Over the course of more than 20 years as a recording artist, guitarist Pat Metheny has released album after album, each one brilliantly documenting another aspect of his unique and nearly uncategorizable musical journey. Exhibiting an insatiable creative energy, Metheny has participated in just about every avenue of modern music making that the early 21st century might offer a musician. Seemingly bent on blurring and obliterating stylistic boundaries at every opportunity, he has created an expansively impressive body of work that includes a series of highly influential trio recordings, award winning solo albums, scores for hit Hollywood motion pictures, duets with major artists such as Charlie Haden and Jim Hall, and collaborations with other significant figures in modern music such as Ornette Coleman, Steve Reich and many others.

But for legions of his fans worldwide, there is no setting that defines Metheny the musician more than his role as bandleader of one of the most acclaimed and influential musical ensembles of the past quarter century – the Pat Metheny Group. As the only group in history to win seven consecutive Grammy awards for seven consecutive releases, the Pat Metheny Group has occupied a nearly
indefinable musical territory that is accessible to listeners of all kinds, while never compromising a unique compositional and improvisational integrity that is unparalleled among contemporary and mainstream jazz groups.

Founded by Metheny in 1977, the PMG has relentlessly traveled the world playing and selling out concerts, festivals and clubs in more than 40 countries, becoming one of the most active and popular touring acts of any kind anywhere. Each new record and tour are awaited with eager anticipation and speculation; this is a band with an imagination and no-holds-barred creativity that has constantly surprised and delighted fans with the unexpected, yet always delivers on the endless promise of imagination and pure melody that was invoked from the first notes of their first record.

With Speaking Of Now, their eleventh studio album, the Pat Metheny Group has evolved to a new level, a new high and a joyous new stride in their journey of discovery. With three exciting new faces in the band, Metheny and his longtime pianist/collaborator, Lyle Mays, join bassist and co-producer Steve Rodby (now in his 20th year with the band) to once again challenge the basic premise of what a modern day jazz group can be, delivering a collection of music that delights and resonates with its unique musical perspective into the now of this moment in time while striking a universal and timeless note of hope that will speak to listeners everywhere.

THE PMG AGAIN
After a hiatus of three years since the Group wrapped up its previous Imaginary Day tour, Metheny began formulating plans for a new lineup and recording of the PMG in early 2001. Says Metheny, "One of the prime factors that has allowed the band to go on and on for this many years has been the concept of designating fairly significant periods of open time between each of our major projects and the usually several year long tours that follow the release of a new record. This gives all of us the chance to go off and do our own individual things of course, but it also gives us time to think about what we can do next time when we do get back together – how to improve and expand on the basic premise of what we are about each time. For me, having spent the majority of my off-time recently working in a trio situation, which I love, I have to admit that I was very excited to get back the bigger sound and the endless stylistic opportunities that the PMG situation offers like never before. As much as I love the many and varied activities that I am afforded the chance to explore outside of the Group, there are so many things that the Group's open-ended format provides that just simply don't exist anywhere else in music for me. And I think that as the years have gone by we all have an appreciation of how lucky we are to be able to continue our collective research. This is a very special environment that allows us to work intensely together and explore the range of possibilities that music in its broadest sense offers us, like we do."

A NEW LINEUP
As it happens, there were some major changes on the horizon for the Group. "Around the time I began to start thinking seriously about what kind of thing we would be shooting for this time, it became clear that we would be welcoming a fantastic new drummer to the band, Antonio Sanchez." Pat goes on to say, "His presence and the amazing musical opportunities that he could offer us became the impetus for most everything that was to follow." He adds, "I first heard Antonio a couple of years ago when I played a concert with my trio opposite Danilo Perez and his. I literally ran to the stage to see who the drummer was. I have rarely heard such musicality, sensitivity, virtuosi technique, dynamic and stylistic range and soul all wrapped up in one player."

