Pat Metheny: Stories Beyond Words

Pianist and composer Gluck (The Miles Davis Lost Quintet and Other Revolutionary Ensembles) delves deeply into the work of guitarist and composer Pat Metheny, particularly his key musical ideas and the development of his wide-ranging, eclectic style. Providing some biographical context, the book interweaves themed chapters with a chronological treatment of the various iterations of the Pat Metheny Group and the artist’s training as a member of Gary Burton’s ensembles. It also charts his influences, including jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery and, perhaps surprisingly, Dolly Parton. Although detailed descriptions of musical examples can be daunting for novices, Gluck’s are useful and add value for experts. Excerpts from interviews with Metheny and an exhaustive bibliography are especially welcome. Gluck acknowledges Mervyn Cooke’s Pat Metheny: The ECM Years, 1975–1984 and Carolyn Glenn Brewer’s Beneath Missouri Skies: Pat Metheny in Kansas City 1964–1972 as significant influences on his work, but his volume will definitely join these as an essential resource on the music of a trailblazing, multifaceted talent.