Customer Reviews

Question & Answer

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is a long jam of about half-and-half jazz standards and Metheny compositions. Great performance - great musicians. The sound gives you a feeling of being right there as it happens. It's recorded in only one day, and I know...that fact does not sound promising, but you must remember: These musicians are leading figures in modern jazz for a reason and they can definitely pull it off - This is perfect proof! Metheny, Holland and Haynes are extremely alert, you can definitely tell that this is something they've been doing their entire lives.
The standards "Solar," "All The Things You Are," and Metheny's "Three Flights Up" are very up-tempo, but still beautifully laid back in performance - no rushing or overplaying. "Three Flights Up" is played in over 300 bpm but the melody on guitar is very relaxed and doubled with a vibraphone-like sound (possibly an instant effect,) very beautiful. "H&H" is an entertaining piece (nice bass solo.) As far as I'm concerned, this isn't a typical Metheny composition - the solos are played over a blues form, while the theme itself is played over an usual (sort of progressive) form - the simple idea of the ending is great! There are a couple of nice ballads, too. "Never Too Far Away" is a definite highlight. The authentic sounds of the whole recording will give you a warm chill. I wish more of my jazz albums would sound like this.

The best thing about this recording is that the spontaneity of the situation comes through. With some days off, Metheny decided to jam with Haynes and Holland and record the results as though it was a live gig. And that's what it sounds like - a jam session. No studio treatments, no elaborate arrangments, just a guitar, bass, (a lot of) drums, and only one day in which to record them. Roy Haynes hyperactive drums kick things off as the trio runs through the Miles Davis classic "Solar". Throw in some Ornette Coleman (a big Metheny influence), some standards from the 1930s, and five well-written Metheny originals and you've got a real jazz album that stands up with the classics. There is some Synclavier on the last track, "Three Flights Up", but it's only used for background sounds and doesn't get in the way. An excellent recording.

Here are three musicians who are perfectly in sync. Creating music of such beauty and depth that now, 12 years after I bought this recording I am still stunned by it. This is some of Pat Metheny's best playing. They are three but sound like more. It would've been easy for these three virtuoso's to let their technique run away with them and make this a chop fest but they didn't.

Here much care is given to listening to one another, to consider the piece, the notes the silence in between. They swing hard when the pieces call for it. The ballads are absolutely stunning. Some of these pieces have become mainstays of the jazz repertoire and you would think that the limits of intepretation would've been reached by now. Not so. These pieces are given new life here.

This is pure jazz which is both accessible, swinging, complex and interesting. The setting is spare which allows for them to explore each piece without the encumberances of over production. They can step out on stage on do these piece live, true to form. This recording is timeless. Twelve years later it holds up well. The pieces are just as fresh. Dave Holland shows why he is the bassist's bassist. His tone is rich and resonant. Roy Haynes is just a national musical treasure. He adds shades and colors. More musical than percussive, though he can be that as well.

This is definitely a must have recording.

There is so much about this recording that is excellent I don't even know where to begin. One day, 8 hours and the alblum was cut. The first track took 15 minutes from the start of the session to lay down on tape. This was the first time these three had ever recorded together!!! People if you are a fan of either Pat Metheny, Dave Holland, and/or Roy Haynes than you've got to hear this alblum. Even if you've never heard of them and just love good pure jazz, this is gold. As for Pat Metheny, this alblum is by far one of the best projects he has put out. This is Metheny playing hard core jazz guitar, yet at the same time not abandoning the trademark sound and style that he's famous for. If you are a Pat Metheny fan and have never heard this alblum, then you haven't heard a large part of what makes Metheny the player/composer he is. I do believe this is perhaps the best recording I own of Metheny's and I own most of what he's put out. Roy Haynes is by far my favorite jazz drummer to listen to as well as drool over his playing. Incredible doesn't even do his playing justice, he is the authority of this trio. Listen to this cd and you'll hear a drummer take center stage, matching Metheny's solo's like he were a second guitar. Even Metheny himself refers to Roy Haynes as the father of modern day jazz drumming. To me, Roy Haynes playing the drums is like poetry in motion, nothing smoother nor finer around. He's an extremely busy player yet somehow not only does he make it work, he makes it into an artform for up and coming drummers to follow. This alblum is worth every penny you spend, I guarantee at the very least you'll walk away having heard a work of art. It simply doesn't get any better than this.