Sanchez comes from Mexico City, Mexico and in addition to his amazing drumming skills, he was a degree candidate at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City with a major in classical piano. Metheny continues, "He is more than just a great drummer; he is an extremely intelligent all-around musician that brings a wide range of resources to his drumming. A number of my favorite drummers – Jack DeJohnette and Bill Stewart would be a great examples – are also really good piano players. That seems to allow people like Jack or Antonio to bring knowledge of harmony and a larger view of music to their playing that seems to greatly expand the potential of their imagination beyond the parameters of what a drummer's usual role can be. Antonio is deep - when he plays, you can hear that wider awareness of all of the details of the music that had to have evolved out of all of those years of training on the piano and knowing intimately the inner workings of that music as a performer - and that is in addition to his amazing technique on the drums. But at the same time, having said all that – the guy simply can groove beyond belief. I can't say how much I love playing with him and how excited and energized we all are to have him joining us in the band."

Metheny continues, "With the addition of Antonio, suddenly it was a whole new ball game. The ante was seriously upped. We found ourselves with a drummer who is probably one of the most talented musicians of his generation, certainly one of the most talented people that this group has ever had, and his presence in the band really gave me a chance to kind of reflect on everything this group historically has been all about and where we could take it from here. When he and Steve first played together, there appeared to be amazing musical opportunities that could unfold with this rhythm section. As has happened at a few other junctures in the band's story, there was this sense of the possibilities feeling totally unlimited."

"The next challenge was to find a few additional personalities who could complement and expand upon this incredible new energy that Lyle, Steve and myself felt through playing with and the possibility of writing for Antonio".

Metheny began a period of soul searching. "We have covered so many things as a band over the years, but there were a few moments along the way where the specific personalities of the players themselves had a greater impact than anything else in defining the band sound of that time. I'm thinking of the really early quartet records or records like Offramp, like when Steve Rodby with his great acoustic bass playing first joined us – or First Circle when suddenly we had the amazing voice of Pedro Aznar to write for. I really felt it was important to add people to the core band, this time, that had very specific sounds and very personal ways of thinking about music that could intersect with our thing and hopefully morph into something unique."

Pat started the process of finding someone by going through dozens of new albums by new artists and going out regularly around his hometown of New York to scope out new talent and by asking other respected musicians if by chance they had heard any new players lately that had made their ears perk up.

"One of the first people I called was Richard Bona, an incredible musician from Cameroon in West Africa who has made quite an impact on the music scene since he first started appearing on records and touring with such artists as Joe Zawinul a few years ago. I called him, not because I thought he himself would be necessarily be interested in playing with us, but because I thought he might know of some musicians that I might not be aware of who might be good candidates for us."

"So when I asked him if he knew anyone, he said, ‘Yeah, I know just the person ...me!' He went on to tell me about all the times he had seen the PMG over the years and how one of the things he had always wanted to do was to play with us. At first, I wasn't sure he was serious. After all, Richard is one of the most sought after players around right now and has a few very well received records of his own and is quite busy playing with what seems like, well, just about everyone. He is known primarily as an electric bass player, and I didn't really have any need for that since I already had a great bass player. But the more we talked about it, the more I realized he was in fact very serious about the whole thing - serious to the point of wanting to do a formal audition with us to show us how it could be. He also explained to me that his first instrument was actually percussion and that he would love the chance to function as a singer/percussionist with us.

"He didn't have to twist my arm. Just at the thought of having him sing with us, I went home and started writing. His voice - just the sound of it - inspires me so much. The whole idea of him being part of this band was incredibly stimulating. Lyle and Steve came out - we had a jam session with Richard and Antonio, and it was instantly a perfect fit. In fact, it was amazing. To hear him sing some of our older pieces in his unique style was just so beautiful. And without really knowing what to expect, I was also totally knocked out by his percussion playing. It has always been hard for us to find percussionists who really understand the textural "clave" of this band. Richard instantly was inside the details of our music in a way that was unique and totally his, but also perfectly appropriate for the way that we all play together. He is really kind of a super-musician. Music just seems to come out of him in a rare kind of abundance, with a rare kind of beauty. It doesn't matter whether he is singing, or what instrument he is playing; each moment that he addresses music is special and filled with his unique qualities. Like with Antonio, having a new musician at that level in this band is like a dream."

