The Weekend Planet

At his best, Pat Metheny is a marvel in an extraordinary range of different contexts. His first album as leader (1976’s Bright Size Life) was an inter-active, trio set. So is Day Trip - his current trio’s debut disc, recorded in a single day. Christian McBride plays acoustic bass and Antonio Sanchez the drums. Pat is at his very best, playing electric and acoustic guitars. The music is conversational, melodious, not especially loud and nobody shows off. It is, however, incredibly virtuosic. The interplay is nigh-telepathic.

Pat Metheny’s official cyberspace is here: www.patmetheny.com

Playlist

HAVING TROUBLE READING OUR PLAY-LISTS?
READ THIS AND EVERYTHING BECOMES CLEAR (WE HOPE!)
Details of each track are presented in the following order:
BROADCAST TIME
TRACK NUMBER AND TITLE
COMPOSER
PUBLISHING AND COPYRIGHT DETAILS
RECORDING COMPANY AND CD NUMBER
( distributor/ source details, in brackets like this, in lower-case)
ARTIST AND CD TITLE
Duration of track
Description of track, in lower-case.
Where relevant, further info links to information, gigs/events/related programs

’ THE WEEKEND PLANET’ SAT 1.3 .08.

2205
THEME:
(details below, as per the original CD.. This cut is also on these compilations Ketama - ’ Nuevos Medios Coleccion’ - Nuevos Medios NM 15 820
{ in Australia via MGM www.thegroovemerchants.com
worldwide, via: www.flamenco-world.com/noticias/nuevos.htm }
and ’ Jarabi - the best of Toumani Diabate’ (Hannibal 334352 )

CD CUT 1, ’ JARABI’
TRAD, ARR TOUMANI DIABATE
HAMILCAR MUSIC LTD
HANNIBAL HNCD 1323
( in Australia, some releases through Stomp Enquiries to: ben@stomp.com.au
worldwide: www.rykodisc.com )
KETAMA, TOUMANI DIABATE, DANNY THOMPSON - ’ SONGHAI’
THIRTY SECONDS (EXCERPT)
(retains a stately-Manding air, whilst also embracing flamenco elements. Toumani Diabate’ s kora, Danny Thompson’ s beautiful double bass and Ketama’ s flamenco guitars )

2207
CD CUT 1, ’ SON OF THIRTEEN’
PAT METHENY
PAT-METH MUSIC CORP (BMI)
NONESUCH 7559-79956-1
(in Australia, through Warner Music: www.warnermusic.com.au
worldwide: www.nonesuch.com )
PAT METHENY WITH CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE AND ANTONIO SANCHEZ - ’ DAY TRIP’
5: 48
( bright, lyrical and limber, very conversational, mobile-dancing-fluid, modern jazz for the leader’ s non-noisy but incredibly virtuosic elec. guitar, with ditto ac bass and drums: respectively, McBride and Sanchez )

SEGUE

2213
CD CUT 5, ’ MIDWESTERN NIGHTS DREAM’
PAT METHENY
PAT-METH MUSIC (BMI)
ECM 1073
( in Australia through Fuse Music
www.fusemusic.com.au
worldwide: www.ecmrecords.com )
PAT METHENY - ’ BRIGHT SIZE LIFE’
5: 57
(lyrical-mysterious-floating, built around the fretless elec bass{Jaco Pastorius}, w Metheny’ s echoing elec guitar {12 string}, Bob Moses on drums. Recorded in December 1975, when Metheny was 21. One of the more remarkable debuts as leader!

YOU DON’ T ALREADY KNOW ABOUT JACO PASTORIUS (1951- 1987)?

You could reasonably divide the history of the electric bass into two sections: pre-Jaco and post Jaco.

This is a good place to discover more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaco_Pastorius )

2223
CD CUT 5, ’ CALVIN’ S KEYS’
PAT METHENY
PAT-METH MUSIC CORP (BMI)
NONESUCH 7559-79956-1
(in Australia, through Warner Music: www.warnermusic.com.au
worldwide: www.nonesuch.com )
PAT METHENY WITH CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE AND ANTONIO SANCHEZ - ’ DAY TRIP’
7: 22
( irresistible, finger-popping, shuffling groove is never lost, but this goes many places, playfully. Incredible interplay between the leader’ s non-noisy but virtuosic elec. guitar, with ditto ac bass and drums: respectively, McBride and Sanchez. A salute to guitarist Calvin Keys, who was the ’ guitarist on everyone’ s lips’ way back when Pat was Kansas City’ s teen hot-shot guitarist. Since recording this, Pat has met the dedicatee - and really liked him.

LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT CALVIN KEYS?

Start here:
www.calvinkeys.com )

SEGUE

2230
CD CUT 13, ’ NOVENA’
COMP MILTON NASCIMENTO - MARCO BORGES
C 1982 NASCIMENTO(EMI)/ EMI (ASCAP)
WARNER BROS 9362-45499-2
(I suspect this CD is no longer available)
MILTON NASCIMENTO - ’ ANGELUS’
4: 57
(Nascimento’ s Brazilian male voice floats atop elec guitar {Pat Metheny}, piano (Herbie Hancock}, drums, ac bass, percussion - quite hypnotic. Metheny plays on three songs on this 1994 album)

2237
CD CUT 6, ’ IS THIS AMERICA?’ ( KATRINA 2005 )
PAT METHENY
PAT-METH MUSIC CORP (BMI)
NONESUCH 7559-79956-1
(in Australia, through Warner Music: www.warnermusic.com.au
worldwide: www.nonesuch.com )
PAT METHENY WITH CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE AND ANTONIO SANCHEZ - ’ DAY TRIP’
4: 28
( pensive and poignant. Metheny’ s nylon-stringed ac guitar , Sanchez’ s subtle brushes and cymbals, McBride’ s plucked and bowed ac bass, including a beautiful, melody-based arco solo. Not co-incidentally, Metheny regards the USA as ’ still very much a work in progress. ’ He was horrified and ashamed by the governmental response/lack thereof when hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. He called it ’ unbelievable irresponsibility and neglect’ )

SEGUE

2241
CD CUT 3, ’ HOW I GOT OVER’
W.H. BREWSTER
PUB NOT SPEC
PROPER RECORDS PRPCD033
( In Australia, through The Planet Company/ MGM
email: info@theplanetcompany.com
website: www.theplanetcompany.com
Worldwide: proper-records.co.uk )
THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA - ’ DOWN IN NEW ORLEANS’
5: 00
( solemn - not sad - black gospel song. Associated with Mahalia Jackson, it’ s sung here by the venerable, still-striking voices of The Blind Boys of Alabama. I think the pianist is David Torkanowsky. The whole CD was recorded in New Orleans, with New Orleans musicians.

ABC RADIO NATIONAL BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA ALERT

Their new CD will be explored on ’ The Daily Planet’ on Tuesday March 18th

’ The Daily Planet’ with Lucky Oceans airs Monday to Friday at 2.20pm
Except on Fridays, it has a second airing at 11.20 pm
website {includes audio} : www.abc.net.au/rn/dailyplanet )

2248
CD CUT 9, ’ LET IT RING’
ALISTER SPENCE
COPYRIGHT CONTROL
RUFUS RECORDS RF065
( in Australia through Universal
Rufus website: www.rufusrecords.com.au
Alister’ s site: www.alisterspence.com )
ALISTER SPENCE TRIO - ’ FLUX’
7: 07
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: Toby Hall’ s New Orleans-street-parade-tinged drums introduce a robust-insistent trio piece. So-named because the pianist-composer makes full use of the sustain pedal - his piano really does ’ ring.’ Also features Lloyd Swanton on ac bass )

2256
CD CUT 10, ’ SUDDENLY SUSANLY’
TONY GORMAN
(PRESUMABLY) APRA
TALL POPPIES TP195
( www.tallpoppies.net
CDs available direct, and also {securely} via www.buywell.com )
GEST8 - ’ KALEIDOSCOPE’
2: 50 (excerpt)
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: Pregnant, almost-march - very ’ expectant’ . A nicely-unusual ensemble: Sandy Evans and Paul Cutlan’ s tenor saxophones, Steve Elphick’ s plucked ac bass, Satsuki Odamura’ s koto, Phil Slater’ s trumpet, Simon Barker’ s drums and Carl Dewhurst’ s elec guitar.

ABC RADIO NATIONAL GEST8 ALERT

On Saturday March 15 - a fortnight away - we re-broadcast the show which revolves around this album.
First aired on 10.11.07, its play-list is here: www.abc.net.au/rn/weekendplanet/stories/2007/2070650.htm )

------
11PM NEWS
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2305
CD CUT 5, ’ THE WORLD IS FALLING DOWN’
ABBEY LINCOLN
PUB NOT SPEC
VERVE B008900-02
( may be available in Australia through Universal, on indent
www.vervemusicgroup.com/verve/default.asp
readily available via any major online supplier )
ABBEY LINCOLN - ’ ABBEY SINGS ABBEY’
3: 38
( wry, loping-blues-walker with a grin. The world’ s gone to the proverbial dogs, but the singer’ s undefeated and she’ s still in love with humankind and music. Larry Campbell’ s slide resophonic guitar and Shawn Pelton’ s drums are prominent.

