Pat Metheny Interviews Compiled For New Book
In 2007, noted critic and jazz historian Richard Niles wrote, produced, and hosted a three-part series for the BBC that focused in-depth on the career of Grammy Award-winning guitarist Pat Metheny. Now for the first time ever in print, Hal Leonard presents those interviews in full along with many others that reveal the inner workings of the musician’s relentless drive and dedication.
The 161-page The Pat Metheny Interviews: The Inner Workings of His Creativity Revealed is available now. The book also features some rare photos, such as a performance when Metheny was a teenager.
“Pat Metheny answers questions in a manner so articulate that people who don’t know him well often look around to see if he’s using autocue,” writes Niles, who has known Metheny since the mid-1970s. “The book is much like spending a couple of hours in conversation with the guitarist, exactly as it should be,” adds Joe Klopus in the Kansas City Star. “And there are some gems along the way, such as this one: ‘I just try to play for the listener inside me.’ Or: ‘My feeling is, you have to have an incredibly accurate compass that lives inside of you, telling you what you should be doing. … That’s the key right there, to follow that compass.’ ”
Metheny has recorded more than 30 albums, picking up 17 Grammy Awards along the way. He records solo and with his renowned Pat Metheny Group. Along the way, Metheny has recorded such popular smooth jazz songs as “James,” “Last Train Home,” “Follow Me,” “Chris,” “Facing West” and “Here to Stay.”
Metheny’s next CD will be The Orchestrion Project, and he will begin a North American tour to support it in April.