Watercolors

Amazon.com
Pat Metheny was virtually defining a new musical form on this 1977 date, blending folk, country, and pop elements with jazz and creating a gentler, more intimate idiom than fusion had been. His distinctively chorused electric guitar often floats over the smooth textures created by his own acoustic six-stringer, Lyle Mays's piano, and Danny Gottlieb's discreet drumming, while Eberhard Weber's electric and acoustic bass lines rise to ricochet with the guitar leads. The song titles abound with watery images, and they're perfectly in keeping with this flowing music, which tends to a pale, even pastel, palette and an ethereal lightness. "River Quay," particularly, suggests the sound of the Pat Metheny Group that would come later. --Stuart Broomer

Watercolors,Pat Metheny,Polygram Records,Contemporary Jazz,Fusion,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Post-Bop

Average customer rating: Metheny in search of himself Less is More What can I say?... absolutely gorgeous!!! One of my favorite albums in the first stage of Metheny!

Watercolors Pat Metheny Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Bright Size Life Pat Metheny Group New Chautauqua As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls Offramp ASIN: B000026FDG Release Date: 2000-02-29

Tracks:

1. Watercolors
2. Icefire
3. Oasis
4. Lakes
5. River Quay
6. Suite: Florida Greeting Song
7. Suite: Legend Of The Fountain
8. Sea Song

Amazon.com

Pat Metheny was virtually defining a new musical form on this 1977 date, blending folk, country, and pop elements with jazz and creating a gentler, more intimate idiom than fusion had been. His distinctively chorused electric guitar often floats over the smooth textures created by his own acoustic six-stringer, Lyle Mays's piano, and Danny Gottlieb's discreet drumming, while Eberhard Weber's electric and acoustic bass lines rise to ricochet with the guitar leads. The song titles abound with watery images, and they're perfectly in keeping with this flowing music, which tends to a pale, even pastel, palette and an ethereal lightness. "River Quay," particularly, suggests the sound of the Pat Metheny Group that would come later. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

Metheny in search of himself.......2006-12-11

I am a relatively new Pat Metheny fan but I have been working my way through jazz history for the last seven years or so, and Pat seems to be the next step. Anyone who says jazz died in the 60s clearly has no appreciation for the great work of Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, and artists like them through the seventies, but I will admit to thinking for a long time that nothing innovative came after them. I was wrong, as many Pat Metheny fans will attest to.

I bought this recently, after being really impressed and moved by Pat's first album, "Bright Size Life." This album follows in a similar vein; it's mellow, with midwest America and folk music influences, and many of the grooves eschew traditional swing but aren't hard enough to be funk and lack the polyrhythms to be Latin. The result is a kind of floating, straight-eighth note feel that lives on the cymbals, one I haven't heard on anything before Metheny's work. The title track, "Lakes," and "River Quay" all make use of this feel, and the result is a lot of rhythmic freedom and interaction for Pat, bassist Eberhard Weber, pianist Lyle Mays, and drummer Dan Gottlieb. The other tunes don't make as much use of this groove; "Icefire" is a haunting Metheny solo on 12 string guitar, and the suite is very minimalist in instrumentation as well. "Oasis" and "Sea Song" are atmospheric and don't have any strong rhythmic feel at all; one can see how they could be forerunners of new age music, albeit a lot more sophisticated in harmony.

With Pat Metheny, there is always the risk of hearing the music through the filters of the watered-down crap we call smooth jazz; Metheny's mellow sound clearly influenced a lot of inferior (.......). But on tunes like "Lakes," with its ultra-hip set of chord changes, or the title track's shifting time signatures, the only thing "smooth" about this music is how seamlessly it all fits together. That having been said, I have a couple of gripes about this record. Having heard the next album Metheny would record, the self-titled "Pat Metheny Group," this album seems a little too eclectic to hang together, even with the water theme to serve as a thread. It's as if Pat was trying to figure out which direction to go, and some are more successful than others. I love the title track, "Lakes," "River Quay," and to a lesser extent "Icefire" and the suite, but the more new age sounding tunes wander a little too much to hold my attention. Also, Lyle Mays at this point sounds like a Keith Jarrett (......) (forgivable, since Jarrett was top dog on the ECM label at this point and ever since) and his use of two grace notes at the beginning of almost every phrase gets annoying after a while. Still, his playing is really tasty and compliments Metheny's conception really really well. It's no wonder that the two would stay together for 30 years, continuing to make music.

All in all, this album has some great moments but is not perfect. I enjoy it a lot and would recommend it, along with "Bright Size Life," to jazz fans looking to get into Pat Metheny. It is also fairly accessible to non-jazz fans, since there is nothing overtly sonically offensive, even though some people might find a couple of these tunes a little strange upon closer listening. There is a lot of good and very little to complain about with this brilliant but inconsistent album. Highly recommended.

Less is More.......2006-11-24

In a decade renowned for it's utter excess, glitter and glitz, Metheny and Mays turn the corner and create here a bare bone masterpiece in jazz-fusion. The shear simplicity of their music stands in stark contrast to the music of that time. Metheny's guitar work seems to open the doorway to something refreshingly innocent. The guitar, piano and bass stand apart and yet play and bounce off each other, like light off the water. The sum is truly greater than it's parts.