ABC RADIO NATIONAL ABBEY LINCOLN ALERT

We explore her splendid current album, next Saturday, March 8th
More details here: www.abc.net.au/rn/weekendplanet/comingup )

2310
CD CUT 10, ’ DAY TRIP’
PAT METHENY
PAT-METH MUSIC CORP (BMI)
NONESUCH 7559-79956-1
(in Australia, through Warner Music: www.warnermusic.com.au
worldwide: www.nonesuch.com )
PAT METHENY WITH CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE AND ANTONIO SANCHEZ - ’ DAY TRIP’
9: 00
( Lyrical and limber, very conversational, mobile modern jazz for the leader’ s non-noisy but incredibly virtuosic elec. guitar, with ditto ac bass and drums: respectively, McBride and Sanchez.

SEGUE

2319
CD CUT 5, ’ TURNS’
GRAEME STEPHEN
MCPS AND PRS
GREENTRAX CDTRAX278
( In Australia, through The Planet Company/ MGM
email: info@theplanetcompany.com
website: www.theplanetcompany.com
Worldwide via: www.greentrax.com )
CATRIONA MCKAY & CHRIS STOUT - ’ LAEBRACK’
7: 35
( fiddler Chris and harpist Catriona interpret an oft-shifting, spiralling, dramatic contemporary piece - authored by a Scots jazz guitarist. Piece itself and playing are both remarkable- has very fleet, overtly virtuosic and very spare parts. Nicely unpredictable, with a Balkan tinge.

CHRIS SOUT IN AUSTRALIA/ MAJOR FESTIVAL ALERT ( Canberra )

He’ s at The National Folk Festival (exclusively), over Easter, March 20-24th
Full festival detail, here: www.folkfestival.asn.au/index.html )

2328
CD CUT 8, ’ DREAMING TREES’
PAT METHENY
PAT-METH MUSIC CORP (BMI)
NONESUCH 7559-79956-1
(in Australia, through Warner Music: www.warnermusic.com.au
worldwide: www.nonesuch.com )
PAT METHENY WITH CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE AND ANTONIO SANCHEZ - ’ DAY TRIP’
7: 43
(Open balladic-impressionistic. Metheny’ s steel-stringed ac guitar, McBride’ s plucked ac bass and Sanchez’ s brushes and cymbals )

SEGUE

2336
CD CUT 9, ’ THE RED ONE’
PAT METHENY
PAT-METH MUSIC CORP (BMI)
NONESUCH 7559-79956-1
(in Australia, through Warner Music: www.warnermusic.com.au
worldwide: www.nonesuch.com )
PAT METHENY WITH CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE AND ANTONIO SANCHEZ - ’ DAY TRIP’
4: 45
(same trio - very different music. Rock and reggae-tinged, robust strutter. It also has lots of improvisatory interplay. Metheny’ s ripe elec. guitar and guitar synth, with strong ac bass and drums: respectively, McBride and Sanchez )

2342
CD CUT 5, ’ PLEASE MAKE GOOD HARMONY MR SHULZ’
CRAIG BEARD AND ANTHONY SCHULZ
(PRESUMABLY) APRA
FROCK 9492282892
( self-issued. Available worldwide via www.sorelli.com.au/cds.htm
Frock’ s site: www.frockmusic.com.au )
FROCK - ’ LIVE AT THE LANE’
7: 42
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: ’ live’ , elegant-melodious piece, built around its co-authors’ vibraphone and piano, respectively. With Simon Starr’ s ac bass, Adam Starr’ s elec. guitar, Dave Beck’ s drums-percussion and their special guest - saxophonist Anton Delecca )

SEGUE

2350
CD CUT 7, ’ WHEN WE WERE FREE’
PAT METHENY
PAT-METH MUSIC CORP (BMI)
NONESUCH 7559-79956-1
(in Australia, through Warner Music: www.warnermusic.com.au
worldwide: www.nonesuch.com )
PAT METHENY WITH CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE AND ANTONIO SANCHEZ - ’ DAY TRIP’
8: 54 (complete)
( hypnotic, almost-anthemic, with a definite sense of ’ questing’ . It gets progressively ’ bigger’ . Metheny plays elec. guitar, initially. He later lets loose an eruption of pealing, violin-like guitar synth. McBride on ac bass., Sanchez on drums - all ears here are as clever as are their owners’ hands! )

Presenter

Doug Spencer

Producer

Doug Spencer