TRANSCENDENCE

MUSIC OF PAT METHENY

FMR

Bob Gluck, piano/keyboards; Christopher Dean Sullivan, electric bass; Karl Latham, drums.

Pat Metheny has made an international musical impression with his distinctive guitar sound. The Transcendence trio, impressed with Metheny as a creative and melodic composer, tributes him on this album.  They have picked five songs penned by Metheny for this album, along with one by Keith Jarrett and “Dolphin Dance” by Herbie Hancock.

They open with a tune from Metheny’s 1989 release featuring bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Roy Haynes.  Bob Gluck, on acoustic piano, introduces us to the tune with a flair for the Avant-garde and Karl Latham’s drums rumble beneath the improvised introduction. When they finally jump into the tune, with all six feet, Christopher Dean Sullivan’s bass line is formidable and resounding throughout.

On a couple of the Metheny tunes, Gluck plays a keyboard synthesizer that somewhat mimics the Metheny guitar sound.  The instrument is called the Roli Seaboard. On a composition titled, “The Bat” Christopher Dean Sullivan takes an extended solo on his electric bass.

Gluck is a published author and one of his books  is “Pat Metheny: Stories Beyond Words” published by University of Chicago Press.  He’s also penned a book about Herbie Hancock and the Mwandishi Band, as well as another titled, “The Miles Davis Lost Quintet and Other Revolutionary Ensembles.”  Additionally, the keyboardist has released a dozen albums of his own.

Drummer, Karl Latham is also a bandleader and served as Musical Director for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group “The Shirelles.” He co-led Big Fun(K) with Don Braden on five albums. Latham is included in the Drummer world’s prestigious Top Drummers list.

Together, this trio of musicians who call themselves ‘Transcendence,’ present a memorable team, celebrating Metheny’s music with improvised and Avant-garde soundscapes.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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