"Lakes" and "Watercolors" are two of the best frolics in this primer of jazz fusion. With chords and riffs running down in rivelets, the listener is buoyed along for the ride downstream.

What can I say?..........2006-07-14

This is difficult for me. I have wanted to write this review for a long time but have been at a loss as how to best articulate my thoughts concerning my favorite recorded music work of all time. I am no closer now to knowing exactly what to say than I have ever been, so I'm just going to write.

There is something transcendent about this album that has had the effect of changing peoples' musical lives, so to speak. A quick glance through the reviews posted here will show this to be a remarkable, common theme and I am no exception. I honestly don't remember the exact year...I don't even remember how I stumbled across it - a used record store or garage sale, perhaps. I first heard Pat Metheny's "Watercolors" somewhere in the 80's when I was musically aware of nothing more than the hair metal of the day and I haven't been the same since. Dokken and Cinderella are long gone and Watercolors is still the gold standard by which I judge the listenability of all other works in what has become a permanent, life-long appreciation of jazz. What follows will be an overall comment on the album as a whole and then I would like to comment somewhat on each track.

There are a number of confluent elements at work that make this album so special. What is immediately evident is an overwhelming stylistic maturity and sophistication that is years - even decades ahead of its time, which may be why it has remained somewhat obscure and underappreciated. There was absolutely nothing like it at the time and very little that has approached it since. Indeed, Metheny hasn't produced anything like it since himself - his recordings immediately subsequent to Watercolors were far below its artistic quality and it wouldn't be until First Circle that he would approach that level again. It is a concept album - various musical interpretations of themes pertaining to water. But the concept is subordinate to and ultimately succeeds as a byproduct of the masterful craftsmanship of Metheny's composing along with the musicianship of the rest of the group, not the other way around. Each song instantly transports you to a refreshing, watery place - from a playful summertime lake to the infinite expanse of the ocean to the banks of a bustling riverwalk to the sparkling, mysterious depths of a frozen subterranean cavern. It is truly an amazing musical experience.

And what is even more amazing is the fact that Metheny was in his early twenties when he composed this material - some of it even earlier than that. It would be less of a shock had something so sophisticated and progressive come from a long-standing veteran, but here was essentially a college kid writing and playing music that the rest of the music world hasn't yet caught up to. Metheny singularly broached a musical style that others have subsequently only dabbled with in the form of "elevator music", but what he achieved with "Watercolors" goes far beyond the bounds of mere style and deep into the realm of art - art fused with jazz. Added to all of this is the piano virtuosity of Lyle Mays that is every bit the equal of Pat's skill on guitar, the unique sound and personality of Eberhard Weber's bass that is so well utilized, the fabulous production quality of Manfred Eicher and ECM records and the confluence is complete. My only regret about this album, and all other masterpieces recorded before the advent of CD's, is that it is heartbreakingly short, obviously due to the time limitations of vinyl in those days. What a treat it would be to have this album remastered (as Pat has done recently with several others) with any alternate takes that still exist being added to make a full length CD. Just a thought.

Track 1 "Watercolors", Track 4 "Lakes", Track 5 "River Quay": What I would most like to point out about these tracks is that they are as good an example as anything that exists on record of the lyrical quality to Metheny's composing and playing that has so distinguished his career. Too often in jazz a quirky rhythm is contrived into which is crammed a further contrived melody. But the powerful melodic identity of each piece is what sculpts the ebbing rhythm patterns that flow effortlessly and captivate your attention just as easily. The melodies beg for lyrics and are worthy of a thousand words. But in the end it is the lyrical artistry of Metheny's soloing that says more than could be said with ten thousand words. (In light of this it is quite understandable that several years later Metheny would begin to incorporate vocalists as wordless instruments into his compositions.) Perfectly complementing are the formidable yet graceful jazz chops of Weber, whose bass at times sounds as much like a human voice as anything else. Mays is no less spectacular. The clarion tones of his piano fill an enormous amount of space and wash over each piece, bathing them in the best piano sound I have ever heard recorded. And of these three songs "Lakes" is probably the most outstanding. It is absolutely uncanny how Metheny is able to musically communicate an idea in your minds eye beyond what almost any amount of words could say. The understated beauty of the opening phrase instantly transports you to the shores of a sunny vacation lake, abuzz with recreation and summertime fun. You can almost smell the bar-b-que and feel the warm sun. But this song is as technically formidable as it is aesthetically beautiful. The bridge section offers one of the more brilliantly conceived and executed chord progressions you will hear anywhere in jazz, on top of which Metheny and Mays each lay equally brilliant solos.

Track 2 "Icefire": Another distinguishing characteristic of Metheny's career has been his penchant for unusual instruments and instrumentation. I can think of no better album to exemplify this delightful excess of his, and it starts here with the perfectly named "Icefire". Upon hearing the first seconds of this song you are inclined to think that Metheny is playing multiple, overdubbed instruments. Actually it was recorded on one track with one take, almost completely improvised, on one instrument - an electric 12-string guitar strung with an ingenious alternate tuning. I won't bore you here with the technical details but for those interested Pat gives an adequate description of it on his website if you dig a little. The result is literally breathtaking. The mysterious, crystalline sound of the guitar paints a sparkling mental image of an icy cavern far beneath the earth, shimmering like fire, while Metheny's melodic genius creates the vast expanse necessary for you to explore its depths. There were (and are) other musicians who have tinkered with unorthodox methods but none I know of that have come close to the artistry that Metheny has achieved here. Incidentally, this same alternate 12-string tuning can be heard on works from other albums of his like "Sirabhorn" and "Fallen Star".

