Occasionally, when attending a concert, a patron may subtly check their watch. There are two primary reasons for this. The first reason, to see how much longer they might have to stick around. The second reason, because they are in disbelief that two hours could possibly move so fast. Seeing legendary jazz guitarist Pat Matheny on his Side-Eye III+ tour at the Ryman Auditorium on Sunday, March 22nd, was certainly of the latter variety. The 71 year old Metheny still manages to exude vast amounts of energy on stage, playing with as much vitality and veracity as ever. The rest of the band was equally as exuberant as their leader, featuring the mostly younger lineup of Chris Fishman on keyboards, Joe Dyson on drums, Jermaine Paul on bass, and Leonard Patton on vocals and percussion. The show began with an unexpected introduction, with the supporting members of the band making their way to the stage through the audience, all on various percussion instruments playing an introductory march (not unlike the opening to the Pat Matheny Group’s 1984 effort First Circle) as they found their places on the beautiful Ryman Auditorium stage.

Once settled in, and with the six-string hero now present, they launched into the opening cut from their latest album Side Eye III+. The setlist was a very well-balanced course that alternated between newer material, and classic Metheny tracks, as well as a few covers for good measure. The newer tunes were unmistakably Metheny, incorporating the cosmopolitan blend of jazz and other cultural sounds that he developed along with his former and unfortunately departed collaborator, Lyle Mays. These compositions were delightful to hear, and I am glad that I was able to experience some of these new songs for the first time in person, no more than 15-20 feet away from the legendary musician himself. Some highlights from this particular set of new tunes include the highly energetic concert opener, “In On It”, a more subdued waltz, “Don’t Look Down”, and the wonderfully melodic “Make a New World”. These tunes truly show that Metheny has no plans of halting his compositional explorations. While the new material was thoroughly enjoyable and exciting I, like any fan, was of course exhilarated to hear the classic material that made me love Metheny’s music, and on that front, I was extraordinarily pleased. The whole band seemingly made sure to do right by these classics.

The first of these, the title track from the band leader’s debut solo effort Bright Size Life (1976), was handled excellently by all members, with an especially fantastic bass solo courtesy of Jermaine Paul (it was definitely a treat for me, being a bass player myself). The next big highlight, and possibly my favorite moment of the whole night, was the inclusion of the truly remarkable piece of music that is “First Circle.” The Metheny and Lyle Mays composition is not only an astonishingly technical work, but also one that speaks to the soul as well. I admittedly almost jumped out of my seat when I heard the iconic clapping that begins the song. By the end of the journey that is “First Circle” I was in awe of how coolly executed it was by all participants, though Leonard Patton deserves special recognition for his vocal delivery on the track.

Also featured on the set were two duets between Metheny and various members of the band. The first, was between the guitarist and keyboardist Chris Fishman, playing one of the leaders most well known tunes, “Phase Dance.” This is one of the ever-enduring classics from the first Pat Metheny Group release, and was a great showcase for Fishman’s lyrical but energetic piano playing. The second of these duets was much more idiosyncratic in its nature. This duet was between Metheny and drummer Joe Dyson, and was seemingly a tribute to free-jazz legend and pioneer, Ornette Coleman. For this, Metheny pulled out a very unique fretless nylon-string guitar, with added distortion and a lower-octave doubling effect to boot. Cacophony ensued as the two instrumentalists engaged in sporadic musical conversation whilst traversing some of Coleman’s material, such as “Round Trip” and “Broadway Blues”.

As the concert came to an end, Metheny moved towards some solo acoustic guitar material, playing a medley of “America the Beautiful”, David Bowie’s “This Is Not America” (which originally featured the Pat Metheny Group), and finally Metheny’s own nostalgia conjuring “Last Train Home.” After this, it was seemingly over, but we all knew there was more to come. The group made their way back on stage after many rounds of thunderous applause, and launched into one of the Pat Metheny Group’s most enduring classics. The closing song, “Are You Going with Me” was a concert favorite after its release on the 1981 album Offramp, and served as a more than satisfying conclusion to the concert. That Sunday evening was full of incredible musicianship, enthusiasm, and joyful collaboration, which every player should aspire to. It was not only a great experience, but one I hope to have again one day.

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Ethan Younger

I was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, and have been in love with music since I was 11 years old, when I picked up guitar. My initial musical inclinations were rooted in the progressive rock of the 1970s, but would shift to jazz in my teens. I received a bachelor’s degree in percussion from the University of North Alabama, and am currently studying at Middle Tennessee State University to receive a masters degree in jazz studies. In addition to playing music, I have always loved writing about it. I have dedicated many hours writing about my favorite recordings and artists, and am pleased to be able to take that a step further.

• Pat Metheny at the Ryman