PAT METHENY GROUP: IMAGINARY DAY

The last Group album to be graced with the drumming of the amazing Paul Wertico (and to contain my favorite core of PM Group musicians: Pat, Lyle, Paul, and bassist extraordinaire, Steve Rodby--one of the finest rhythm sections EVER assembled. The band's infusion of world musics continues with more Indian and Southeast Asian sounds and structural elements as well as some from Scotland. Plus, this album came with one of the most fascinating (and ingenious) album covers ever! Code!

Five star songs: My favorite song on the album and one of my all-time favorite Pat Metheny songs, the Scottish-infused, 9. "The Awakening" (9:39) 10/10); 1. "Imaginary Day" (10:11) odd but effective mixing of SE Asian sounds with some pretty raw and raunchy guitars (9/10); 2. "Follow Me" (5:56) this one grabs you right from it's start with the multiple layers of melodies and riffs but these catchy riffs occur and recur throughout (9.5/10); 3. "Into the Dream" (2:28) harkens back to earlier PM stuff (New Chautauqua and the song "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls") (9/10), and; the techno-contemporary (for 1997), trip-hoppy blended with minimalist (and Grammy Award winning), 7. "Roots of Coincidence" (7:48) (9/10). Four songs: the more straightforward jazz song--with some awesome muted trumpet play, 4. "A Story Within the Story" (8:01) (8.5/10); the Spanish flamenco feeling epic with some of my favorite Lyle piano passages and percussion work from the support staff, 5. "The Heat of the Day" (9:24) (8.5/10); one of Pat's requisite soft emotive guitar-based pieces (with some nice orchestral support--which I live--á la "Secret Story"), 6. "Across the Sky" (5:03) (8.5/10), and; the other, more acoustic, requisite Pat solo guitar-based soft-jazz piece, 8. "Too Soon Tomorrow" (5:51) (8/10).

4.5 stars, rated up for overall high quality and extraordinary musicianship.