So, how did Metheny arrive at a decision for the sixth member of the new PMG?

"One night I was listening to an Internet radio station, and they played a piece by an artist named Cuong Vu. It was a trio of trumpet, electric bass and drums. It floored me. It was a kind of music that really went beyond any of the standard definitions of what jazz is "supposed" to be, so just through that accomplishment alone it impressed me. But there was something about it, some intangible quality that I have a very difficult time explaining - and as much as I like all kinds of music, it is difficult for me to find that particular thing to this degree. Something drew me to the way these guys were playing the same way I am attracted to very few other things - a sense of familiarity and resonance somewhere deep inside me.

"Honestly, I didn't know if "Cuong Vu" was the name of the band or of one of the musicians or what. So, I typed it into a search engine and quickly learned that Cuong Vu was the trumpet player, and that he had been born in Vietnam and came to the States when he was really young, right after the fall of Saigon. I began to try to do some research on him, trying to find out everything I could about him. I tried to find all the records I could with his name on them.

"I found out that he had been kind of on the scene in New York for a few years, playing with a branch of the jazz community that is loosely centered around a few of the clubs downtown that feature players that are looking to expand the boundaries of jazz and improvised music. I made a few calls to some other musicians to see if anyone knew him or knew his number with no luck. I just wanted to call him and tell him how much I dug what he was doing.

"Finally I just thought, ‘Well, how many Cuong Vu's could there be in phone book? This being New York, maybe there is more than one, but it's worth a try to check it out.' I called 411, and it turned out that there was just one, a Brooklyn number, a likely place for a young aspiring musician in New York to live. I called the number, left a message saying that if this is the same Cuong Vu that is a musician that I would like to talk to him and say hi, etc.

"A few days went by and finally I heard back from him. The big surprise in this story for me was that it turned out that Cuong was a major fan of the PMG – he had seen us play many times over the years, considered us one of his favorite bands and knew our music inside and out. He had thought the message on his machine was a practical joke left by one of his friends and his curiosity got the best of him that there was a chance that it might be a real call which was why he was even calling back. We had a great talk and made an appointment to get together the next day.

"In the meantime, I got Cuong's first record, a different one from the one that I had heard on the Internet radio show. On this record, Cuong sings one song called "Bound". I couldn't believe how great he sounded as a singer. I have to admit, my wheels started turning.

"Honestly, in the back of my mind, I think I have been looking for a horn player for this band for many years - really since the very beginning. But the nature of the way this band functions is that it is all about bebop - but we never ever come right out and actually do that. Most horn players, if they can play bebop, they WANT to play bebop. That would just not cut it with us - it would just sound wrong. When I heard Cuong, I realize now that that resonance I was talking about was there precisely because I could instantly hear that he was a musician who had really looked at the way that his instrument has traditionally functioned within the world of jazz in detail, and yet was hard at work at finding his own way into the music without resorting to simply mining the details of previous styles of playing the horn in the name of the ‘tradition.' He was looking to find his own way of playing - with more than a little success.

"But what really clinched it for me was this amazing way that he had literally communicated to me as a listener. I mean, the track that I heard of him on this radio station could not have been further away stylistically from the music of the PMG - it was from an entirely different aesthetic universe, as is much of his music. Yet, at the same time, I could hear in there, as clear as day, a shared way of thinking about melody, about sound, and about the way that spirit is manifested into music in that special way that I love in certain players. The fact that Cuong had grown up checking our thing out and had come up with this singular way of playing, and through the cyber-airwaves was communicated so directly to me made me realize that I may have finally found a guy who could add something to our thing and would be special as a horn player. I just love way he sounds. And he can sing his ass off too, making him really perfect for us. I am so happy to have him in the band."

