From This Place (2020), by Pat Metheny

One of guitar’s golden boys is back with his first album of all-new material in six years, and it was definitely worth the wait.

Having become a senior citizen the year previous and turning 66 in summer 2020 – which the sentimental track “Sixty-Six” most likely references – Pat Metheny is indeed a golden boy.

However, make no mistake. His performing talent and compositional brilliance are nowhere near retirement, as evidenced in this welcome mix of his styles both old and new.

The entire album is ambitious and cinematic in its orchestral scope, with Metheny’s core band – bassist Linda May Han Oh, pianist Gwilym Simcock, and longtime Metheny drummer Antonio Sanchez – augmented by the lush sounds of the Hollywood Studio Symphony, conducted by Joel McNeely.

Guest performers include Luis Conte on percussion, Gregoire Maret on harmonica, and Meshell Ndegeocello, who sings the politically and socially charged title track, which is not only very much from this place, but also very much from this time.

Longtime fans will take a special liking to the Pat Metheny Group-reminiscent “Same River,” with Metheny breaking out that classic sitar-like sound as well as that awesome, unmistakable guitar synthesizer.

Other standout tracks include the epic and formidable “America Undefined,” “Wide and Far” (the best and most distinctive guitar melody and the most classic Metheny-like tune on the album), the haunting “You Are,” and the reflective “Sixty-Six.”

If you have been off the Pat Metheny path for a while, like me, this is the perfect opportunity to return to the fold.

--Raj Manoharan