Pat Metheny made a name for himself through his somewhat country-inspired "fusion" albums from the late '70s and '80s. Those albums showed him to have an incredible sense for beautiful melody, coupled with incredible technique and always a fabulous band. This album, with legendary jazz greats Roy Haynes and Dave Holland, marks a change, for it has Metheny playing classic jazz tunes in a classic jazz style with a classic jazz trio. That's overstating it a bit, because there is no question that this is Metheny playing his trademark modern guitar, but it is an album that very much has the feel of the jazz tradition. They are monsters playing on classics like "All the Things You Are," "Old Folks," and "Solar," and incredibly beautiful on various Metheny originals such as "H and H" and especially the closing tune, "Three Flights Up." I used to listen to this album non-stop on 9-hour drives between Boston and Toronto, and I never found myself growing tired of the music. This is an incredible album, and a must for anyone interested in jazz.

I bought this album on cassette in 1990 or so when it came out. It blew me away then and still does even to this day. Anyone interested in jazz, improvised music and/or drums should listen to this album.

Everyone is playing at their highest level and the tune choices are great as well. In particular, I have always had a soft spot for the Pat Metheny tune, "Change of Heart" that is on this album. Beautiful Melody!!!!!!!

As for Roy Haynes...MAN, what can you say?? His playing on this album is as it always is: Swinging, Fresh, Hip, Melodic and just plain cool!!!!!

Great Record!

The heart of jazz is improvisation. Here we have a recording that confirms Pat Metheny as one of the best living jazz guitar improvisors.

Haynes and Holland do an exceptional job of backing up Pat. I agree that the sound quality is not the best, but the playing is so stellar that you won't really care or notice.

I don't care too much for Pat's more 'commercial' output of recordings. But in the standard trio setting, playing real jazz, Pat blows away every other jazz guitarist I have ever heard.

This recording is non-stop intense improv. Most of the tracks are around 6-7 minutes in length. Sometimes jazz improvisors can make the mistake of taking too many choruses. But while most of the tracks feature Pat improvising for several choruses, I don't ever get tired of listening to him improvise because he always uses superb taste and technique, and is constantly doing little things that you may not notice the first time around, like little rhythmic or melodic motifs which he builds up and tweaks inside in out.

One warning: this is not smooth jazz! If you are a smooth jazz fan, don't buy this CD because it will probably cause you to have an aneurism, as your brain is not designed to handle such a high level of jazz perfection! :)

And on the other hand, if you hate smooth jazz, like I do: buy this CD, you won't be disapointed.

This is Pat Metheny pared down to his jazz essence in a classic trio format. No synths (well almost ), no elaborate arrangements just great, inspired playing in the tradition of Jim Hall and Wes Montgomery. The level of interaction between Haynes, Holland and Metheny deserves praise as well- often amazingly telepathic, and at all times each player is mindful of the others. Every cut is excellent but personally, I loved the beautiful ballad, Pat's "Never Too Far Away"- I instantly added it to my trio repertoire.
Highly Recommended!

This is an inspired collaboration where each player is given sufficient room to express himself without the overindulgence of one player dominating the others. Roy Haynes is a jazz legend who has played with Bird, Trane, and many others. His drums are mixed loudly, and appropriately so. He is as much of a soloist as Pat is, but he never loses the pulse and spark of the music. Dave Holland is solid and singular at the same time. The trio format gives Pat Metheny space to create and interact in ways not possible in the larger, lusher, more mainstream Pat Metheny Group. Pat rises to the occasion with playing as good as anything recorded--besides the most recent trio date: "Pat Metheny Trio, 99-00." There are no lulls or yawns from this gig, and it holds up well with repeated listening.

Douglas Groothuis

With such powerhouse personnel, one could hardly miss. Roy Haynes is probably the most underated jazz drummer among the major players. This recording is a bona-fide classic in a somewhat traditional mode. After this recording, people started talking about Methany as a jazz guitarist - which he is - among all the rest that this seminal musician is. The interpretation of "All The Things You Are" may be the best of all time.