Track 3 "Oasis": Where "Icefire" introduces you to an unusual tuning, "Oasis" introduces you to an unusual instrument, and you are given no time to catch your breath. The harp-guitar is a standard hollow-body acoustic guitar with either steel or nylon strings (in this case nylon) to which several additional unfretted, "open" strings are strung across the body - sort of a mini-harp attached to a guitar. There is no agreed-upon standard harp-guitar form and the varieties that exist are endless. But whatever version Pat was using here, he has created something as unique as the instrument itself. The song is built upon a deeply emotional, eastern chord structure and - unlike "Icefire" - Pat plays the harp-guitar on multiple overdubbed tracks; holding each chord for contemplative, long intervals while plucking only a dissonant portion of each chord with different rhythm patterns on each track. All of this results in a spectacular chorus of what sounds like a thousand wind chimes, gently tolling in a warm desert wind. But Pat is not alone. Joining him is Weber, using a bow on his unique bass to produce a haunting vocal sound...the lone denizen of a far away oasis softly singing amidst an isolated cluster of palm trees in a sea of shifting sand. While the word "oasis" has become somewhat of a cliché, especially in the world of smooth jazz, this song truly is an oasis in the parched desert of so many other uninspired musical ideas.

Track 6 "Florida Greeting Song": The first part of a mini-suite, "Florida Greeting Song" is a duet between an unusual pairing of Metheny on electric guitar and Dan Gottlieb on drums. Heretofore I have not mentioned Gottlieb's contributions specifically, but his unobtrusive yet nimble percussion is a key element to the album's overall success. The song is a fast-paced, mostly free-form guitar solo stylized with Metheny's patented lyrical genius that evokes images of a colloquial ritual of hospitality from long ago, flavored with just a dash of Cajun zydeco. Metheny is in full control as the song makes several accelerations and decelerations and Gottlieb follows flawlessly, stride for stride.

Track 7 "Legend of the Fountain": The second part of the mini-suite, "Legend of the Fountain" sees the return of the harp guitar, only this time Metheny plays unaccompanied and without overdubs. The classical sound of the nylon strings in Metheny's artisan hands creates an aura of ancient beauty as he forges a melody that gives you a fleeting glimpse of a mystical, forgotten place. I've listened to this song many times and as short as it is in length - in an almost tragic way - it is no less powerful than anything else on this album.

Track 8 "Sea Song": There is not much that can be put into words to accurately describe this song. It must be heard. And when you do, keep in mind the fact that Metheny was a teenager when he wrote this. He says the inspiration came from seeing the ocean for the first time in his young life after having just arrived in south Florida from Missouri to attend the University of Miami. This song is as much art as it is music - an aural canvas on which is painted a tranquil seascape of majestic beauty. The production quality of this piece also represents ECM at the height of their powers, coaxing a sound from Weber's instrument that is almost whale-like. Metheny, Mays, and Gottlieb all sparkle as they freely navigate the song's structured chord progression with moments of still calm and swelling, wave-crashing crescendo. This is an intensely emotional and atmospheric piece of music that casual listeners might find overwhelming, but those of us who listen to music with intent will find it thoroughly rewarding and unforgettable. And so goes all of "Watercolors".

absolutely gorgeous!!!.......2006-03-31

"Watercolors" really does sound like watercolors! I could hear all of the contrasting timbres coming together with pictures that pat metheny paints in the listener's mind...I've only had this album since yesterday but I have 6 other pat metheny albums and from listening to those I can definitely say this one is definitely outstanding as well as most of his others. I must say his solo track "icefire" is my favorite, because it takes a break from his ensemble material and he uses his guitar effects to change timbres and to paint a beautiful picture of tone colors with a handful of chords and a flowing melody to go with it. Nicely Done!

One of my favorite albums in the first stage of Metheny!.......2005-11-14

I love this album. It owns that genius touch that can be appreciated from the first bars of the First song to the last one. Metheny sounds look so fresh, contagious, gifted of this engaging emotiveness and joy of living that will seduce you instantaneously. Watercolors and Lakes are the most delirious tracks of the CD, but in general the quality level of the album is so high that it will be a hard task for you to decide about your special favoritism around a special theme.

A fantastic album, permeated by a colossal musical inventive and delirious flair.

