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                        Pat Metheny Group

         Foro Italico Central Tennis Stadium

                      Rome - 6/20/2005

                     The Way Up Live Tour

Another great night tonight... Since the release of The Way Up, the beautiful new CD by the Pat Metheny Group, I've started to imagine how it could be to see such a monumental piece of music like that played live. Well, now I know...

The gig started with Pat "approaching" the stage with some sneaking background music (maybe taken from The Way Up) and with his acoustic guitar started to play a beautiful rendition of This Is Not America preparing the scene for what would follow... At this point the band started playing the music of the whole record structured exactly as it is on the CD excepts for some extended transitions like the trumpet solo by Cuong Vu and the beautiful 1st drum solo by the great Antonio Sanchez. The results is a slightly expanded version of The Way Up. Well, after more than one hour and fifteen minutes of continuous flow of music that grown little by little and played with great intensity Pat gave us a little bit of room to breath and then the whole band took a long, long applause from the crowd that really appreciated the magnificence of what they've just heard and seen.

Another show begun at this point, a long ride through the music of the past.

First was Go Get It, the beautiful jazz duet played by Pat and Antonio Sanchez with such a great intensity and tons of taste and here presented in a much longer version than the one that is on the Speaking Of Now live DVD. Guys, I have no words to describe the way Pat and Antonio played this one, the deep level of communication they have and the unbelievable and so unique way Antonio plays jazz. Now it's the time for James (I think Pat haven't played this one with the group in a long time) here played in a slightly different way than usual but really, really well. Next was Lone Jack (how many years...?) with the solos played differently in a continuous question-and-answer between Pat and Lyle Mays and a mind blowing drum solo played by Antonio Sanchez that really impressed me a lot. The solo started coming out from the song and took a different direction growing slow above Antonio's left foot 2/3 clave design and then returned to the song's mood for the tune's ending. Are You Going With Me begun with only Pat and Cuong Vu (on trumpet) on stage (the same way of the SON live DVD) and then the whole band took place for the execution of this great and historical piece of music. The first part of the tune was played with Lyle Mays and Gregoire Maret playing the same harmonica parts exchanging phrases with some impressive sound similarities. Last Train Home followed and then an impressive rendition of Roots Of Coincidence (one of my favorites...) was played with such a great intensity... Right after Pat started to play the acoustic guitar in such a moving way (like he only can) and soon he was joined by the harmonica of the great Gregoire Maret and soon it became a

so-intense version of the moving Always And Forever that I have no words to describe at all...

Pat then remained seated in the shadows of the stage to watch Lyle Mays sitting at the piano and bring us some of his magic... I don't think there are words to describe what he really played here and once again, I think that magic is the right word... Then Pat joined Lyle to play the beautiful Farmer's Trust... Tears of joy... I've seen Pat and Lyle playing together so many times and every time I find myself to wonder how it would be great to have a whole record composed and played by these two genius, just guitars and keyboards and piano... nothing around... Only a dream?

The closing belongs to Minuano (6/8) and the encore to Song For Bilbao that wrote the word end to a magic night that lasted about two hours and fifty minutes.

Again, I don't know if words are enough to describe this night in the right way... This is what I really call MUSIC that only the geniuses of Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays could conceive. I like to define The Way Up as a multy-layered piece of music and you can discover something new every time you listen to it.

Just the fact to see the whole thing played live is something that will remain in my memory forever.

I'm sure that I've just seen something historical (we will have the chance to see it again in a new DVD that they've just recorded in Corea) but I'm also sure that this is only the beginning of a new journey for a real poet and the true genius of our times named Pat Metheny...

Thanks Pat for the great emotions and the awesome amount of inspiration you gave, you give and you will give me for the future...

                                              Robertopeland

A real special thanks to Antonio (you know why...)

Copyright © 2001-2005 Robertopeland. All rights reserved.
Best viewed in IE5+ 800x600 32bit colors.


		Pat Metheny Group Foro Italico Central Tennis Stadium Rome - 6/20/2005 The Way Up Live Tour Another great night tonight... Since the release of The Way Up, the beautiful new CD by the Pat Metheny Group, I've started to imagine how it could be to see such a monumental piece of music like that played live. Well, now I know... The gig started with Pat "approaching" the stage with some sneaking background music (maybe taken from The Way Up) and with his acoustic guitar started to play a beautiful rendition of This Is Not America preparing the scene for what would follow... At this point the band started playing the music of the whole record structured exactly as it is on the CD excepts for some extended transitions like the trumpet solo by Cuong Vu and the beautiful 1st drum solo by the great Antonio Sanchez. The results is a slightly expanded version of The Way Up. Well, after more than one hour and fifteen minutes of continuous flow of music that grown little by little and played with great intensity Pat gave us a little bit of room to breath and then the whole band took a long, long applause from the crowd that really appreciated the magnificence of what they've just heard and seen. Another show begun at this point, a long ride through the music of the past. First was Go Get It, the beautiful jazz duet played by Pat and Antonio Sanchez with such a great intensity and tons of taste and here presented in a much longer version than the one that is on the Speaking Of Now live DVD. Guys, I have no words to describe the way Pat and Antonio played this one, the deep level of communication they have and the unbelievable and so unique way Antonio plays jazz. Now it's the time for James (I think Pat haven't played this one with the group in a long time) here played in a slightly different way than usual but really, really well. Next was Lone Jack (how many years...?) with the solos played differently in a continuous question-and-answer between Pat and Lyle Mays and a mind blowing drum solo played by Antonio Sanchez that really impressed me a lot. The solo started coming out from the song and took a different direction growing slow above Antonio's left foot 2/3 clave design and then returned to the song's mood for the tune's ending. Are You Going With Me begun with only Pat and Cuong Vu (on trumpet) on stage (the same way of the SON live DVD) and then the whole band took place for the execution of this great and historical piece of music. The first part of the tune was played with Lyle Mays and Gregoire Maret playing the same harmonica parts exchanging phrases with some impressive sound similarities. Last Train Home followed and then an impressive rendition of Roots Of Coincidence (one of my favorites...) was played with such a great intensity... Right after Pat started to play the acoustic guitar in such a moving way (like he only can) and soon he was joined by the harmonica of the great Gregoire Maret and soon it became a so-intense version of the moving Always And Forever that I have no words to describe at all... Pat then remained seated in the shadows of the stage to watch Lyle Mays sitting at the piano and bring us some of his magic... I don't think there are words to describe what he really played here and once again, I think that magic is the right word... Then Pat joined Lyle to play the beautiful Farmer's Trust... Tears of joy... I've seen Pat and Lyle playing together so many times and every time I find myself to wonder how it would be great to have a whole record composed and played by these two genius, just guitars and keyboards and piano... nothing around... Only a dream? The closing belongs to Minuano (6/8) and the encore to Song For Bilbao that wrote the word end to a magic night that lasted about two hours and fifty minutes. Again, I don't know if words are enough to describe this night in the right way... This is what I really call MUSIC that only the geniuses of Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays could conceive. I like to define The Way Up as a multy-layered piece of music and you can discover something new every time you listen to it. Just the fact to see the whole thing played live is something that will remain in my memory forever. I'm sure that I've just seen something historical (we will have the chance to see it again in a new DVD that they've just recorded in Corea) but I'm also sure that this is only the beginning of a new journey for a real poet and the true genius of our times named Pat Metheny... Thanks Pat for the great emotions and the awesome amount of inspiration you gave, you give and you will give me for the future... Robertopeland A real special thanks to Antonio (you know why...) Copyright © 2001-2005 Robertopeland. All rights reserved. Best viewed in IE5+ 800x600 32bit colors.