Product details
- Label ECM Records
- Artist Pat Metheny Group
- Format 1LP
- Country United States
- Released Date 1979
- Genre Jazz
- Sealed No
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American Garage by Pat Metheny Group.
Few records capture the optimism of late 1970s American jazz quite like this one. Recorded in June 1979 at Longview Farm in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, "American Garage" finds the Pat Metheny Group at a moment of remarkable creative momentum, translating open highways and wide skies into a sound that feels both intimate and expansive. Released on ECM Records in 1979, it remains one of the definitive statements of a band that redefined what a jazz group could be.
Side A opens with "(Cross The) Heartland," a soaring, immediately recognizable piece that sets the tone for everything to follow, before giving way to the shimmering "Airstream" and the searching, contemplative "The Search." Flip to side B and you get the title track, "American Garage," all youthful energy and forward drive, closing out with the sweeping ambition of "The Epic." Every composition here is credited to Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays, a partnership whose chemistry defines the album from first note to last.
At the heart of the record is Metheny himself, playing both 6-string and 12-string guitar with the lyrical clarity that became his signature. Alongside him, Lyle Mays contributes an extraordinary palette of textures on piano, Oberheim synthesizer, autoharp, and organ, coloring these pieces with a warmth and dimension that reward repeated listening. The rhythm section of Mark Egan on bass and Danny Gottlieb on drums locks everything into a supple, propulsive groove that never loses its sense of space.
The production carries the fingerprints of some of the finest hands in the business. Pat Metheny produced the sessions, with Manfred Eicher serving as executive producer, a partnership that reflects the deep bond between the guitarist and the ECM label. Kent Nebergall engineered the recording, assisted by Jesse Henderson, and the lacquer was cut by the legendary Bob Ludwig, ensuring the music was pressed with the fidelity it deserves.
The album's visual presentation matches its musical ambition. The cover photograph comes from acclaimed photographer Joel Meyerowitz, with additional photography by Rob Van Petten and design by Basil Pao. Together they wrapped the music in imagery as evocative as the sound itself, a fitting package for a record that so vividly conjures a sense of place. A special thanks to Richard Niles rounds out the credits.
Made in the U.S.A. and carrying the 1979 ECM copyright, "American Garage" is an essential addition to any collection focused on the golden era of contemporary jazz. For anyone drawn to the interplay of Metheny and Mays, or simply to music that opens up like a road ahead, this is a record to return to again and again.
Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. (Cross The) Heartland
A2. Airstream
A3. The Search
B1. American Garage
B2. The Epic
Credits:
Mark Egan - Bass
Lyle Mays - Composed By [All Compositions By]
Pat Metheny - Composed By [All Compositions By]
Basil Pao - Design
Danny Gottlieb - Drums
Kent Nebergall - Engineer
Jesse Henderson (2) - Engineer [Assistant Engineer]
Manfred Eicher - Executive-Producer
Pat Metheny - Guitar [6-string Guitar], Twelve-String Guitar [12-string Guitar]
Bob Ludwig - Lacquer Cut By
Joel Meyerowitz - Photography By [Cover Photo]
Rob Van Petten - Photography By [Photo]
Lyle Mays - Piano, Synthesizer [Oberheim], Autoharp, Organ
Pat Metheny - Producer [Produced By]
Notes:
Recorded June 1979 at Longview Farm, No. Brookfield, Mass.
Special Thanks To Richard Niles
Tracks A1, A2, B1, B2: Published by Pat-Meth Music / Lyle Mays Music - BMI
Track A3: Published by Pat-Meth Music - BMI
©℗ 1979 ECM Records GmbH
Made in U.S.A.
Artist: Pat Metheny Group
Format: 1LP
Genre: Jazz
Label: ECM Records
Catalog Number: ECM-1-1155
Release Year: 1979
Country: United States
Condition: Used
Media Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)
Sleeve Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)
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