Pat Metheny: 'Side-Eye III+,' (2026)
The fusion guitarist serves up a masterpiece on par with 'Letter From Home' (1989)
If guitarist-composer Pat Metheny recorded just one album—Letter From Home (1989)—he’d be a jazz hero. The record is an emotional fusion masterpiece that soars, catches your spirit and unfolds and expands colorfully. [Publicity photo above of Pat Metheny; photographer unknown]
Now, Pat has just released Side-Eye III+ (Uniquity Music), and it’s in the same epic league as Letter From Home. The album hangs on gorgeous original compositions by Pat, building on instrumental themes with cinematic suspense, rich textures and moderate layering. Pat’s melodies and guitar treatments are beautiful and adorned lavishly with a range of instrumentals.
This is Pat’s first major studio recording in six years and the first on his own label, Uniquity Music. Side-Eye is the name of the band that Pat founded in New York in 2019. Its purpose was to serve as a platform for collaboration with exceptional younger musicians.
At the heart of his new album is the touring trio of Pat on guitar, Chris Fishman on keyboards and Joe Dyson on drums. Their deep musical connection over time provided the record’s foundation before it was expanded in the studio with 15 additional players. These musicians include bassist Daryl Johns, harpist Brandee Younger, percussionist Luis Conte and a vocal ensemble led by Mark Kibble of Take 6.
Born in 1954 in Missouri, Pat grew up in a musical family and took up the trumpet at age 8 before switching to guitar at 12 after the arrival of the Beatles in 1964. He bought a Gibson ES-140 3/4.
Two other influences were Wes Montgomery’s Smokin’ at the Half Note (1965) and Miles Davis’s live Four & More (1966). A summer at jazz camp with guitarist Attila Zoller led to a meeting with guitarist Jim Hall and bassist Ron Carter.
Everyone was very impressed with his ability and technique. Offered a scholarship to the University of Miami, he was given a job teaching the electric jazz-rock guitar, which was new at the time. While the electric guitar had been around since the 1920s, using it as a fusion participant was new to most young musicians.
At 19, Pat moved to Boston in January 1974 to attend the Berklee College of Music just as the city was becoming a fusion hotbed. He was soon offered a teaching job there by vibraphonist Gary Burton. In June, he recorded his first album as a sideman with Paul Bley (el-p), Jaco Pastorius (el-b) and Bruce Ditmas (d). By July, he had joined Gary’s quintet and recorded Ring.
Pat’s first album as a leader was Bright Size Life, recorded for ECM in December 1975, with Pat (6 string-g,12-string-el-g), Jaco Pastorius (b) and Bob Moses (d). He spent 1976 touring and recording with Gary before recording regularly as a leader, starting with Watercolors. Pat recorded extensively with bassist Charlie Haden and drummers Billy Higgins and Jack DeJohnette. He has won 20 Grammy Awards.
If you’re unfamiliar with Pat, start with his latest and work backward through his discography. Pat’s new album is an exceptional big-canvas work with many moods and instrumental configurations coming and going. The musicianship is exceptional at all levels, but what’s truly special is how Pat brings them all together and unites them on individual tracks and more broadly as an album.
To buy, go here.
Here’s the album…
Bonus: Here’s Have You Heard from Letter From Home…