WRITING AND PREPARING FOR THE RECORDING OF SPEAKING OF NOW
The writing team of Metheny and Mays geared up in early May 2001. Explains Metheny: "The writing process for the PMG's music has been actually quite varied from record to record over the years, but I am positive that these particular writing sessions will be remembered by both Lyle and myself for many years to come. It was just a pleasure to come in to work together each day. As we were working on the music, we never left the room from each other to work separately on a section or a melody or something during the entire writing period. It just never came up that we ever needed to do that this time, not even once. That has never happened before in any of our previous collaborations. This record includes some of the most fully co-written music we have ever come up with. For three weeks, the stuff just poured out. I had a batch of ideas that I had been gathering for a while and we would just kind of dig into this big pile of candidates, Lyle had a couple of possibilities that he brought in as well, and pull one of the more likely ones out and start asking questions of it. Each day we would either walk out with a finished piece or come in the next morning and wrap it up. Every day it was like this. We basically never hit any snags, we both had tons of ideas and as we went along and as it became clear that we were going to have Richard and Cuong to write for, we got even more inspired – their specific sounds and talents focused the general direction that the pieces were evolving towards even more clearly. We knew that with Steve and Antonio, basically any kind of a groove was possible. We wound up with more than enough for a record, and I felt like we could have kept going and going. We basically stopped because it was time to go across the street and start recording! We have so many ideas in reserve now that we didn't even get to this time - I almost can't wait to get started on the next one already."

THE RECORDING
The recording took place during the late spring and summer of 2001 at Right Track Recording in New York City. The well-oiled production team of Metheny, Rodby and Mays were joined once again by their longtime engineer, Rob Eaton for sessions that Metheny has described as "one of the most satisfying and fun recording experiences of my career."

"Beyond everything we do together as players, Steve, Lyle and I have worked on putting together so many records together on a production level that we can really communicate effectively amongst ourselves to get the kinds of results that reflect the level of quality that we all aspire to. In particular, the way Steve is able to function on so many levels during the organization and recording of these records is very important. He is one of the best people I have ever seen at getting the very best out of everyone involved and the material itself during a recording session.

"As a team, we have recorded so many times together over the years that we usually have a pretty precise sense of what is going to happen when and at approximately what rate before we start recording. This time however, the sheer speed at which this very ambitious music was able to get recorded kind of took us all by surprise. Within a little over a week, we had all the basic tracks done and were able to finish the first stage of the project with time to spare, something that has rarely been the case with us in the past when working on our studio recordings."

After a 2-month break for Metheny, to fulfill his summer commitments at an array of continental jazz festivals with his trio, the core team of Metheny, Mays and Rodby regrouped for the final stages of recording and mixing, finishing the record in the fall of 2001.

FINALLY, A NEW PMG RECORD – SPEAKING OF NOW
The result is a revelation - one of the most exciting, creative and inviting recordings of the Pat Metheny Group's already long and illustrious career. This is music that reflects the values and exploratory insights of all the previous PMG releases in an all-encompassing way; it is almost like a "best of" record that is made up entirely of pieces that you have never heard before. There is a freshness and a weight to these melodies, improvisations and arrangements that lingers with the listener long after first contact.

Speaking Of Now is a worthy addition to the extraordinary body of work that Metheny has been building since he burst onto the international jazz scene as an innovative 18-year-old in 1974 as a member of Gary Burton's Quartet. His work as a bandleader of one of the most successful groups in jazz history stands as one of his most important achievements. Now as a 47-year-old master, he continues to represent the highest possible standards of musical excellence with each release. As the century ends and a new millennium begins, Speaking Of Now is an exciting documentation of one of the world's most important jazz musicians leading his group in full flight. The implications of this music, with its deep insight into the jazz "tradition" in all its manifestations, combined with the timeless yet forward-thinking clarity that is watermarked into virtually all of Metheny's work to date, bode well for the safe passage of jazz as it moves into a new century.

The Pat Metheny Group will launch a major worldwide tour in February 2002 that will take them across the United States, to Europe and Asia with additional stops along the way. The group will perform music from Speaking Of Now as well as selected pieces from throughout its long history.




