Pat Metheny Unity Group – Kin ()

It is hard for me to be objective when it comes to Pat Metheny as I am true fanboy when it comes to his music.  With that admission in place, I wan to state that 2012’s Unity Band blew me away even more than the typical Metheny release.  Metheny had held out 32 years to have a release with sax and 1980’s  80/81 with Michael Brecker is one of my favorites from the Metheny catalog, so I was thrilled to hear Metheny was going to release a second album with his horn infused (Chris Potter) Unity Band (now dubbed Unity Group due to the addition of  mufti-instrumentalist/vocalist Giulio Carmassi).

Where Unity Band was pretty straight ahead jazz, Kin is Metheny jazz.  The album falls into the highly arranged/orchestrated “Group” albums of the past. The album is richly textured and appeals to my conventional Metheny “Group” fanboy along with the my love of the more adventurous side of  Metheny.

But the key for me is Chris Potter’s sax – he adds a spice to the “Group” sound that is separates if from the rest of the Metheny “Group” catalog. The horn gives the album a much jazzier feel than if it was not there.  Metheny has always had a “horn” feel to his solos so for him to actually play with a horn player is magic.

Even before hearing this album – on paper this album would be on my best of 2014.  Metheny delivers, not just in concept, but in a true sonic tour de force.