Pat Metheny

PROGRAM

PAT METHENY UNITY BAND with Chris Potter, Antonio Sanchez, and Ben Williams MON / SEP 24 7 PM & 9 PM JAZZ & BLUES

© Jimmy Katz

SEP 2012

Pat Metheny, guitar Chris Potter, saxophone Antonio Sanchez, drums Ben Williams, bass

Run Time: 75 minutes The artist will announce the evening’s program from the stage.

There will be no intermission.

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Pat Metheny, guitar, was born in Kansas City also participated in the academic arena as on August 12, 1954 into a musical family. Start- a music educator. At 18, he was the youngest ing on trumpet at the age of 8, Mr. Metheny teacher ever at the University of Miami. At 19, switched to guitar at age 12. By the age of 15, he became the youngest teacher ever at the he was working regularly with the best jazz mu- Berklee College of Music, where he also resicians in Kansas City, receiving valuable on- ceived an honorary doctorate more than twenty years later (1996). He has also the-bandstand experience at an unusually young age. Mr. Metheny “The Pat Metheny Group taught music workshops all over won an unprecedented the world, from the Dutch Royal first burst onto the internationseven consecutive Conservatory to the Thelonius al jazz scene in 1974. Over the Grammies for seven Monk Institute of Jazz to clinics course of his three-year stint consecutive albums.” in Asia and South America to his with vibraphone great Gary Burnewly created Pat Metheny Sumton, the young Missouri native had already displayed his soon-to-become trade- mer Music Workshop he directs each summer. marked playing style, which blended the loose He has also been a true musical pioneer in the and flexible articulation customarily reserved realm of electronic music, and was one of the for horn players with an advanced rhythmic very first jazz musicians to treat the synthesizer and harmonic sensibility - a way of playing and as a serious musical instrument. Years before improvising that was modern in conception the invention of MIDI technology, Mr. Metheny but grounded deeply in the jazz tradition of was using the Synclavier as a composing tool. melody, swing, and the blues. With the release He also has been instrumental in the developof his first album, Bright Size Life (1975), he re- ment of several new kinds of guitars such as the invented the traditional “jazz guitar” sound soprano acoustic guitar, the 42-string Pikasso for a new generation of players. Throughout guitar, Ibanez’s PM-100 jazz guitar, and a variety his career, Mr. Metheny has continued to re- of other custom instruments, but none as chaldefine the genre by utilizing new technology lenging and ground-breaking as his creation and constantly working to evolve the improvi- and performances with his Orchestrion. It is sational and sonic potential of his instrument. one thing to attain popularity as a musician, but Mr. Metheny’s versatility is nearly without peer it is another to receive the kind of acclaim Mr. on any instrument. Over the years, he has per- Metheny has garnered from critics and peers. formed with artists as diverse as Steve Reich Over the years, Mr. Metheny has won countless to Ornette Coleman to Herbie Hancock to Jim polls as “Best Jazz Guitarist” and awards, inHall to Milton Nascimento to David Bowie. He cluding three gold records for Still Life (Talkhas been part of a writing team with keyboard- ing), Letter from Home, and Secret Story. He ist Lyle Mays for more than twenty years – an has also won 19 Grammy Awards spread out association that has been compared to the over a variety of different categories including Lennon/McCartney and Ellington/Strayhorn Best Rock Instrumental, Best Contemporary partnerships by critics and listeners alike. Mr. Jazz Recording, Best Jazz Instrumental Solo, Metheny’s body of work includes compositions and Best Instrumental Composition. The Pat for solo guitar, small ensembles, electric and Metheny Group won an unprecedented seven acoustic instruments, large orchestras, and consecutive Grammies for seven consecutive ballet pieces, with settings ranging from mod- albums. Mr. Metheny has spent most of his life ern jazz to rock to classical. As well as being on tour, averaging between 120-240 shows a an accomplished musician, Mr. Metheny has year since 1974. At the time of this writing, he

