This 2009 deluxe package brings together LP and CD versions of the Pat Metheny Trio's well-received 2008 DAY TRIP along with its live-in-Japan prequel EP, TOKYO DAY TRIP. Accompanied by Christian McBride on bass and Antonio Sanchez on drums, DAY TRIP was recorded in just one day in 2005 and is widely regarded as one of Metheny's finest recordings. There are no unusual fusion experiments here and no superstar turns, just an utterly fluent contemporary guitar trio playing in a thoroughly modern idiom. A enduring highlight is the plaintive acoustic ballad, "Is This America?," written in 2005 in response to Hurricane Katrina.
As for the Tokyo date, it was actually recorded before the studio session but released at the same time as DAY TRIP in early 2008. Ironically, the live recording sounds larger and more produced than its studio cousin. Likewise, there is no repetition of material; these Tokyo compositions are painted in broader strokes and have a certain rock feeling to them, reminiscent of up-and-coming avant-guitarist Mary Halvorson's striking DRAGON"S HEAD. The availability in one place of both these live and studio dates, and in their respective formats, is a real treasure trove for contemporary jazz and Pat Metheny fans alike.