PAT METHENY SPEAKS - TRACK-BY-TRACK ON SPEAKING OF NOW

"As It Is" (Metheny-Mays)
"This piece is one of the first ones that Lyle and I tackled when we got together in May. Like several of the other themes on this record, the main melody was written using a very small guitar tuned really high. There is something about getting into another register beyond the normal tuning that just makes different notes and chords pop out. An interesting musical feature of this piece is the constant shifting of meters that happens throughout the theme. You can hear Antonio claiming his spot right off and Steve laying down that inimitable bottom that only he can do. This track is the only one on the record that called for the guitar synth, but soloing over the incredible bed that the rhythm section laid down was totally inspiring. When we reach the final recapitulation of the main melody at the end there are some figures that Lyle plays in response to those guys singing the melody that are among my favorite things that he has ever played on any of our tracks. And as is the case throughout the record, his beautiful keyboard parts expand and enhance the details of the music so effectively. This track was so exciting to record, and I think that that comes through in the performance. When we had it all put together, I remember just sitting there listening to it over and over again for hours – the sure sign you have a special track. We had to start the record with this one."

"Proof" (Metheny-Mays)
"It seem like there is one tune on each record where Lyle and I really push the idea of form to a place beyond where we had ever been before, where we really work an idea not only to it's natural conclusion, but beyond. This one was initially set up as a piece that would allow us to take advantage of Antonio's incredible ability to play fast tempos. It started out as a kind of as an almost hard bop blowing thing but quickly expanded to something that, structurally, I can't say I can think of anything that is quite like the way it turned out. Again, there are meter shifts that are likely invisible to the listener all over the place. And this was the perfect chance to feature our new soloist, Cuong, who rises to the occasion to construct a solo over the difficult form we gave him beautifully. This track also features my favorite ever Lyle solo, he just absolutely is on fire here. The coda section of this piece is the perfect example of how Antonio's presence in the band has inspired us. We really just let our harmonic and rhythmic imagination take the basic idea of what the original bridge implied to its furthest conclusions, knowing that whatever we wrote, Antonio would be able to not only deal with it, but play some hip and exciting stuff – and differently each time we did it. This track is a real highlight in the band's evolution."

"Another Life" (Metheny)
"This piece was one of those that just sort of show up in one piece that almost defy the characterization of having been written, they just sort of come and sit on your desk and announce their arrival in melody. With the beautiful vocal blend that Richard and Cuong offer this band, it was possible to take advantage of the chorale implications of what the intro seemed to want, and it was also a chance to play some acoustic guitar, the only time on the record that nylon string guitar is featured. Cuong also shines throughout with his interesting colors, comping beautifully behind the chords that mark the release of the melody and especially behind the coda piano solo. This was also the first piece we recorded together and much of what is here comes from the first take. There was a special feeling in the air as we embarked on a new journey together."

"The Gathering Sky" (Metheny-Mays)
" One of the specific areas that I wanted to explore with Antonio being in the band was the area of metric modulation. He is a master at being able to find all the hidden subdivisions of a groove and seamlessly morph from one to another while playing some totally hip content in the process. Lyle brought in this bright and sunny idea for a piece, and we decided to use this basic idea as a jumping off point for a track that would lead, as well as follow, Antonio through a series of metrically related sections that would ultimately set Antonio up for a section that he could play by himself - he is a truly awesome soloist in addition to everything else he can do. There is a thing that Antonio did when I first heard him playing with Danillo Perez that blew my mind, which was his ability to keep the clave going with his left foot playing a cowbell mounted next to his hihat while freely (and with amazing rhythmic accuracy) soloing over the top. After the first metric modulation, which sets up the new groove for the second melodic area and guitar solo, the form continues to evolve with space for Antonio to do his thing. The orchestral section that leads into the recap of the head introduces yet another version of the clave that gives Antonio several parallel grooves to latch onto freely."

"You" (Metheny)
"This tune talks about pretty much everything I love – what music is to me and is addressed to everyone and everything I love in life. How's that for a broad characterization! No, really, to have Richard sing this piece was so special - his voice is perfectly and exactly the sound that I dreamt about when writing this piece, and the blend that he and Cuong get singing together on the ascending ensemble sections is just so beautiful. When we finished this track, I had a feeling that I have had on several other occasions over the years, like when we finished the studio version of the piece "First Circle" and a few other occasions; the feeling of really being able to have a piece of music that says so many things that I hope to be able to communicate as a musician, all in one spot. Lyle, Steve and Antonio's contributions to the track from top to bottom are deep, varied and amazing. Again Lyle delivers one of the most memorably melodic solos of his career."

"On Her Way" (Metheny-Mays)
"This one, in an earlier form, had actually been around for awhile and suddenly it seemed like it had a home with this band - the blend of Richard singing with Cuong's trumpet jumped out at an early rehearsal as a texture that we had to explore. This is a hard one to place on the stylistic map, which is part of why I think we like it so much. There is a reference to Latin styles of playing, but harmonically it is so convoluted that you couldn't really find a country that has tunes with those kinds of changes unless there was a country populated entirely with jazz musicians. Then suddenly there is something almost like a Beatles vibe in there. And it all starts with Richard playing kalimba and Cuong playing the melody that only comes in again at the very end. I think it is those interleaving form elements that we love weaving together in those ways that keeps us excited about what where we can still go in those areas - it has become a kind of a quest for us."

"A Place in the World" (Metheny-Mays)
"This started as a simple acoustic guitar theme, and we kept at it and at it until it revealed more about its true identity. There seems to be a certain kind of musical geography that we return to as a reference occasionally - it is a kind of geography that has lots of space in it, but lots of details, too. Again, what appeals to me is how this one came out in a way that it is very difficult to place on the stylistic spectrum. With all the open string, jangly guitars, you are expecting it to be somewhat constant harmonically - but the way it unfolded allowed us to go all over the place with it. It was again interesting to utilize the unique quality that Cuong offers us with his improvisational style. He is featured several times in this piece including a long duet section on the ending where he and Richard exchange ideas. The kind of acoustic guitar strumming that I get to do on this piece is always fun for me, but it is especially great to hook up with Antonio and Steve when we get to the release sections - it can really feel like it is flying.

"Afternoon" (Metheny)
"This one was made for Richard and Antonio. This is the kind of piece that really is about just being a tune - as much as I love to experiment and extrapolate on things and develop ideas and motifs and solo forms, there is a point where if the basic core melodic idea can carry the banner of what the tune is about, you don't need to do much other than to let it shine and do its thing. This one had to be sung; I had tried playing it on the guitar and it just didn't do what the tune wanted to do. And it needed a real special groove going on - and with Steve, Lyle and Antonio, we are capable of hitting grooves like this with a vengeance, opening up all kinds of new possibilities. We knew when we hired Antonio that he was capable of anything, I just didn't know that he could play a back beat like that - I mean, he could get the gig with Whitney Houston or something and totally kill on it. The bridge of this tune is the kind of thing that I have always wished modern pop music would do more of. There was that great point in time where groups like Earth, Wind and Fire seemed to be in full pursuit of using harmony that went far beyond the usual diatonic stuff, drawing from the kinds of harmonic advances that happened in jazz and the best pop tunes in the second half of the last century. This one is about that same stuff."

"Wherever You Go" (Metheny-Mays)
"This started as a very simple 8 bar idea that I knew right off we would be able to take all the way. I couldn't wait to get together with Lyle with this one and see where we could go with it. It seems like over the years there is one tune on each album where we take a melodic section of a particular piece and just keep going and going past the point where it might just wind down, really pushing what it can be. I think this is one of our best ending sections ever, it just keeps finding different ways of expanding upward and outward while keeping the feeling of song that is at the heart of the tune - and it became the perfect way to wrap up the album."