Average customer rating:

Watercolors: Swedish Songs Anne-Sofie von Otter , Hugo Alfven , Tor Aulin , Gunnar de Frumerie , Lars-Erik Larsson , Bo Linde , Gustaf Nordqvist , Gosta Nystroem , Ture Rangstrom , and Bengt Forsberg Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Larsson, Lars-Erik | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Otter, Anne Sophie von | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Anne Sofie von Otter - Wings in the Night (Swedish Songs) Anne Sofie von Otter - Grieg Songs Music for a While: Baroque Melodies Home for Christmas Anne Sofie von Otter - Schumann: Frauenliebe und -leben / Forsberg ASIN: B0000SWNI4 Release Date: 2004-02-10

Tracks:

1. Kiss Of The Wind
2. Grass Sings Under Wandering Feet
3. The Cloud, The Flower And The Lark
4. Peonies
5. Take My Heart
6. On The Reef
7. Amazing Day
8. The Song Of The Sea
9. Old Dance
10. A Moment In Time
11. The Anemones
12. If I Could Be Tears
13. On The Sea
14. When You Close My Eyes
15. You Make Everything Beautiful
16. Blessed It Is To Wait
17. From The Depths Of My Soul
18. You Are My Aphrodite
19. Like A Wave
20. The Meadow Where You Kissed Me
21. Apple-trees And Pear-trees
22. And The Knight Rode To The Holy Land
23. To A Rose
24. Winter In My Heart
25. What Do I Want?
26. The Judgment
27. A Summer Morning
28. Serenad
29. The Amazon
30. I Am Tired To Death
31. Is It You, Most Beloved Child
32. Take Me
33. May We Be Happy

Amazon.com

Anne Sofie Von Otter is a born singer of songs, and this collection of Swedish miniatures dating from about 1910 to the 1950s are easy to relate to both in their Romanticism and the direct, unaffected manner in which the fine mezzo puts each across. In Ture Rangström's "En gammal dansrytm" (Old Dance), she uncharacteristically slides into the song in a sultry fashion; it makes you sit up and listen. She rarely brings any darkness into her tone. In keeping with the CD's title, we get soft, Northern light in both her tone and pianist Bengt Forsberg's--and by so avoiding any false sense of drama, each song's subject, particularly the ones about nature are, well, natural. But when something else is called for, as in Bo Linde's "Är jag intill döden trött" ("I Am Tired to Death"), von Otter knows how to emphasize the text amost conversationally. This lovely collection of pastels occasionally threatens to evaporate, but close attention reveal true delights. The mezzo is in fine voice, with no "opera diva" behavior to get in the way of the songs' charms. A specialized collection, perhaps, but one which reaps fine rewards. --Robert Levine

Average customer rating: Judy's Best Stuff

Watercolors ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B0000505DH Release Date: 2000-03-01

Tracks:

1. Fantasy
2. Rio De Janeiro
3. Goodbye Porkpie Hat
4. Never Was Love
5. You Are There
6. Molly's Samba
7. Watercolors
8. Finding Good Rules To Live By
9. Dandelion
10. Poinciana
11. Theme From "Star Trek"

Album Description

Watercolors is a digital remix which combines songs from two previously released (1978 & 1985) Judy Roberts albums. Ahead of their time when originally released, they sound just as vibrant and alive today, and the sound quality has never been better!

Customer Reviews:

Judy's Best Stuff.......2001-04-26

This one is cool! It has a whole trippy seventies thing that is happening. Makes me wonder what kind of wild stuff must have been going on. It had to be wild! Tell us Judy, what kind of crazy times were happening back then? The newfound conservatism is a result of time, but we all miss the old Judy! This album is great, Judy is great too.

Average customer rating:

Dan Welcher: Haleakala: How Maui Snared the Sun; Clarinet Concerto Manufacturer: Naxos American ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Clarinet | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Rorem: Flute Concerto; Violin Concerto Margaret Brouwer: Aurolucent Circles; Mandala; Sizzle Alan Hovhaness: Symphony No. 60; Guitar Concerto; Khrimian Hairig Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Violin Concerto; Rituals Vaughan Williams: The Nine Symphonies ASIN: B000C847GI Release Date: 2006-01-17

Tracks:

1. Haleakala: How Maui Snared The Sun (Tone Poem)
2. Light Coming On The Plains
3. Canyon With Crows
4. Starlight Night
5. Very Fast-Slowly-Dancing
6. Blues And Toccata (On The Name 'Benny Goodman')

Average customer rating:

Ukrainian Music of the 20th Century Manufacturer: Sonora Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music ASIN: B000009LE1 Release Date: 2000-01-01

Tracks:

1. Gutzul Watercolors: Morning In The Mountains
2. Gutzul Watercolors: Musicians Walking In The Hills
3. Gutzul Watercolors: The Little Shepard
4. Gutzul Watercolors: Spring Rain
5. Gutzul Watercolors: The Rite Of Summer 'Haivka'
6. Gutzul Watercolors: The Shepards' Dance
7. Prld
8. Humoresque
9. Cossack's Song
10. Lullaby
11. The Mourning Prld in e flat
12. Prld in b, Op.44 No.2
13. Prld in e flat, Op.44 No.3
14. Prld in b flat, Op.38 No.1
15. Prld in e flat, Op.38 No.2
16. Five Pieces: I. Prld
17. Five Pieces: II. Toccatina
18. Five Pieces: III. Melodie
19. Five Pieces: IV. Chorale
20. Five Pieces: V. The Unfinished Sonatina

Average customer rating: Metheny in search of himself Less is More What can I say?... absolutely gorgeous!!! One of my favorite albums in the first stage of Metheny!

