin (←→), was released this past February, also marking the launch of a whirlwind world tour with a two-month tour of North America, which culminated in an unforgettable concert at New York's Town Hall on Friday night.
The shows, featuring music from the full group, the orchestrion, and Metheny solo, have been with great critical acclaim all across the US and Canada, not least with the New York Times review of Friday's show.
Metheny "is one of the most industrious creative engines in jazz, and his relentless breadth has become a calling card, if not a selling point, among his fans," writes the Times music critic Nate Chinen in his review. "By custom, New York was his final stop on a grueling North American tour, which meant that the structure and pace of the production had been nailed down tight."
Read the complete review at nytimes.com.
"Pat Metheny showed why he’s become one of the most respected and influential musicians in contemporary jazz," exclaimed the Santa Barbara Independent’s Charles Donelan of a recent show; "truly one of the most impressive displays of sustained musicianship that I have witnessed at the Lobero in any genre."
"All five men … played with the fearlessness that all jazz groups should possess," says the Oregonian. "That he and the band were able to leave a deep impression with each song, no matter how quickly they shifted gears is a testament to the abilities of the players."
"If Vancouver was but one of the nearly 200 concerts Metheny still finds a way to play yearly," said the Vancouver Sun, "it certainly felt like an unforgettable, truly one-of-a-kind experience."
And speaking of those hundreds of concerts, the Pat Metheny Unity Group hits the road once more at the end of April, launching the months-long European leg of their tour in the Baltic states. They return to the States in July for a special cross-country tour with Bruce Hornsby. For details and tickets, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.
To pick up a copy of Kin (←→), head to the Nonesuch Store, where CD and vinyl orders include a download of the complete album at checkout, or to iTunes.
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