Product details
- Label ECM Records
- Artist Pat Metheny Group
- Format 1LP
- Country United States
- Released Date 1978
- Genre Jazz
- Sealed No
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Pat Metheny Group by Pat Metheny Group.
Released in 1978 on ECM Records, this self-titled album from the Pat Metheny Group announced the arrival of one of the most distinctive voices in modern jazz. Recorded in January of that year at Talent Studio in Oslo, it captures a young guitarist and his collaborators at a moment of remarkable clarity, blending lyrical melody with an open, spacious sensibility that would come to define an entire aesthetic.
The music unfolds across six compositions that reveal the quartet's chemistry. "San Lorenzo" and "Phase Dance" open the record with the shimmering, wide-open sound that became the group's signature, both credited to Metheny and pianist Lyle Mays. The flip side moves through the tribute "Jaco," the evocative "Aprilwind," the gentle "April Joy," and the closing "Lone Jack," giving the album a sweeping emotional arc from expansive statement to intimate reflection.
The personnel here is essential to the sound. Pat Metheny handles both six-string and twelve-string guitar, weaving warm, singing lines throughout. Lyle Mays contributes piano, Oberheim synthesizer, and autoharp, adding texture and color that expand the group's palette far beyond a conventional jazz quartet. Mark Egan anchors the music on bass, while Danny Gottlieb's drumming provides the fluid, responsive pulse that lets these compositions breathe.
Behind the boards, this is unmistakably an ECM production. Manfred Eicher produced the sessions, and Jan Erik Kongshaug engineered at Talent Studio, a pairing responsible for the label's celebrated sense of depth and air. The visual presentation reflects the same care, with cover design by Barbara Wojirsch and photography by Roberto Masotti, resulting in a package as considered as the music it houses.
Collectors will appreciate the specifics of this pressing. It is identified by the stamped Wakefield tulip logo and the "32948" number found in the runout, with the lacquers cut by John Bittner. The runouts are etched throughout, the sole exception being the stamped Wakefield tulip logo. Some copies of this release arrived without the 'Import' sticker on the front cover, a small detail worth noting for those tracking pressing variations.
There is one further curiosity that rewards close inspection. While the vinyl appears solid black under ambient light, some copies reveal a translucent green when held up to very strong direct light, a subtle surprise hiding in plain sight. For anyone drawn to the early chapters of the Pat Metheny Group story, this ECM pressing offers both the music and the physical artifact in one, a foundational record from a label and an artist at the height of their creative partnership.
Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. San Lorenzo
A2. Phase Dance
B1. Jaco
B2. Aprilwind
B3. April Joy
B4. Lone Jack
Credits:
Mark Egan - Bass
Barbara Wojirsch - Design [Cover], Cover [Design]
Danny Gottlieb - Drums
Jan Erik Kongshaug - Engineer
Pat Metheny - Guitar [6-String], Twelve-String Guitar
John Bittner - Lacquer Cut By
Roberto Masotti - Photography By
Lyle Mays - Piano, Synthesizer [Oberheim], Autoharp
Manfred Eicher - Producer
Lyle Mays - Written-By (A1, A2, B4)
Pat Metheny - Written-By (A1, A2, B1 to B4)
Notes:
This is a [l367883] pressing indicated by the stamped tulip logo (ᵛᵛ) and "32948" number in runout. Lacquer on this release were cut by [a1989081].
Recorded January 1978 at Talent Studio, Oslo
©℗ 1978 ECM Records GmbH
Some copies did not come with the 'Import' sticker on front cover.
Vinyl: Although the vinyl on this release appears solid black to look at in ambient light, some copies may be translucent green under very strong direct light.
Runouts are etched, except for Wakefield Tulip logo "(ᵛᵛ)".
Artist: Pat Metheny Group
Format: 1LP
Genre: Jazz
Label: ECM Records
Catalog Number: ECM-1-1114
Release Year: 1978
Country: United States
Condition: Used
Media Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)
Sleeve Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)
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