Watercolors Pat Metheny Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music ECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Bright Size Life Pat Metheny Group New Chautauqua As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls Offramp ASIN: B0000031PV Release Date: 1994-05-10

Tracks:

1. Watercolors
2. Icefire
3. Oasis
4. Lakes
5. River Quay
6. Suite: Florida Greeting Song
7. Suite: Legend Of The Fountain
8. Sea Song

Amazon.com

Pat Metheny was virtually defining a new musical form on this 1977 date, blending folk, country, and pop elements with jazz and creating a gentler, more intimate idiom than fusion had been. His distinctively chorused electric guitar often floats over the smooth textures created by his own acoustic six-stringer, Lyle Mays's piano, and Danny Gottlieb's discreet drumming, while Eberhard Weber's electric and acoustic bass lines rise to ricochet with the guitar leads. The song titles abound with watery images, and they're perfectly in keeping with this flowing music, which tends to a pale, even pastel, palette and an ethereal lightness. "River Quay," particularly, suggests the sound of the Pat Metheny Group that would come later. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

Metheny in search of himself.......2006-12-11

I am a relatively new Pat Metheny fan but I have been working my way through jazz history for the last seven years or so, and Pat seems to be the next step. Anyone who says jazz died in the 60s clearly has no appreciation for the great work of Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, and artists like them through the seventies, but I will admit to thinking for a long time that nothing innovative came after them. I was wrong, as many Pat Metheny fans will attest to.

I bought this recently, after being really impressed and moved by Pat's first album, "Bright Size Life." This album follows in a similar vein; it's mellow, with midwest America and folk music influences, and many of the grooves eschew traditional swing but aren't hard enough to be funk and lack the polyrhythms to be Latin. The result is a kind of floating, straight-eighth note feel that lives on the cymbals, one I haven't heard on anything before Metheny's work. The title track, "Lakes," and "River Quay" all make use of this feel, and the result is a lot of rhythmic freedom and interaction for Pat, bassist Eberhard Weber, pianist Lyle Mays, and drummer Dan Gottlieb. The other tunes don't make as much use of this groove; "Icefire" is a haunting Metheny solo on 12 string guitar, and the suite is very minimalist in instrumentation as well. "Oasis" and "Sea Song" are atmospheric and don't have any strong rhythmic feel at all; one can see how they could be forerunners of new age music, albeit a lot more sophisticated in harmony.

With Pat Metheny, there is always the risk of hearing the music through the filters of the watered-down crap we call smooth jazz; Metheny's mellow sound clearly influenced a lot of inferior (.......). But on tunes like "Lakes," with its ultra-hip set of chord changes, or the title track's shifting time signatures, the only thing "smooth" about this music is how seamlessly it all fits together. That having been said, I have a couple of gripes about this record. Having heard the next album Metheny would record, the self-titled "Pat Metheny Group," this album seems a little too eclectic to hang together, even with the water theme to serve as a thread. It's as if Pat was trying to figure out which direction to go, and some are more successful than others. I love the title track, "Lakes," "River Quay," and to a lesser extent "Icefire" and the suite, but the more new age sounding tunes wander a little too much to hold my attention. Also, Lyle Mays at this point sounds like a Keith Jarrett (......) (forgivable, since Jarrett was top dog on the ECM label at this point and ever since) and his use of two grace notes at the beginning of almost every phrase gets annoying after a while. Still, his playing is really tasty and compliments Metheny's conception really really well. It's no wonder that the two would stay together for 30 years, continuing to make music.

All in all, this album has some great moments but is not perfect. I enjoy it a lot and would recommend it, along with "Bright Size Life," to jazz fans looking to get into Pat Metheny. It is also fairly accessible to non-jazz fans, since there is nothing overtly sonically offensive, even though some people might find a couple of these tunes a little strange upon closer listening. There is a lot of good and very little to complain about with this brilliant but inconsistent album. Highly recommended.

Less is More.......2006-11-24

In a decade renowned for it's utter excess, glitter and glitz, Metheny and Mays turn the corner and create here a bare bone masterpiece in jazz-fusion. The shear simplicity of their music stands in stark contrast to the music of that time. Metheny's guitar work seems to open the doorway to something refreshingly innocent. The guitar, piano and bass stand apart and yet play and bounce off each other, like light off the water. The sum is truly greater than it's parts.

"Lakes" and "Watercolors" are two of the best frolics in this primer of jazz fusion. With chords and riffs running down in rivelets, the listener is buoyed along for the ride downstream.

What can I say?..........2006-07-14

This is difficult for me. I have wanted to write this review for a long time but have been at a loss as how to best articulate my thoughts concerning my favorite recorded music work of all time. I am no closer now to knowing exactly what to say than I have ever been, so I'm just going to write.

There is something transcendent about this album that has had the effect of changing peoples' musical lives, so to speak. A quick glance through the reviews posted here will show this to be a remarkable, common theme and I am no exception. I honestly don't remember the exact year...I don't even remember how I stumbled across it - a used record store or garage sale, perhaps. I first heard Pat Metheny's "Watercolors" somewhere in the 80's when I was musically aware of nothing more than the hair metal of the day and I haven't been the same since. Dokken and Cinderella are long gone and Watercolors is still the gold standard by which I judge the listenability of all other works in what has become a permanent, life-long appreciation of jazz. What follows will be an overall comment on the album as a whole and then I would like to comment somewhat on each track.

