Pat Metheny Side-Eye III+

Pat Metheny requires, of course, no introduction. One of the most accomplished instrumentalists of the last half-century, Metheny is a lyrical and versatile guitar player, even his most dizzying moments threaded through with charming seams of melody. He has seemingly played with everyone, whether touring with Joni Mitchell or dueting with Jim Hall, collaborating with Ornette Coleman or Ahmad Jamal, and building bands with Jaco Pastorius or Charlie Haden. Metheny has helmed some of the most adventurous jazz outfits ever. He is a sensitive and spirited sort, his work always a simultaneous expression of his own feelings and an astute interaction with the musicians who surround him.

A decade ago, Metheny, whose Rolodex is absolutely limitless, decided to surround himself with some new talent. He built Side-Eye, a band whose title referred to the politics of the moment but whose aim was more sanguine: to use Metheny’s star power and experience to elevate young musicians he found inspiring. “I expect the group to change,” as he told DownBeat. “It’s not going to be one thing. It’s going to be a lot of different things.” And it has, with unexpected configurations taking shape as Side-Eye over the years as Metheny invites players he finds to come to his house and jam on standards, whether they’re his staples or those of the jazz songbook.