Pat Metheny

Unity Band Nonesuch/Warner Bros****

Genius though he may be, there has always been a nagging contradiction at the heart of guitarist Pat Metheny’s music: on the one hand, he is the iconic axe-man of the smooth-talking Pat Metheny Group; on the other, the daring improviser who has collaborated with some of the most avant-garde musicians of his time. Now as he nears 60, his latest project sounds like an attempt to unify these two aspects of his personality.

For the first time in 30 years he has included a saxophonist (pretty much anyone will take his call, so he called Chris Potter) and with him Metheny has made a real acoustic jazz record. Yet, with their broad sweep and soaring melodies, the tunes could have been written for the electric group. The result will largely satisfy both camps. Or it may frustrate them both equally – jazz listeners may wish to hear him take a few more risks, while PMG fans could probably do with quite a few less. patmetheny.com