There are a number of confluent elements at work that make this album so special. What is immediately evident is an overwhelming stylistic maturity and sophistication that is years - even decades ahead of its time, which may be why it has remained somewhat obscure and underappreciated. There was absolutely nothing like it at the time and very little that has approached it since. Indeed, Metheny hasn't produced anything like it since himself - his recordings immediately subsequent to Watercolors were far below its artistic quality and it wouldn't be until First Circle that he would approach that level again. It is a concept album - various musical interpretations of themes pertaining to water. But the concept is subordinate to and ultimately succeeds as a byproduct of the masterful craftsmanship of Metheny's composing along with the musicianship of the rest of the group, not the other way around. Each song instantly transports you to a refreshing, watery place - from a playful summertime lake to the infinite expanse of the ocean to the banks of a bustling riverwalk to the sparkling, mysterious depths of a frozen subterranean cavern. It is truly an amazing musical experience.

And what is even more amazing is the fact that Metheny was in his early twenties when he composed this material - some of it even earlier than that. It would be less of a shock had something so sophisticated and progressive come from a long-standing veteran, but here was essentially a college kid writing and playing music that the rest of the music world hasn't yet caught up to. Metheny singularly broached a musical style that others have subsequently only dabbled with in the form of "elevator music", but what he achieved with "Watercolors" goes far beyond the bounds of mere style and deep into the realm of art - art fused with jazz. Added to all of this is the piano virtuosity of Lyle Mays that is every bit the equal of Pat's skill on guitar, the unique sound and personality of Eberhard Weber's bass that is so well utilized, the fabulous production quality of Manfred Eicher and ECM records and the confluence is complete. My only regret about this album, and all other masterpieces recorded before the advent of CD's, is that it is heartbreakingly short, obviously due to the time limitations of vinyl in those days. What a treat it would be to have this album remastered (as Pat has done recently with several others) with any alternate takes that still exist being added to make a full length CD. Just a thought.

Track 1 "Watercolors", Track 4 "Lakes", Track 5 "River Quay": What I would most like to point out about these tracks is that they are as good an example as anything that exists on record of the lyrical quality to Metheny's composing and playing that has so distinguished his career. Too often in jazz a quirky rhythm is contrived into which is crammed a further contrived melody. But the powerful melodic identity of each piece is what sculpts the ebbing rhythm patterns that flow effortlessly and captivate your attention just as easily. The melodies beg for lyrics and are worthy of a thousand words. But in the end it is the lyrical artistry of Metheny's soloing that says more than could be said with ten thousand words. (In light of this it is quite understandable that several years later Metheny would begin to incorporate vocalists as wordless instruments into his compositions.) Perfectly complementing are the formidable yet graceful jazz chops of Weber, whose bass at times sounds as much like a human voice as anything else. Mays is no less spectacular. The clarion tones of his piano fill an enormous amount of space and wash over each piece, bathing them in the best piano sound I have ever heard recorded. And of these three songs "Lakes" is probably the most outstanding. It is absolutely uncanny how Metheny is able to musically communicate an idea in your minds eye beyond what almost any amount of words could say. The understated beauty of the opening phrase instantly transports you to the shores of a sunny vacation lake, abuzz with recreation and summertime fun. You can almost smell the bar-b-que and feel the warm sun. But this song is as technically formidable as it is aesthetically beautiful. The bridge section offers one of the more brilliantly conceived and executed chord progressions you will hear anywhere in jazz, on top of which Metheny and Mays each lay equally brilliant solos.

Track 2 "Icefire": Another distinguishing characteristic of Metheny's career has been his penchant for unusual instruments and instrumentation. I can think of no better album to exemplify this delightful excess of his, and it starts here with the perfectly named "Icefire". Upon hearing the first seconds of this song you are inclined to think that Metheny is playing multiple, overdubbed instruments. Actually it was recorded on one track with one take, almost completely improvised, on one instrument - an electric 12-string guitar strung with an ingenious alternate tuning. I won't bore you here with the technical details but for those interested Pat gives an adequate description of it on his website if you dig a little. The result is literally breathtaking. The mysterious, crystalline sound of the guitar paints a sparkling mental image of an icy cavern far beneath the earth, shimmering like fire, while Metheny's melodic genius creates the vast expanse necessary for you to explore its depths. There were (and are) other musicians who have tinkered with unorthodox methods but none I know of that have come close to the artistry that Metheny has achieved here. Incidentally, this same alternate 12-string tuning can be heard on works from other albums of his like "Sirabhorn" and "Fallen Star".

