One Quiet Night

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Pat Metheny literally sat down IOne Quiet Night/I to record some solo guitar in his home studio. Using a semi-acoustic baritone made by the esteemed Canadian luthier Linda Manzer, he recorded most of these pieces towards the end of 2001. After returning from a lengthy tour Metheny was impressed with the results and decided to add six more tunes to make an album's worth of material. p It's as calming as you might expect, with Pat investigating a more esoteric tuning mode and playing pure, with no overdubs. His lone axe is given a big, reverb-soaked sound, acting like a virtual orchestra in a cavernous space. The bass strings resonate with a plump power, silvery high-string phrases dancing above. p Metheny deliberately avoids any flashy fingerpicking, concentrating on gentle plucks, savouring the scrape, rub and click of his strings and allowing gaps for thought. He's completely relaxed and spontaneous, sustaining a mellow mood throughout. Around the midway mark of "Time Goes On" and Keith Jarrett's "My Song", the ideas seem to get cut adrift, yearning for bold gestures or emphatic statements. One problem is that Metheny doesn't vary the sound zones that he's exploring. p On "Peace Memory", ascending lines never quite reach their conclusion, but climb back up from the bottom again, then "Over on 4th Street" introduces a vigorous strum, underpinned by seeping bass notes. "I Will Find the Way" rejoices in singing harmonics, producing a luminous stasis that's in sharp contrast with "Ferry Cross the Mersey", which is certainly an unexpected song-choice for Metheny. --IMartin Longley/I

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2007-08-23 rating:
An absolute gem
I heard one of the tracks on the radio and bought the album on the strength of it. There is not a dud track on the album. In the liner notes Metheny describes it the realisation of a long held plan to make "a whole record with one single guitar, no overdubs or extra parts; to do a totally solo acoustic record". This gives the record it beautifully pared back sound which allows every inflexion of Metheny's astonishing playing to come through. But the thing that I love about this record is the fact that on each track, to paraphrase Lester Young, Metheny simply sings us a song with his guitar. (He doesn't literally sing.) br / br /The other thing that I love is the relative simplicity of the playing. Metheny eschews needless ornamentation and experimentation for experimentation's sake - he even strums the guitar from time to time! br / br /I recommended this album to the best guitar player I know who thought it was a masterpiece. He told me how the shop assistant fell into a kind of religous celebration of the record when it was presented for purchase.

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review by: simonoxton date: 2006-01-26 rating:
Pat Metheny - One Quiet Night (Warner/2001)
In the CD cover notes Metheny writes: "This record is essentially about one sound, basically one mood, and taking the time to go deep inside that single world." Showcasing his custom-made baritone guitar and using a "special low Nashville tuning", One Quiet Night does draw you deeply into the improvisational space of one of the leading current exponents of fusion guitar. While there are a handful of covers, including Keith Jarret's My Song and, astonishingly, Ferry Cross The Mersey, the album mostly comprises Metheny originals - reminiscent perhaps of New Chautauqua - that sometimes sound like sketches for Pat Metheny Group pieces. Although bound to appeal to guitarists, it's a solid and harmonically initriguing album, mostly recorded at the artist's New York home in November 2001, and illustrating yet further Metheny's extraordinary talent for creating music on the fly. As he writes: "I hope this... will offer some peace and enjoyment." And it does that.

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review by: crozierwayne date: 2004-05-06 rating:
This Album Is Sheer Class, Just buy it!.
I bought this exceptionally beautiful peace of work the day it was released, notice the intentional spelling mistake as "peace" is what this album will give you, it dont matter whether you like pop, rock, RB or Jazz for which Pat is know more widely for, this album is totally stimulating, relaxing and calming and most of all uplifting. I cannot stress how much you will get out of listening to this excellent guitarist concentrating on playing a single Baritone accoustic guitar, first take live in his own home. A truly rewarding experience which for me is Pats best solo effort and totally blows away for example "New Chauataqua", I just wish he'd come over to the Uk and do a combined performance of this and another favourite the excellent "A Map Of The World", just buy it do yourselves a favour!.

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review by: ian17577 date: 2004-04-05 rating:
Stupendous
Ideal late night listening ! Great music to accompany a glass of wine !! Get a grip, man !!! brThis was essentially a couple of rehersal tracks augmented by a handful of well-known tunes that was released to demonstrate the sonorities of his new baritone guitar, as well as an opportunity to employ some unfamiliar tunings on his instrument. Unfortunately for other guitarists, what may appear to be a bit of practice for Mr. Metheny has effectively thrown down the gauntlet to his fellow instrumentalists. Having tried to learn jazz piano for a few years with little success,I have whetted my apetite for re-harmonising standards. From what meagre knowledge I have acquired, I would suggest that there are very few musicians who have "ears" as good as this remarkable musician. (Mike Brcker Herbie Hancock spring to mind as examples.) I suggest that listeners start with the Norah Jones' cover that uses some amazing modulations. Put simply, Metheny is a harmonic genius. On top of this , you then have to consider his phenominal technique. I would imagine that musicians would get alot out of this record - certainly I am discovering new things each time it visits my CD player. Better musicians that me would be able to explain what exactly is going on on this album.It would make fascinating listening to have this music properly explained.br The success of Pat Metheny is due to the fact that he has given technically very advanced ideas the accessibility of pop music. "One quiet night" should not be considered muzak to be played in the background anymore than Bach. Whilst it is true that the music is very approachable, this CD represents a window into the private world of one of today's truly great musicians. This is a record that will be treasured by future generations of both jazz and guitar fans.


review by: haddonsman date: 2004-03-05 rating:
Breathtaking
Heard 'Don't Know Why' on a Jools Holland repeat over Christmas, bought this album to hear that track again, found the rest to be just as great. Stunning.pThis has now become my perfect 'wind down' album at the end of the day.pDeserves a much wider audience and greater acclaim. A truly breathtaking album.

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