Pat
Metheny and his keyboard collaborator,
Lyle Mays, have drawn on diverse sources for their music, combining folk,
jazz, country, Latin, and world elements into a tuneful and often electronic
mix. Bob Curnow is a veteran of the
Stan Kenton Orchestra, and part of his avowed intention here is to set some
of the Metheny and Mays compositions within the Kenton style. In keeping with
that model, Curnow has assembled a very big band, 20 members strong with five
trumpets and five trombones. It's an arresting project, and Curnow has
successfully reconceived the Metheny work, substituting layered acoustic winds
where electric guitars and keyboards were, enriching the textures and supplying
orchestral breadth to what was once more intimate music. Metheny's prettier
tunes, such as the ballad "If I Could," take on a
Henry Mancini-like luster in this new setting. The sectional play is
polished and energetic, and there are plenty of good soloists, including tenor
saxophonist Rob Lockart, trombonist Chuck Hughes, and guitarist Paul Viapiano,
who frequently provides a sonic bridge between the worlds of Metheny and Curnow.
The sound is audiophile quality and the music provides a new look at both
Metheny's music and the big-band tradition.
--Stuart Broomer,
Amazon.com