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the legendary Charlie Parker), Mr. Potter has steered a steady course of growth as an instrumentalist and composer-arranger. Through the ’90s, he continued to gain invaluable bandstand experience as a sideman while also making strong statements as a bandleader-composer-arranger. Acclaimed outings like 1997’s Unspoken (with bassist and mentor Dave Holland, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and guitarist John Scofield), 1998’s Vertigo, 2001’s Gratitude, and 2002’s Traveling Mercies showed a penchant for risk-taking and genre-bending. “For me, it just seemed like a way of opening up the music to some different things that I had been listening to but maybe hadn’t quite come out in my music before,” he explains. From bassistbandleader Dave Holland he learned about the importance of focus and willpower. “Dave is determined to make his music as strong as possible and present it in the best way,” says Mr. Potter, who has been a member of Holland’s groups for the past 10 years. “Playing with him, you have the feeling there’s this mountain standing behind you that you can completely rely on. Working with him over the years has helped me see the true value of believing in what you’re doing.” Mr. Potter also cites his time on the bandstand with guitar legend Jim Hall as inspirational. “The way that he can be both “One of the most melodic and sweet studied (and copied) and deeply inventive saxophonists and open-minded at on the planet.”

—Down Beat the same time made a big impression on me,” he says. Touring and recording with the enigmatic duo of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker (Steely Dan) offered further insights into the artistic process. “They totally went their own way,” says Mr. Potter. “I have a lot of respect for them and their commitment to their art.”

And Mr. Potter has remained committed to his art since his formative years. Born in Chicago on January 1, 1971, his family moved to Colum-

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continues to be one of the brightest stars of the jazz community, dedicating time to both his own projects and those of emerging artists and established veterans alike, helping them to reach their audience as well as realizing their own artistic visions.

Chris Potter, saxophone, is a world-class soloist, accomplished composer, and formidable bandleader. Mr. Potter has emerged as a leading light of his generation. Down Beat called him “One of the most studied (and copied) saxophonists on the planet,” while Jazz Times identified him as “a figure of international renown.” Jazz sax elder statesman Dave Liebman called him simply, “one of the best musicians around,” a sentiment shared by the readers of Down Beat in voting him second only to tenor sax great Sonny Rollins in the magazine’s 2008 Readers Poll. A potent improviser and the youngest musician ever to win Denmark’s Jazzpar Prize, Mr. Potter’s impressive discography includes 15 albums as a leader, and sideman appearances on over 100 albums. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for his solo work on “In Vogue,” a track from Joanne Brackeen’s 1999 album Pink Elephant Magic, and was prominently featured on Steely Dan’s Grammywinning album from 2000, Two Against Nature.

He has performed or recorded with many of Hanthe leading names in jazz, such as Herbie Han cock, Dave Holland, John Scofield, Mingus Big Band, Jim Hall, Paul Motian, Dave Douglas, Ray reBrown, and many others. His most recent re Ultrahang, is the culmination thus far cording, Ultrahang quarof five years’ work with his Underground quar tet with Adam Rogers on guitar, Craig Taborn on Fender Rhodes, and Nate Smith on drums.

Recorded in the studio in January 2009 after extensive touring, it showcases the band at its freewheeling yet cohesive best. Since bursting onto the New York scene in 1989 as an 18-yearold prodigy with bebop icon Red Rodney (who himself had played as a young man alongside 16

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Later that same year, Mr. Sanchez joined Perez’s internationacoustic trio, which led to intense internation al touring and the recording of the Grammynominated Motherland. Years later, Mr. Sanchez would experience his first encounter with Pat Metheny, who eventually invited him to join his group. Mr. Sanchez’s debut with Metheny on 2002’s Speaking of Now led to a Grammy Award catin the “Best Contemporary Jazz Album” cat egory. The Way Up followed in January 2005.

