Jazz breaking news: Pat Metheny Unity Group back with new album plus Manchester and London gigs
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Guitar legend Pat Metheny is set to return with his much-praised Unity Group project with a new studio album, entitled <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Arial; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.
MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->Kin (←→), on 3 February 2014 followed by two summer live dates at The Lowry, Manchester (10 June) and Hammersmith Apollo, London (11 June). The band features a stellar line-up of contemporary heavy hitters, namely preeminent sax whirlwind Chris Potter – who matches Metheny blow for blow in the solo stakes – fuelled by the powerful rhythm section of rising star bassist Ben Williams and revered drummer Antonio Sanchez.
This latest incarnation of the Group also features emerging Italian multi-instrumentalist Giulio Carmassi who Metheny has brought into the fold and will be adding both piano and keyboards, along with woodwinds, bass, percussion and vocals into the group’s sound mix. “He told me he was inspired by seeing one of my bands perform in Italy when he was young, ” Metheny said, “and [he] often thought about having the multi-instrumentalist seat on one of my projects.”
Having taken the Barbican by storm with an electrifying performance in the summer of 2012, the group sees Metheny return to the freer territory of his long-running trio with an emphasis on group improvisation and edge-of-the-seat soloing. The London and Manchester concerts next June is part of the group’s worldwide tour in support of their forthcoming album – watch Jazzwise for exclusive news of the album and more.
– Mike Flynn
For more info and tickets go to www.thelowry.com and www.hammersmithapollo.com