This joint solo effort by
Metheny and regular pianist and collaborator
Lyle Mays is an impressive outing. In the process of stretching out away from the confines of the quartet setting of prior albums,
Metheny and
Mays presage the sleeker and more ethereal sound of the band's
Geffen years on portions of the title track. And while this side-long number has some dreamy moments, it also bogs down in a trite climax or two; one gets the sense of a
jazz fusion and
prog rock marriage
Metheny luckily never fully explored. Minor flaws, really, since the piece holds together in spite of the worrisome lapses of taste. The balance of the album is just fine, with the highlight being the
Bill Evans remembrance,
"September Fifteenth" (the date of
Evan's passing, which occurred while the album was being recorded).
Metheny and
Mays appropriately opt for a serene and slightly elegiac piano and acoustic guitar duet. The set is balanced out by the fleet Americana of
"Ozark" and the streamlined swinger
"It's for You." Topped off by integral and tasteful percussion by future band regular
Nana Vasconcelos, this 1981
Metheny date is certainly a worthwhile disc for fans to seek out, while not being essential. ~ Stephen Cook
