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Pat Metheny: Orchestrion

Nonesuch

Orchestrion, the latest in a long line of classically derived projects from guitarist Pat Metheny, is amazing in its complexity, execution and virtuosity. The album is named after a large, mechanical, multi-instrument with roots in the late 19th century that played itself. The lone artist here, he plays a huge bundle of instruments already made and specially created for the project in an effort to make his own orchestrion. It’s a science project in sound—the music spreads over five new pieces that utilize solenoid switches and pneumatics. Both composed and improvised, Orchestrion can be a sonic blizzard (i.e., the title track) as well as a reflective (“Entry Point”). What’s missing are those incredible, memorable melodies, those tuneful lines that Metheny’s inserted on previous albums that’ve cut through all of the charts, arrangements and dizzying array of notes. More technically interesting than emotionally moving, Orchestrion expresses a lifelong dream from a dreamer with both feet on the ground.