Product Description

Pat Metheny is one of the most original and distinctive guitarists of modern times. Together with long time collaborator and keyboards player Lyle Mays he founded the Pat Metheny Group in 1978. Instantly successful, they have established themselves at the forefront of jazz-rock fusion with a succession of best selling albums and sell out world tours. This new DVD, filmed in late 2005, features the full concert version of his most recent album Â"The Way UpÂ", which earned Pat Metheny Group their 10th Grammy Award® and Metheny personally his 17th.

Tracklisting 1. Opening 2. Part One 3. Part Two 4. Part Three

Bonus Features Interview with Pat Metheny (22 mins). Band Biographies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13965 in DVD
• Brand: RED DISTRIBUTION
• Released on: 2006-10-31
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Live, Subtitled
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 90 minutes

Amazon.com
Pat Metheny fans know by now what to expect from a recorded performance by the guitarist and his group, and it's all here on The Way Up – Live: superb, versatile musicianship, mixing virtuoso soloing with telepathic ensemble interplay and sustained moments of majestic passion and intensity; intricate rhythms and time signatures; sweeping textures punctuated by some memorable melodic passages; and, from a purely technical standpoint, superior sound and visuals. Yet The Way Up is a bit different, and a good deal more challenging. First heard on the group's 2005 CD of the same name (this performance was recorded in Seoul, South Korea), it's a long, ambitious piece of music consisting of four lengthy parts, all played without pause. For a live audience, it's more like taking in a classical music concert than a jazz or rock show; there are melodies and grooves, but no tunes, per se, as the piece mostly lacks the song-like appeal of much of the Metheny Group's best known work. Composed by Metheny and Lyle Mays, his longtime partner and keyboardist, the music constantly evolves over the course of its 70 minutes (Metheny himself changes guitars like Cher switches costumes), to the point where you might not actually recall much of it when it's over. But you'll certainly remember the experience of watching and listen to these seven brilliant musicians at work; and like the Seoul audience, you will be wowed. An interview with Metheny is the sole bonus feature. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews

Really well documented performance
The performances here are inspired and beautiful. What a great group of musicians. I like the long 22 minute interview with Pat because he talks about what The Way Up reflects about living in our time and touches on various topics concerning music. It's pretty classy too that they put The Way Up in its entirety without any bonus tracks or other tunes. Like on Branford Marsalis' A Love Supreme they didn't add other tunes just to fill up time. With just the full piece it makes a statement that this is what this performance is about. Just like the album, the audio has a very even balance which becomes more noticeable during solos but I find it sounds better overall when you crank the volume up. The camera work is very good, no stupid angles, MTV style diagonal shots or video effects. If you like Pat Metheny you will really dig this DVD...

The Next Best Thing to Seeing it Live
Cleveland, the Rock and Roll Capital of the World, is not always a regular stop for the Pat Metheny Group. In previous tours, they often played in small venues with lousy acoustics.

Unfortunately, Cleveland wasn't a stop for "The Way Up" tour, which, after listening to the new album almost every waking moment for about a month, left me utterly inconsolable; thus, I was eagerly awaiting the DVD of the concert.

"The Way Up" is a departure from previous Metheny productions where a collection of individual songs comprises the album. Instead, it's a 68-minute unbroken suite of four parts, similar to a classical composition. Before seeing the concert DVD, I knew the piece well and could not imagine how they were going to pull it off live with only 7 musicians.

But, there was Pat, in his signature striped shirt, in an amazing mind meld with the drummer only a few feet away. Every Metheny fan knows you have to give his music time and attention, like nurturing a beautiful courtship, in order to really appreciate its complexity and melodious richness.

The recurring theme in the suite came from a short cut from "Secret Story." Who knew that little piece could be developed into such a vast and magnificent journey? This performance will slay you - leave you bleeding in the gutter gasping for air. As with all Pat Metheny concerts, when it was over, I continued to sit, paralyzed, reluctant to break the spell by moving.

If I could afford it, I would send everyone I love a copy of this DVD. For some of them, it may be one of the greatest things they ever received, shifting their musical universe forever. At the very least, some might catch a little glimpse of heaven, if they recognize it.

Amazing to see this done live. A masterpiece!!!
When I got the CD for this I couldn't think of how they could possibly pull this off live. Then I went to the concert at the Beacon and was blown away how they not only performed it, but embellished upon it.

This recording captures that accomplishment faithfully. The symbosis with this, possibly the best line up the group has ever had, is palpable.

It was true to the Pat Metheny Group concert experience. By that I mean that there is an intimacy to the group's music that even in a large auditorium, holds firm. You are drawn in and are along for the ride whether it be the 68 minutes or the typical 2.5 hours of the average PMG concert.

Everyone has their moments on this recording, everyone shines within the context of this piece, which while a perfect vehicle for improvisation never loses it's melodicism. Everyone plays in context.

It would've been nice if they would've also included some of the other pieces which were part of the tour, that were revisited after a long absence from the group's repertoire.

I guess you can't have everything but I am satisfied with this DVD and the beauty and vision it contains.