Pat Metheny: Dream Box

Guitarist Pat Metheny pushes the boundaries of musical exploration once again with Dream Box, Featuring nine "found tracks" for the quiet electric guitar, this collection showcases Metheny's spontaneous creativity and unique musical vision. During a deep dive into his own musical archives, Metheny unearthed a folder on his laptop's hard drive containing forgotten recordings that surprised even him. As a result, Dream Box takes a departure from his previous works, presenting a blend of compositions that captures the essence of Metheny's artistic ingenuity.

Metheny's discography is a testament to his influence and talent, with 50 recordings and 20 Grammy wins across twelve different categories. From his groundbreaking album New Chautauqua, (ECM, 1979), which redefined instrumental steel-stringed Americana, to his exploration of free-improv in Zero Tolerance for Silence (Geffen Records, 1994) and the innovative use of technology in The Orchestrion Project, (Nonesuch, 2013) Metheny consistently pushes the boundaries of what a solo performer can achieve.

Dream Box follows the path of Metheny's previous solo baritone guitar recordings, One Quiet Night (Warner Bros, 2003) and What's It All About, (Nonesuch, 2011) but with a fresh twist. The album's title holds multiple meanings, symbolizing the jazz slang for a hollow-body guitar while capturing the dream-like quality of Metheny's musical vision. As he explains in the liner notes, the music in Dream Box exists in an elusive state, often discovered apart from any particular intention, resembling the dream logic that is coherent yet hard to pin down.

The album opens with "The Waves Are Not the Ocean," introducing the gentle and introspective nature of the record. Metheny's sparse chords and melodic lines create an intimate atmosphere, drawing the audience into his musical world. "From the Mountains" follows, with its majestic Latin-tinged melody, showcasing Metheny's ability to evoke a wide range of emotions through his compositions. Throughout Dream Box, Metheny displays his mastery of the electric guitar, effortlessly navigating intricate melodies and harmonies. The tracks "Trust Your Angels" and "Ole & Gard" demonstrate his lyrical and expressive playing style, paying homage to his mentors Jim Hall and Charlie Haden.

After the first four original compositions, Dream Box presents two elegantly rendered covers. The first is an inventive interpretation of Russell Vernon Longstreth's (aka Russ Long) lesser-known yacht rock classic, "Never Was Love." Metheny strips away the glossy pop artifice, revealing the intricate bluesy melody's sophisticated nature. The second cover, Sammy Cahn's "I Fall in Love Too Easily," resonates with echoes of pianist Bill Evans' rendition on his album Moon Beams (Riverside Records, 1962). Metheny's delicate use of reverb adds an extra layer of multifold voices as he skillfully navigates the single-string melody, chord changes, and innovative bridges. The album also features Luiz Bonfa's "Morning of the Carnival" ("Manha de Carnival"), a standard that Metheny approaches with fidelity to the original while infusing subtle samba and cumbia rhythms. As Metheny presents the melody, he artfully juxtaposes contrasting melodic voices, culminating in a warm and poignant solo performance. The album concludes with "Clouds Can't Change the Sky," a captivating ballad that showcases Metheny's ability to weave multiple melodic voices and create a rich sonic landscape.

Dream Box emerges as yet another standout achievement in Pat Metheny's solo discography. It showcases his ability to unveil his musical visions and demonstrate his exquisite technique on the electric guitar. The album presents a dream-like musical world, where emotions and melodies intertwine, culminating in a truly immersive sonic experience.

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