Picking up where Still Life (Talking) leaves off (instead of throwing listeners a curve ball like Song X), the equally triumphant Letter from Home stresses Brazilian elements with superb results.
While a number of these treasures -- including "Beat 70," "Have You Heard," and "Every Summer Night" -- are light and accessible enough to have enjoyed exposure on some smooth jazz stations, Letter contains the type of depth and honesty that's sorely lacking in most smooth jazz.
Metheny has always known the difference between light and lightweight, and even at his most delicate, he avoids entering "Muzak" territory.
True to form, the improviser doesn't shy away from making extensive use of technology, but is insightful enough to do so in a very warm and soulful fashion.
Like Still Life, Letter from Home is a fine example of a CD that is both a commercial and an artistic success.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Have You HeardPat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 06:25 | 14 MB | 0 MB |
| 2 | Every Summer NightPat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 07:13 | 16 MB | 0 MB |
| 3 | Better Days AheadPat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 03:02 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 4 | Spring Ain't HerePat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 06:54 | 15 MB | 0 MB |
| 5 | 45/8Lyle Mays, Pat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 00:55 | 2 MB | 0 MB |
| 6 | 5-5-7Lyle Mays, Pat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 07:54 | 18 MB | 0 MB |
| 7 | Beat 70Lyle Mays, Pat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 04:52 | 11 MB | 0 MB |
| 8 | Dream of the ReturnPedro Aznar, Pat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 05:25 | 12 MB | 0 MB |
| 9 | Are We There YetLyle Mays, Pat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 07:55 | 18 MB | 0 MB |
| 10 | VidalaPedro Aznar | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 03:03 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 11 | Slip AwayPat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 05:23 | 12 MB | 0 MB |
| 12 | Letter from HomePat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 02:33 | 5 MB | 0 MB |
| 61 mins | 141 MB | |||||
| 0 mins | 0 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pedro Aznar | Charango, Composer, Guitar (Acoustic), Marimba, Melodica, Member of Attributed Artist, Pan Pipes, Percussion, Sax (Tenor), Vocals |
| 2 | Bruce Calder | Audio Engineer |
| 3 | Rob Eaton | Engineer |
| 4 | Armando Marçal | Member of Attributed Artist, Percussion |
| 5 | Lyle Mays | Accordion, Composer, Keyboards, Member of Attributed Artist, Organ, Piano, Synclavier, Trumpet |
| 6 | Pat Metheny | Composer, Guitar (12 String), Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Synthesizer), Guitars, Member of Attributed Artist, Primary Artist, Producer, Soprano (Vocal), Tiple |
| 7 | Pat Metheny Group | Primary Artist |
| 8 | Steve Rodby | Bass (Acoustic), Bass (Electric), Member of Attributed Artist |
| 9 | Paul Wertico | Drums, Member of Attributed Artist, Percussion |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |