Customer Reviews

Parallel Realities

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having written or co-written more than half of the tracks on this album, it was exceedingly modest and generous of Pat Metheny not to insist that this be called a DeJohnette-Metheny album. Pat's compositions are up to his usual standard, but with the title track, 'Parallel Realities', he contributed a real corker. All Metheny Group fans have to have this CD for that track alone. The central part is great driving music, where all three musicians gets to improvise over a rhythm reminiscent of Pink Floyd's 'On The Run' from 'Dark Side of the Moon'.

My question about this CD is: how late did Herbie Hancock come to the project? Both DeJohnette and Metheny play keyboards on most of the tracks -- they even alternate on keyboard bass -- with Hancock only providing acoustic piano, except on the last track. The impression is of a well-structured two-man project, to which a pianist has been added at almost the last minute. Hancock is welcome, and his colourations add much to the tone of the whole album. But it would have been great if he had written a piece.

I saw the band when they went on tour to promote this and, strangely, Metheny's 'Question and Answer' album together. Rather than use keyboard bass, they employed acoustic maestro Dave Holland. It was a great UK concert and my only frustration was that the audience didn't demand an encore, to enable the band to play 'Parallel Realities'.

This was Metheny's first album of the 1990s, and in retrospect, he didn't quite have the stellar decade we had hoped. I sincerely believe that Metheny is the most important popular music composer of the last quarter of the 20th century. In the 80s he fulfilled so much of the promise that he had showed in the second half of the 70s. But in the 90s, rather than giving us something akin to say, the late quartets that Beethoven produced, Metheny has spent much of his time playing with the surviving jazz greats and producing the odd film soundtrack.

This album was another of Metheny's expeditions with the roster of jazz greats, and is enjoyable, if not profound, fusion music.

Jack De Johnette with Pat Metheny and Herbie Hancock, a stellar dream line up, with the conspicuous absence of a bassist of record. Pat actually plays the bass on this recording. This recording had some high points but I felt given the personnel, I had expected more. The result is for the most part very accessible. If one is to have jazz/fusion starter kit this one should be included. "Jack In", "Dancing" and the title track are true high points. Nine Over Reggae is pleasant enough, clever and radio friendly. This recording left me hoping that the band would reunite and pull out all the stops as they did in Dancing and the title track. Jack plays powerfully throughout, I thought that Herbie was remarkably reserved here. Pat is an obvious presence and is out front on most of the pieces. For me the title track with it's abstract, ambient beginning, slowly the pieces coalesces from seeming fragments to where the piece becomes rhytmic and forceful. Jack drives it along at a steady pace as Pat and Herbie hover above like seagulls over a turbulent sea. John McKee was a the bluesiest groove oriented piece. Overall I recommend this recording.

This CD features the legendary drummer paired with Pat Metheny and Herbie Hancock. It is a very interesting CD and takes much of its flavor from Pat Metheny's composing style. The interplay between all three is great with particular interest arising in the musical relationship between DeJohnette and Metheny. Hancock plays fantastic as do the rest. For those of you who wondered what Metheny would sound like with more drums going on underneath, this is your CD.

The names of these musicians speak for themselves, but this is really a shining moment for them all. Here the sum of the parts does add more to the whole. It's an inspired performance and the compositions are simply stellar. It's too bad Dejohnette can't release more projects like this one. This album lasts and lasts - like "kind of blue" or "a love supreme." Enjoy!

This jazz drummer is a very talented drummer with a unique style - Neil Peart the drummer of the rock band Rush and the drummer behind the Buddy Rich Memorial events since drummer Buddy Rich died in 1987, said that he, Neil Peart, wished he could play as well as Jack Dejohnette (spelling??) did on this album. It's very stylish complex jazz drumming and Dejohnette is one of the greats as are Neil Peart and Buddy Rich. I started drumming to Gene Krupa records when I was 2 years old and have Gene Krupa's autograph as a side fact. I can't play drums nearly as well as any of these drummers, and not even as close as well because I don't have access to acoustic drums right now or a drum teacher or to be a sponge to listen to many drummers to develop my own unique style (somehow! however you drum like that now!) but I enjoy drumming and it's a part of me - I saw Buddy Rich play before he died in Maryland, have of course seen Neil Peart play live dozens of times - unlike many musicians or just some I do believe in God and synchronicity and how when you're a drummer its part of your soul from God or Spirit or Source so to speak. I highly recommend any recording - studio or live Jack Dejohnette or Neil Peart or Gavin Harrison, etc. they drum on (and many more drummers!) and personally would be thrilled to see Jack Dejohnette play live if at all possible.

oh, that unmistakeable Pat Methany sounds comes through on this collaboration with Jack DeJohnette, Herbie Hancock and Pat Methany. With all the music either composed by DeJohnette or Methany this collaboration is generously credited to DeJohnette but Methany fans should have this in their collection. Three great artists create a free-flowing, jazz fusion sound with that 'new' jazz sound, no old school here.

No sé que tipo de problemas contractuales debieron existir para que este disco figurara a nombre de J. DeJohnette y no de Pat Metheny. Sin duda, es un disco de este último. Adopta el papel de lider, compone la mitad de los temas e interpreta todos los solos. Es sabido que Metheny se debate inalterablemente entre los discos con el PMG (que podríamos llamar, elegantemente, como de jazz suave) y los discos en solitario o en pequeñas formaciones, en los que desarrolla un jazz de altura. Este disco se encuentra entre estos últimos y, en este sentido, es uno de sus mejores logros.
En cuanto a DeJohnette es uno de los mejores baterías actuales de jazz (los que idolatran a Bill Bruford como batería de jazz debieran oír esto) y siempre ha sido un magnifico acompañante de otros artistas (Jarrett, fundamentalmente). En este disco sigue siendo eso, un fantástico acompañante.

For the most part, a very good album of smooth drum solos by Jack that complemented by unobtrusive background music. A pleasant surpise.

getting this as a present from my uncle in this past chanukkah, i could not wait to peal off the wrapper and listen to a cd made by some of my favorite jazz artists. i noticed an absense of a bass player, but fancied ideas of pat and herbie using their vast musical prowess to make up for this lack. i had heard other albums with such "vital instruments" missing, so i was not concerned.
i had no idea it would be this bad. the best tracks on the cd are decent, but not classic, jazz tunes, but the worst border on so-so mall music. for those used to the stellar playing of the pat metheney trio, jack's drumming for keith jarret's standards trio, and herbie hancocks illustrious jazz career, i suggest you pass on this one. i will take to believe that these artists felt that, in this point in their career, they wished to go down this sort of road, however i wish they could have made something more memorable in their journey. instead of making up for the lack of bass player on their own instruments, the trio decided to add in a synthesized bass and other overdubbed instruments that ended up weakening the trio and especially herbie hancock's role as an acoustic pianist. playing with such over dubbed sounds and melodies take this far away from the world of jazz and in the meantime kill of any chance of their being creative interplay and emotion between the three artists on the cd. overal this is definetly one to pass up