Track 3 "Oasis": Where "Icefire" introduces you to an unusual tuning, "Oasis" introduces you to an unusual instrument, and you are given no time to catch your breath. The harp-guitar is a standard hollow-body acoustic guitar with either steel or nylon strings (in this case nylon) to which several additional unfretted, "open" strings are strung across the body - sort of a mini-harp attached to a guitar. There is no agreed-upon standard harp-guitar form and the varieties that exist are endless. But whatever version Pat was using here, he has created something as unique as the instrument itself. The song is built upon a deeply emotional, eastern chord structure and - unlike "Icefire" - Pat plays the harp-guitar on multiple overdubbed tracks; holding each chord for contemplative, long intervals while plucking only a dissonant portion of each chord with different rhythm patterns on each track. All of this results in a spectacular chorus of what sounds like a thousand wind chimes, gently tolling in a warm desert wind. But Pat is not alone. Joining him is Weber, using a bow on his unique bass to produce a haunting vocal sound...the lone denizen of a far away oasis softly singing amidst an isolated cluster of palm trees in a sea of shifting sand. While the word "oasis" has become somewhat of a cliché, especially in the world of smooth jazz, this song truly is an oasis in the parched desert of so many other uninspired musical ideas.

Track 6 "Florida Greeting Song": The first part of a mini-suite, "Florida Greeting Song" is a duet between an unusual pairing of Metheny on electric guitar and Dan Gottlieb on drums. Heretofore I have not mentioned Gottlieb's contributions specifically, but his unobtrusive yet nimble percussion is a key element to the album's overall success. The song is a fast-paced, mostly free-form guitar solo stylized with Metheny's patented lyrical genius that evokes images of a colloquial ritual of hospitality from long ago, flavored with just a dash of Cajun zydeco. Metheny is in full control as the song makes several accelerations and decelerations and Gottlieb follows flawlessly, stride for stride.

Track 7 "Legend of the Fountain": The second part of the mini-suite, "Legend of the Fountain" sees the return of the harp guitar, only this time Metheny plays unaccompanied and without overdubs. The classical sound of the nylon strings in Metheny's artisan hands creates an aura of ancient beauty as he forges a melody that gives you a fleeting glimpse of a mystical, forgotten place. I've listened to this song many times and as short as it is in length - in an almost tragic way - it is no less powerful than anything else on this album.

Track 8 "Sea Song": There is not much that can be put into words to accurately describe this song. It must be heard. And when you do, keep in mind the fact that Metheny was a teenager when he wrote this. He says the inspiration came from seeing the ocean for the first time in his young life after having just arrived in south Florida from Missouri to attend the University of Miami. This song is as much art as it is music - an aural canvas on which is painted a tranquil seascape of majestic beauty. The production quality of this piece also represents ECM at the height of their powers, coaxing a sound from Weber's instrument that is almost whale-like. Metheny, Mays, and Gottlieb all sparkle as they freely navigate the song's structured chord progression with moments of still calm and swelling, wave-crashing crescendo. This is an intensely emotional and atmospheric piece of music that casual listeners might find overwhelming, but those of us who listen to music with intent will find it thoroughly rewarding and unforgettable. And so goes all of "Watercolors".

absolutely gorgeous!!!.......2006-03-31

"Watercolors" really does sound like watercolors! I could hear all of the contrasting timbres coming together with pictures that pat metheny paints in the listener's mind...I've only had this album since yesterday but I have 6 other pat metheny albums and from listening to those I can definitely say this one is definitely outstanding as well as most of his others. I must say his solo track "icefire" is my favorite, because it takes a break from his ensemble material and he uses his guitar effects to change timbres and to paint a beautiful picture of tone colors with a handful of chords and a flowing melody to go with it. Nicely Done!

One of my favorite albums in the first stage of Metheny!.......2005-11-14

I love this album. It owns that genius touch that can be appreciated from the first bars of the First song to the last one. Metheny sounds look so fresh, contagious, gifted of this engaging emotiveness and joy of living that will seduce you instantaneously. Watercolors and Lakes are the most delirious tracks of the CD, but in general the quality level of the album is so high that it will be a hard task for you to decide about your special favoritism around a special theme.

A fantastic album, permeated by a colossal musical inventive and delirious flair.

Average customer rating: Beautiful music If you have a Kilauea cd this is a must!

Watercolors Daniel Ho Manufacturer: Aire Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Hawaii | Pacific Islands | International | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Jazz | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00000I83U Release Date: 1999-02-09

Tracks:

1. Side by Side
2. Watercolors
3. Ancient Travlers
4. Northern Passage
5. Allure of the Islands
6. Two Worlds of Paradise
7. Mysteries of the Sea
8. Sunset Celebration
9. Maui Dawn
10. Ocean Dance

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful music.......2004-07-31

For the jazz lovers this album cannot be missing in your collection. This album has a jazz combination with hawaian music. Daniel Ho is a very good musician and he has the same style of Kilauea. So if you can buy this album, just do it.

If you have a Kilauea cd this is a must!.......1999-04-19

Wyland's artwork is beautiful and Daniel really does justice to the artwork with his pieces. The CD has a very melodic smooth jazz sound. Is sounds like Daniel Ho has matured musically and compositionally from his days with Kilauea. This is his best album yet.

