It is one thing to attain popularity as a musician, but it is another to receive the kind of acclaim guitarist Pat Metheny has garnered from critics and peers. During his extraordinary career, Metheny has won countless polls as "Best Jazz Guitarist" and awards, including three gold records and 20 Grammy Awards in 12 different categories. He was recently inducted into the Downbeat Hall of Fame as its youngest member and only the fourth guitarist.
For his latest tour, Metheny will present a range of music from throughout his career. Joining him onstage will be Malaysian-Australian bassist Linda Oh, British pianist Gwilym Simcock and his longtime drummer Antonio Sanchez.
Metheny first burst onto the international jazz scene in 1974. During his three-year stint with vibraphone great Gary Burton, the young Missouri native already displayed his soon-to-become trademarked playing style, which blended the loose and flexible articulation customarily reserved for horn players with an advanced rhythmic and harmonic sensibility – a way of playing and improvising that was modern in conception but grounded deeply in the jazz tradition of melody, swing and blues.
With the release of his first album, Bright Size Life (1975), Metheny reinvented the traditional “jazz guitar” sound for a new generation of players. He has since released more than 40 recordings. Throughout his career, Metheny has continued to redefine the genre by utilizing new technology and constantly working to evolve the improvisational and sonic potential of his instrument.
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