[Harp-L] The Way Up - Pat Metheny Group inc Grégoire Maret

[Richard Hammersley <rhhammersley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There was chat a while back about the exhalted jazz company chromatic  
player  Grégoire Maret has been keeping recently. I downloaded the new  
Pat Metheny Group CD with Maret on it yesterday and and, to me, it is  
a new level of harmonica in jazz. Not because his technique or tone is  
superior to several other people's, but because of the way this music  
uses the harmonica as part of very tight ensemble playing. This is  
ensemble jazz, not the more common play the head, solo in turn backed  
by others, play the head again style.

Those of you who don't like post-bop jazz, you won't like it. If you  
do like any modern jazz then it is well worth a listen. It is really  
one complex piece broken into 3 sections. Like most long jazz  
compositions, inside are multiple themes or 'heads'. The piece sounds  
nice without being bland, cliched or (shudder) 'smooth jazz'. It is  
complex and will unfold with multiple listenings. Incidentally this is  
a paradox of modern jazz to me, in the age of recording, I can only  
'get' the complex improvisations by repeated listening. Mind you  
unless Pat Metheny can play two guitars at once I think some  
overdubbing went on here.

A number of things are really interesting regarding the harmonica, at  
least after two listens
1. confident soloing with something to say but no showing off (if you  
can harmonise with Pat Metheny on equal terms you don't need to show  
off really)
2. very tight harmonised ensemble work with the harp blending right in
3. generally a blending of sounds, so it is not always possible to  
instantly pick out the harmonica. This is partly because the co- 
composer and keyboard player Lyle Mays often produces sounds that  
sound at bit like the other instruments playing at the time, except  
when he doesn't
4. In some ways, the harmonica is 'replacing' the sax, but with a huge  
awareness of the chordal possibilities of the harmonica

I think this will prove to be an outstanding work. Next time someone  
goes into a tirade about the neglect of harmonica and harmonica  
players, I shall think of it. I also thinks it moves harmonica on and  
upwards. Previous harmonica inroads into modern jazz ensembles are few  
and it tends to be used for its basic bluesy sound rather than as an  
instrument on equal footing with the others. Art Ensemble of Chicago  
used someone sometimes. Archie Shepp included Chicago Beau on Black  
Gypsy. There are probably couple of others. This is in contrast to the  
many harpers who play head, solos, head style jazz.

Richard

Richard Hammersley
Grantshouse, Scottish Borders
http://www.last.fm/music/Richard+Hammersley
http://www.myspace.com/rhammersley
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