Average customer rating: A Gould Symphony and Three Other Composers' Works

Morton Gould: Symphony No. 2 [Hybrid SACD] Manufacturer: Albany Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Morton Gould | Gould, Morton | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: In Shadow, In Light: Music of Steven Stucky Robert Kurka Symphony No.2 .Albany Symphony Music for Wind Ensemble by Steven Stucky Camargo Guarnieri: Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 2 and 3 ASIN: B0001DMUB8 Release Date: 2004-02-24

Customer Reviews:

A Gould Symphony and Three Other Composers' Works.......2004-05-31

The draw here, I suppose, is the Second Symphony of Morton Gould (1913-1996) and it is part of a series of his works being recorded by the wonderful Albany Symphony under David Allan Miller. They've already given us an account of his more serious Third Symphony. The Second, subtitled 'On Marching Tunes,' was a war-time symphony commissioned by the YMCA (!) and premièred by Vladimir Golschmann and the New York Philharmonic in June 1944. Those of you familiar with Gould's 'American Salute' ( based on 'When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again') will feel right at home here. The four movements are 'Variations,' 'Bivouac,' 'Quickstep,' and 'Memorial.' In the latter, rather than taking a optimistically jingoistic approach to this symphony that was undoubtedly written at least partly out of patriotic impulses, Gould has the symphony end quietly and thoughtfully. The whole thing is given a wonderful workout by Miller and his Albany Symphony who, it must be said, have been doing a fantastic service by recording so much music, in fine performances and wonderful sound [the ambience of their Troy Savings Bank auditorium helps a lot with that], of American composers. In this respect, Albany Records should be celebrated from coast to coast for their efforts in this direction. They may have gotten on the map, so to speak, with their large series of recordings of British composer, George Lloyd, but they've more than eclipsed that now with all these American works.

Three generations of American composers are represented on this disc. And indeed, played straight through, this CD makes for a wonderful 77-minute concert. It opens with 'Son et lumière' by Stephen Stucky (b. 1949, and, I'm proud to say, a fellow Kansan long a composition professor at Cornell), a 10-minute 'impressionistic portrait of light in sound.' I can do no better than to quote the uncredited booklet writer who says, 'the piece is given over to flashes, flickerings and explosions of radiance.' Brilliantly orchestrated and superbly played here, it makes an effective curtain opener.

The baby of this group of composers is Gabriel Ian Gould (b. 1974 and, as far as I can determine, no relation to Morton Gould) whose 'Watercolors' is also impressionistic, but more in an updated Debussyan sense. It is in essence a four-movement English horn concerto played without pause and lasting 12 minutes. The movements are connected by English horn cadenzas that give the soloist, Albany Symphony principal Robert Sheena, a chance to display his virtuosity.

David Finckel is a cellist I have long known and admired; he is the cellist in the Emerson Quartet and has also made a number of solo discs, including a very fine traversal of the Beethoven cello sonatas with his wife, the sensitive pianist Wu Han. On this CD he plays the Cello Concerto (1993) by one of our finest composers, John Harbison (b. 1938). It was written for and premièred by Yo-Yo Ma and the Boston Symphony under Seiji Ozawa, and as far as I know this is its first recording. There are a number of effects derived from Asian music (a tribute to Ma and Ozawa?) that include Asian percussion effects, gamelan-like sounds, pentatonic melodies. The cello soloist is given ample opportunity to display his virtuosity through a number of cadenzas as well as in lyrical moments and high-energy tutti passages. This 24-minute work describes an arc that, in Harbison's own words, 'rises from the East, eventually to descend, refracted, in the West.' The final movement bursts on the scene with a quintessentially American-sounding energy but manages to combine some of the earlier Asian sounds with brass-and-percussion rhythmic brashness.

Recommended.

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

Hurum: Piano Works Manufacturer: Norway Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B00004TYAS Release Date: 2000-06-28

Average customer rating: Beautiful Music Real Watercolours

Watercolors Lonnie Liston Smith Manufacturer: Novus ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop & Post-Bop | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Similar Items: Explorations: The Columbia Recordings Renaissance Dreams of Tomorrow/Silhouettes Reflections of a Golden Dream Live! ASIN: B0000004XT Release Date: 1991-10-08

Tracks:

1. Watercolors
2. Sunset
3. Starlight And You
4. My Love
5. Expansions
6. A Song Of Love
7. Renaissance
8. Devika
9. Summer Nights
10. Aspirations
11. Colors Of The Rainbow

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Music.......2005-10-04

With his brother Donald on backing vocals, Smith creates timeless soul. The man is a genius. Not every single track is amazing but the ones that are allow you to overlook the one or two that aren't on par with the rest. I'd go as far to say that the cd is worth Watercolors, Starlight and You, and Summernights alone and the rest are just bonus tracks.

Congratulations you just found a true jewel..

Real.......2000-10-12

Watercolors is one of Smith's greatest works. When he's singing about birds, the musical accompaniment paints birds in your mind AND in your ears. When Lonny sings Starlight and You, you can't help but fall in love all over again! Watercolors is an absolute must for any "serious" music collector. It is so masterfully done, it should be enjoyed with your best companion in an intimate setting and perhaps a fine bottle of wine. Smith excels with each selection on this album. You'll definitely find your repeat button for this musical masterpiece. Buy it and get ready for one of the most profound musical experience of your life.

Watercolours.......1999-11-23

Any Lonnie Liston fan must have this in their collection. Way ahead of its time. Go ahead, do yourself a favour, buy it and go to dreamland.

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