Eclectic Jazz - Pat Metheny Unity Group and Bruce Hornsby

"In Rock you play 3 chords and have 1000 people listening, but in Jazz you play 1000 chords and have 3 people listening." After getting a decent amount of exposure to Jazz this summer, I heartily agree with this quote by Frank Zappa. Last night was one of the strangest, but nonetheless a very enjoyable performance from two different musicians. Pat Metheny is a jazz guitarist and composer who has led his group since 1977. Over this time, he has racked up 20 grammy awards and is regarded as one of the best jazz guitarists ever. His music is combination of traditional jazz with jazz fusion and sometimes even branches into more rock melodies. I thought the musicality of his performance was incredible and his group is one of most proficient I've ever seen. Bruce Hornsby got his start in the 1980's with his group the The Range. They had a number one hit with "The Way it Is" and they continued recording until 1991. Since then, Bruce has experimented in a number of genres including rock, jazz, classical, and folk. HIs performance last night exemplified his wide tastes and his set varied from folk tunes to experimental jazz pieces. While  I was very impressed with his musical skill, he would often play his piano off key which seemed weird to me. Ultimately, I liked Pat Metheny's set better and it was a treat to see the musicians play off each other song after song. My only complaint was that the concert took a little while to get going and was quite long with no intermission. The performance got better as the night went on, however, and while it certainly wasn't one of the best concerts of the year, it has its own place for its spontaneity and the level of talent exhibited by the musicians. 

True to the quote, this show was much smaller than a lot of the rock concerts we've been getting. There were less than 800 people on the lawn and there were no problems with any patrons. The weather was beautiful which was a good thing since the show was so long. Today marked the return of Legan (Liz and Megan) and also the introduction of two members of the lawn staff! I assume Val and Natalie was needed to fill the void of returning college students including myself so hopefully it will be a smooth transition. It was a good night and as always, looking forward to more shows in the future!

The best part of the night was when the two drummers (Pat Metheny's and Bruce Hornsby's) each traded drum solos for a good minute. I was blown away by their technicality and their feeling for rhythm and it shows I still have a long way to go as a drummer. Regardless, it was quite a sight to see them having a drum battle and really ended the show on a great note!

DC

An explorer of musical genres 

A true virtuoso on the guitar