CHARLIE HADEN & PAT METHENY: BEYOND THE MISSOURI SKY (SHORT STORIES)

'Spiritual'

First review of this album

At this album, there are just some acoustic guitars (nylon and steel strings) and a double-bass. Sometimes, another instruments (a smooth keyboard and some percussions) appear. So, this album is very quiet, peaceful.

The repertory is a collection of ballads, and the arrangement has got influences from jazz and Spanish music (flamenco). I love the following tracks: 'Waltz for Ruth'; 'Our Spanish love song'; 'Spiritual'.

Pat Metheny is one of the greatest guitar players of jazz... these aren't news. Charlie Haden was a great surprise for me: I really like double-bass solos, I enjoy them a lot.

No much more to say. Three stars.

If you ever wish to experience musical majesty from two true masters of their craft--and in an album form which never lets one down (though don't be expecting endless noodling, instead be ready for atmospheric paintings that capture the spirit and feel of the Missouri landscapes. Half of the songs are compositions of one of the two performers while the other half are covers of songs by much respected other artists like Jimmy Webb, Ennio and Andrea Morricone, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mandel, and Roy Acuff. The two performers are both iconic, each having earned critical and listener respect and praise from early years and throughout their long and distinguished careers, and I have to say this album may be one of the most satisfying emotional jaunts through nostalgia of the raw beauty of our American landscapes since Ry Kooder's soundtrack to the Wim Wenders film Paris, Texas. Do yourself a huge favor: listen to this album. You can YouTube it while you cook or read or work on a puzzle. It's gorgeous music in the way background music can soothe and heal the soul. (It may not, however, be prog. But, here we are!)

I must say that this álbum blew my mind since the first listening. Here, two legendary jazz heros (and friends) joined forces to this masterpiece, a sort of pseudo acoustic, blending the wonderful guitar of Pat Methen with the majestic bass of Charlie Haden (RIP). In my case, I knew Pat Metheny thanks to my best friend (RIP), long time ago, but I was not aware of Charlie Haden since I discovered this álbum several years ago. Pat and Charlie had their first met in 1973 but became friends when Haden worked in Metheny's álbum 80/81 in 1980. Well known in the jazz universe, Haden had worked with big names as Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarret, and of course developed his own musical career. He had already played with Metheny in the albums Rejoicing and Song X, in addition to the forementioned 80/81. Both friends was talking along the years about to make a duet álbum and that idea was realized finally in 1997. Haden grew up in Forsyth, Misssouri, and Metheny born 20 years later in Lee's Summit, Missouri too. So this "Short stories" surely try to recreate their place but expanding the feelings beyond it. The álbum is a collection of 13 pieces, some covers (arranged and expanded by improvisation) and some pieces written by Haden and Metheny. Haden suggested four initial pieces to Metheny, which were The Precious Jewel, The moon is a harsh mistress, He's gone and Morricone's Cinema Paradiso main theme. Metheny loved the selection and the job began. In addition Haden had two of his compositions, Our spanish love and First song. Pat Metheny also suggested two pieces to cover wich was Mancini's Two for the road and Morricone's daughter Love Theme from Cinema Paradiso. Also Metheny contributed with his song Message for a friend. The álbum was completed with two brand new compositions, Waltz for Ruth from Haiden and Tears of rain from Metheny, and finally with a piece loved by both, composed for Haiden son Josh and called Spiritual (originally edited by Josh Haiden group Spain). The music is mainly pacefull and absolutely beautiful in most of the album, with the acoustic guitar and the double bass supported by some orchestration overdubbed by Metheny with a Synclavier. For my tastes, the most moving pieces are Two for the road, The moon is a harsh mistress (developed from a piece of Jim Webb), He's gone away (based on a traditional piece) and Spiritual. All of them peacefull and delicate pieces with a wonderful interaction between guitar and bass. Near them and maybe a stair below, but very beautiful too, I can rank Message to a friend, First song, The moon song, and both Cinema Pardiso's covers. Tears of rain stands a bit different in the way that it combines soft guitar lines with another more dynamic and almost virtuous ones. The Precious jewel is a good dynamic cover, as the openings Waltz for Ruth is not bad, but not much on my tastes. Our spanish love is the weak one in my opinión, being a bit out of place in the álbum. Highly recommended.