wrong direction
3
By jazz lives
I hate to admit, even to myself, that this collection leaves me wondering about the future of the Pat Metheny franchise. I own all of his CD's. I've always been impressed by the musicianship and passion of all his previous projects. Admittedly, "Unity Sessions" is essentially a rework of already released material. Yes, Pat continues to grow and expand his horizons. But to what end? Chris Potter is unquestionably one of the best and most musical reed players around. What I've always admired about his playing is his Passion, particularly evident on his own last release. On "Unity Sessions," his technical facility has grown immensely. But what is lacking, at least for me, is the Passion. To wrap up this uncomfortable review, it saddens me to find myself yearning for the Lyle Mays days. Yes, that's unfair of me. But those projects had it all: Musicianship, Excitement, Compositional Skills, and unbridled Passion. The "Unity" direction leaves me wanting not more, but less...ouch.