Mr. Sanchez is a regular member of Metheny’s bassquartets and trios, the latter including bass ist Christian McBride on the 2008 Album Day Trip which also got a nomination in 2009. “The Antonio Sanchez, drums, arrived in New York thing that impressed me the most when I first City in the late 1990s, and since then has heard Antonio with Danilo Perez,” Metheny been one of those powerhouses to watch recalls, “was how soft he could play and still ar- keep it absolutely burning. My first impression and remember. Extracting an incredible ar de- was that he was an introspective drummer, but ray of colors from the drums, Mr. Sanchez de fies nature with extraordinary dynamic shifts, only a few minutes later it sounded like Danilo subtle colorations, metric super-impositions, had added three percussionists to the band and streamlined clave patterns. A three-time – and it was all Antonio! And that was burnGrammy Award-winner, Mr. Sanchez was born ing too. Antonio’s maturity, his musical vision, and his amazing aptitude to see in Mexico City on November 1, the whole musical picture that’s 1971, the grandson of Mexican “Showmanship, like happening beyond the drum set film star Ignacio Lopez Tarso. Mr. most things, seems to itself is tremendous. His presSanchez became interested in come naturally to ence in the group represents one the drums at the age of five, playPat Metheny” —The New York Times of the most significant changes in ing along to the records of The the band’s 28-year history.” ToBeatles, Led Zeppelin, The Police, and Rush. His professional career began in his day, Mr. Sanchez is one of the most in-demand early teens with a variety of local rock bands. drummers on the international jazz scene, regAfter school, Mr. Sanchez pursued a degree in ularly recording and touring alongside Chick classical piano at Mexico’s National Conserva- Corea, Gary Burton, Kenny Werner, Charlie tory. Leaving Mexico City to enroll at Berklee Haden, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, in 1993, he graduated with honors and was the and Toots Thielmans. He has collaborated with recipient of several scholarships, most notably the new generation of players that includes the Buddy Rich Memorial Scholarship and the Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, John Patitucci, Zildjian Award. The New England Conservatory David Sanchez, Marcus Roberts, Avishai Cohen, of Music awarded him another one to pursue Miguel Zenon, Scott Colley, Dave Samuels, Lua Masters in Jazz Improvisation. While still at ciana Souza, Billy Childs, and Claudia Acuña, to the Conservatory in 1997, his instructor, Danilo name a few. Migration,, Mr. Sanchez’s 2007 Cam Perez, recommended him to Paquito D’Rivera Jazz debut as a leader, topped many critics’ for Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nations Orchestra. year end polls. The album’s outstanding musibia, South Carolina when he was 3. There he started playing guitar and piano before taking up the alto saxophone at age 10, playing his first gig at 13. When piano legend Marian McPartland first heard Chris at 15 years old, she told his father that Chris was ready for the road with a unit such as Woody Herman’s band, but finishing school was a priority. At age 18, Mr. Potter moved to New York to study at the New School and Manhattan School of Music, while also immersing himself in New York’s jazz scene and beginning his lifelong path as a professional musician.

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Buster Williams, John Hicks, Anthony Wonsey, Me’Shelle N’degeocello, Gene Lake, Wycliffe Gordon, Delfeayo Marsalis, and Pat Metheny to name a few. His current recording is entitled State Of Art on Concord Records.

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cianship (featuring Chick Corea and Metheny) and memorable melodies make it both technically engrossing and easily enjoyable. “Antonio Sanchez, the drummer and composer,” notes The New York Times’ Nate Chinen, “compresses many of the strategies from the last 40 years of small-group jazz into each performance, while letting some of today’s best soloists tear it up.” Mr. Sanchez’s latest, Live in New York at Jazz Standard (Cam Jazz), looses the reins on his drumming and composing skills. Accompanied by David Sanchez (tenor), Miguel Zenon (alto), and Scott Colley (upright bass), the bristling double CD set (recorded in October 2008) documents a band on fire, engaging in the kind of heated interplay that only occurs in longstanding musical relationships.

Ben Williams, bass, grew up in Washington DC, influenced by the various genres of music such as jazz, hip-hop, R&B, gospel, and classical. After graduating from Michigan State University School of Music where he studied Music Education with Rodney Whitaker and Jack Budrow, Mr. Williams went on to compete and win several competitions and scholarship awards. He is a two-time winner of the Fish Middleton Jazz Scholarship Competition at the East Coast Jazz Festival, a two-time winner of the DC Public School Piano Competition, and a 2002 recipient of the Duke Ellington Society Annual Scholarship Award. Mr. Williams won first place in the 2005 International Society “It’s always an honor to of Bassists (ISB) competition in have Pat in the house. the category of jazz, and then Thank you!” went on to win the prestigious —Dale Franzen, Director, 2009 Thelonious Monk InternaThe Broad Stage tional Competition for double bass. Ben has performed both nationally and internationally with such artists as Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Roy Hargrove, Mulgrew Miller, Cyrus Chestnut, Ron Blake, Stefon Harris, Karreim Riggins, Hamiett Bluiette, James Williams, Bobby Watson, Winard Harper, 18