Among the many things at which he excels, not repeating himself is a biggie for Pat Metheny. Throughout his four-decade career, the guitarist has made a point of pushing himself, recording in a plethora of different situations with an ever-revolving cast of support players. But there have been constants, and these two simultaneous releases are about catching up as much as moving ahead. The Unity Sessions is the audio companion to a performance previously released on video and featuring Metheny accompanied by bassist Ben Williams, drummer Antonio Sanchez and saxophonist Chris Potter. Prior to the 2012 release of the Unity Band album and the 2014 album KIN (<—>) by the renamed Pat Metheny Unity Group (now featuring multi-instrumentalist Giulio Carmassi), it had been three decades since Metheny had worked with a saxist, and the new configuration has opened him up to ideas previously uncharted. The double-disc The Unity Sessions is more of a summation than a groundbreaker though, and while the group is particularly impressive and inquisitive on expansive numbers like “Come and See” and “Rise Up,” there isn’t much in the way of surprises if one is familiar with the two studio releases. Metheny is more of a guest than integral component of Cuong Vu Trio Meets Pat Metheny. Trumpeter Cuong Vu is a longtime contributor to Metheny projects and, here, he and his trio (Stomu Takeishi, bass; Ted Poor, drums), plus visitors, engage in a seven-track set that ranges from experimental to brutal to quasi-fusion to surprisingly placid. Metheny shines on “Telescope,” a free-rolling jam that builds in intensity, and “Tune Blues,” another track with a loosely defined structure that affords him free rein to wail as he sees fit.