Jazz Legends: Pat Metheny
Guitarist Pat Metheny grew up in a little town called Lee's Summit - and funnily enough, there was a jazz connection nearby. Just up the road was Kansas City - a town with a fabled jazz history - and Pat and his family would often travel there to see shows. But what really got the youngster's attention was The Beatles.
Like a lot of kids in the 1960s, Pat went out and bought an electric guitar - but a few years later he stumbled upon two records that would change his life: Miles Davis's 'Four And More,' and Wes Montgomery's 'Smokin' at the Half Note.' Soon, he was the kid in Lee's Summit transcribing John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, and he's never looked back.
In the '70s, Metheny emerged as the leader of a new generation of jazz greats - musicians who embraced the bebop tradition, but were also looking to take improvised music into the future - and Metheny did just that, becoming one of the most celebrated improvising musicians of the last 50 years.
Pat himself joined us on this episode, so give it a listen as we chart this master musician's career from the early days with players like Gary Burton to his ECM years and beyond.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
Brad Pitt mourning death of his mother
Brad Pitt is mourning the loss of his mother, Jane Etta Pitt. She was 84. The actor's niece, Sydney Pitt, confirmed the news via Instagram today, sharing touching photos of the family matriarch. 'My sweet Grammy, Jane Etta, we were not ready for you to go yet but knowing you are finally free to sing, dance, and paint again makes it a tad easier,' she captioned the tribute. 'If you knew Grammy, you knew she had the biggest heart. She cared deeply for everyone and everything, no questions asked.' The Watering Souls founder continued, 'She taught me how to paint, how to be strong, how to lead with kindness, to love Jesus through everything, and to find joy in the smallest things. She made up the silliest games just to make us laugh, and she believed in fairness, in putting others first, and doing good simply because it was the right thing to do.' Sydney further reminisced about how every year before school, she would give the grandkids 'a special day' doing whatever they wanted to do. 'Mine usually started with banana splits for breakfast, hours of playing Trouble, a craft project obvi, riding every ride together at Silver Dollar City like the badass she was, dinner at Olive Garden with Papa, mini golf where she'd make a V with her feet to help me aim … (and somehow still beat me) and ending the night watching Paulie until we feel asleep,' she revealed. 'She could keep up with all 14 of us grandkids without missing a beat. There was no limit to the love she gave, and everyone who met her felt it.' Sydney then admitted that she doesn't know how to 'move forward without her,' adding, 'But I know she's still here in every brushstroke, every kind gesture, every hummingbird. She was love in its purest form.' 'We were truly blessed to have her to love on growing up and I know she lives on through each of us,' she concluded the tribute. Sources close to the family also confirmed the news with TMZ, telling the outlet that Jane passed away sometime this week. However, it's unclear when exactly. Pitt's reps declined to comment when Page Six reached out. Despite Pitt's fame, his mother maintained a fairly private life. However, she accompanied the actor to several red carpets through the years, including for the 2012 Academy Awards. Jane is survived by her husband, William Alvin Pitt, and her three kids, including the Fight Club actor, 61, as well as son Doug and daughter Julie.
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Jazz Legends: Keith Jarrett
Pianist Keith Jarrett is one of the most captivating and controversial musicians of the last 50 years. He's a rare breed - a musician who has mastered the art of jazz improvisation and a fine classical player too. It's been 50 years since the Köln Concert, which became the best-selling piano and solo jazz album of all time. But as we find out, that concert nearly didn't happen! You'll hear all the back stories to this iconic artist in our tribute to Keith Jarrett. This episode was presented by bass player and ABC Jazz host, Eric Ajaye, and written and produced by ABC Jazz producer Henry Rasmussen. It was created by ABC Jazz, originally being broadcast on 2 June 2025. Find out more information on Keith Jarrett here. ABC Jazz features a Jazz Legend each month on the radio, with historic moments, significant albums and a full-length feature to immerse into the important history of this music and culture. Hear more Jazz Legends episodes here, including significant artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones, Joni Mitchell, Keith Jarrett, Mary Lou Williams and Herbie Hancock.
ABC News
5 days ago
- ABC News
Legacies and laughs: Tom Lehrer and Dame Cleo Laine
Two legendary singers and favourite guests of The Music Show passed away this week at 97 years old: Tom Lehrer and Dame Cleo Laine. Dame Cleo Laine was one of England's most acclaimed jazz singers, with a distinctive smoky contralto voice and four octave vocal range. She was also an actor, initially confined to Caribbean characters and expanding to major roles in A Midsummer Night's Dream , Into the Woods , and even as the voice of God in Noye's Fludde . In this candid 2004 interview, Andrew Ford sat down with Cleo in Rochester Castle to speak about Damehood, her love of Shakespeare and jazz, and passing on music education to the next generations. Armed with a piano and microphone, Tom Lehrer took on many social and political issues of the Cold War era. His pastiche satirical songs remain startlingly relevant today. In 2000, decades after he retired from touring and became an academic, he spoke to Andrew Ford on The Music Show. He reminisced fondly about his 1960 tour of Australia which saw him threatened with jail time in South Australia if he was to perform five of his songs. Music in this program: Title: Ridin' High Artist: Cleo Laine Composer: Cole Porter Album: The Collection Label: Spectrum Music Title: Take All My Loves (Sonnet 40) Artist: Cleo Laine Composer: William Thomas Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, words by William Shakespeare Album: Shakespeare and All That Jazz Label: Fontana Title: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever Artist: Cleo Laine Composer: Burton Lane, Alan Jay Lerner Album: The Collection Label: Spectrum Music Titles: Be Prepared, I Wanna Go Back to Dixie, Werner Von Braun, The Vatican Rag, Poisoning Pigeons in the Park Artist: Tom Lehrer Composer: Tom Lehrer Album: The Remains of Tom Lehrer Label: Rhino Records Title: Abandoned Cricket Games Artist: Jerrah Patston Composer: Jerrah Patston, Samuel Worrad Album: Abandoned Cricket Games (released 09 August 2025) Label: Flippin Yeah Records, ABC Music The Music Show was made on Gadigal, Bindal and Wulgurukaba Land.
