When
Metheny celebrates his cerebral side, he usually follows up with something more accessible. After his difficult yet rewarding collaboration with
John Scofield,
I Can See Your House from Here,
Metheny stresses accessibility with this captivating live album. The primary focus is on his Brazilian-influenced material from
Still Life (Talking) and
Letter from Home, and the very cohesive Pat Metheny Group offers characteristically expressive versions of such favorites as "Have You Heard," "Beat 70," and "Better Days Ahead." While he could have offered a wider variety of material and perhaps revisited some of his early gems, everything that he does include comes across as honest and heartfelt. Thankfully,
Metheny's emphasis on accessibility and crowd-pleasing doesn't come at the expense of his artistic integrity. ~ Alex Henderson