Atheistic Metheny

While I applaud Methny's apparent interest in intellectual things I was a bit saddened today to find him recommending books like 'The God Delusion' by Dawkins and 'The End to Faith' by Sam Harris. Music that to me is almost divine in its beauty and longing for meaning and poetic expression is made by someone who holds a worldview that radically opposes mine.

I won't like Pat's music less for it. I deeply respect his talent and artistry and still find myself caught up in the other worldly imagery of his beautiful music. Yet I deeply believe it is this very materialistic worldview which opposes any notion of God that holds nothing absolutely nothing for us to hope and strive for. It is the elimination of meaning and beauty.

God have mercy!

A new Metheny fan

This evening I drove home from my parents with my nearly 8 year old daughter beside me. During the 10 minute drive I turned on Metheny's 'The Gathering Sky'. As we arrived home I expected her to quickly jump out of the car as she normally does. This time she sat back with her eyes half open, mesmerized, listening to the hectic musical development that took place. When I turned the music off abruptly she suddenly woke up from her hypnosis. 'Do you like it?' I asked. She nodded. I said: 'Do you know who this is?' She was a bit shy and then mumbled: 'Metheny?' Another Metheny fan in the making.

It's bynne reel

For Michael Brecker


It's been real
but what reality we've got?

Are notes just good vibrations
mechanical sensations?

At last you had to let it go
no more breath to let it flow

Tomorrow encroached relentlessly
upon the nearness of you

You went to sing a greater song

It's bynne reel

Michael Brecker dead

Yesterday I got the sad news that Michael Brecker has passed away. At the age of 57 due to leukemia. I had no clue that this great musician was ill. Just two and a half years ago he took centerstage at the North Sea Jazz Festival.

The North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague, Netherlands is where I got to know him during his famous collaboration with his brother in the early 90s. I loved the fusion work of the Brecker brothers and greatly appreciated Michael Brecker's solo work as well as his collaboration with others. I too was shocked yesterday to hear the news (it was big enough to reach the national prime time news broadcast in Holland and rightly so) and lament the loss of this intelligent and multi-talented musician.

La clave and the musical traditions of the world

Anyone who delves into the rich musical heritage of Latin America will have to come to grips with the clave. It's a five beat pattern over a four beat measure. For all latin music evolved in spanish speaking communities across the Hispanic world it is the foundation and its main building block. If you don't hear and feel it you miss the essence of salsa. Now I don't dance and never will, since I am part of the Northern Hemisphere where analytical contemplation is the way to approach art and music. But this rythm I understood. I started tapping it in my car every day until it became an 'archetypal' element of my brain.

Much to my surprise I've come across it in various places. The clave came to the West with the African slaves, but did anyone know it was transported much earlier to the east as well? Recently I was astonished to hear it while listening to the music of a well-known Bollywood production (Taal). There it was, the foundational rythm of an Indian movie love song.

More recently I stumbled upon it in one of the compositions of Metheny. When you listen to 'The Gathering Sky' on 'Speaking of Now', you'll notice that the song starts with a gentle lovely guitar theme. As usual the song evolves into a hectic piece. In the middle there's a haunting passage where you will hear the clave. Loud and clear. This time it's inverted so slightly hard to notice, but it's there. So there is Sanchez-influence there. Apart from the noticeable bossa nova touch there is also salsa intrusion into the work of Pat Metheny.