First Circle (album)
Encyclopedia
First Circle is a Grammy Award
winning album by Pat Metheny Group
released in 1984. On the album Pat Metheny
is joined by Lyle Mays
on piano and keyboards, Steve Rodby
on bass, drummer Paul Wertico
and vocalist and percussionist Pedro Aznar
. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance
in 1985.
Pat Metheny has remarked that this is an important album in the Group's history for a number of reasons. It was the first Group album that he produced, the Group's core lineup on the album remained unchanged for over 15 years, and it was the final Group album released on the ECM record label. While Metheny hasn't expressed any negativity toward ECM, he has stated that their recording policy was very stringent:
Nevertheless, Metheny has stated that "First Circle" vastly expanded the scope of the Group's music, allowing them to further emphasize musical experimentation within the studio. He sees this, "Still Life (Talking)", and "Letter from Home", arguably the Group's most popular albums, as connected by their distinctive musical explorations and accessibly melodic personalities.
Of note on the album proper is the peculiar opener "Forward March". Sounding like a children's concert band
's first practice together, the piece, which features keyboardist Lyle Mays on trumpet, uses many dissonant, out-of-tune chords and notes, along with shifting time signatures.
s
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winning album by Pat Metheny Group
Pat Metheny Group
The Pat Metheny Group is a jazz group founded in 1977. The core members of the group are guitarist and bandleader Pat Metheny, composer, keyboardist and pianist Lyle Mays , and bassist and producer Steve Rodby...
released in 1984. On the album Pat Metheny
Pat Metheny
Patrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects...
is joined by Lyle Mays
Lyle Mays
Lyle Mays is an American jazz pianist and composer from Wausaukee, Wisconsin. He is best known for his work with guitarist Pat Metheny as a member of the Pat Metheny Group...
on piano and keyboards, Steve Rodby
Steve Rodby
Steve Rodby is an American bassist.He joined the Pat Metheny Group in 1981. Prior to joining Metheny, he was a member of the Simon-Bard Group and the Fred Simon ensemble. Rodby continues to collaborate with Simon .Rodby studied bass at Northwestern University, a student of Warren Benfield of the...
on bass, drummer Paul Wertico
Paul Wertico
Paul Wertico is an American drummer. He gained recognition as a member of the Pat Metheny Group from 1983 until 2001, leaving the group to spend more time with his family and to pursue other musical interests. Metheny heard the Simon Bard Group with Wertico and bassist Steve Rodby, and invited...
and vocalist and percussionist Pedro Aznar
Pedro Aznar
Pedro Aznar is an Argentine musician, with a lifetime of experience in jazz, Argentinian folk music, and rock and has had a successful career as a solo artist. He is very well known for giving rock songs a jazz-oriented style, by playing the fretless bass, with a big influence from Jaco Pastorius...
. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance
Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality jazz fusion performances...
in 1985.
Pat Metheny has remarked that this is an important album in the Group's history for a number of reasons. It was the first Group album that he produced, the Group's core lineup on the album remained unchanged for over 15 years, and it was the final Group album released on the ECM record label. While Metheny hasn't expressed any negativity toward ECM, he has stated that their recording policy was very stringent:
"You recorded for two days, you mixed for a day, that was your record. For better or for worse, whether you liked it or not, that was your record."
Nevertheless, Metheny has stated that "First Circle" vastly expanded the scope of the Group's music, allowing them to further emphasize musical experimentation within the studio. He sees this, "Still Life (Talking)", and "Letter from Home", arguably the Group's most popular albums, as connected by their distinctive musical explorations and accessibly melodic personalities.
Of note on the album proper is the peculiar opener "Forward March". Sounding like a children's concert band
Concert band
A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
's first practice together, the piece, which features keyboardist Lyle Mays on trumpet, uses many dissonant, out-of-tune chords and notes, along with shifting time signatures.
Track listing
Personnel
- Pat MethenyPat MethenyPatrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects...
- Guitar, Synclavier Guitar, Sitar, Slide Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Acoustic 12-String Guitar - Lyle MaysLyle MaysLyle Mays is an American jazz pianist and composer from Wausaukee, Wisconsin. He is best known for his work with guitarist Pat Metheny as a member of the Pat Metheny Group...
- Piano, Synthesizers, Oberheim, Agogo Bells, Organ, Trumpet - Steve RodbySteve RodbySteve Rodby is an American bassist.He joined the Pat Metheny Group in 1981. Prior to joining Metheny, he was a member of the Simon-Bard Group and the Fred Simon ensemble. Rodby continues to collaborate with Simon .Rodby studied bass at Northwestern University, a student of Warren Benfield of the...
- Bass Guitar, Acoustic Bass, Bass Drum - Pedro AznarPedro AznarPedro Aznar is an Argentine musician, with a lifetime of experience in jazz, Argentinian folk music, and rock and has had a successful career as a solo artist. He is very well known for giving rock songs a jazz-oriented style, by playing the fretless bass, with a big influence from Jaco Pastorius...
- Glockenspiel, Voice, Bells, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, Whistle, Guitar Acoustic 12-String Guitar - Paul WerticoPaul WerticoPaul Wertico is an American drummer. He gained recognition as a member of the Pat Metheny Group from 1983 until 2001, leaving the group to spend more time with his family and to pursue other musical interests. Metheny heard the Simon Bard Group with Wertico and bassist Steve Rodby, and invited...
- Drums, Field Drum, Cymbal
Charts
Album - Billboard| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Billboard Top 100 | 102 |
| 1984 | Top Jazz Albums | 2 |
Awards
Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s
| Year | Winner | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Pat Metheny Group | Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance The Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality jazz fusion performances... |