Metheny, Pat (1954-…), is a popular American guitarist. Metheny established himself as a jazz musician. But his guitar style also reflects folk, Latin, and rock music along with a blend of jazz and electronic music called fusion. Metheny’s music stretched the boundaries of jazz in the late 1900’s and early 2000’s, earning him a large international audience.
Patrick Bruce Metheny was born on Aug. 12, 1954, in Kansas City, Missouri. He began playing the guitar as a teenager. He was teaching guitar at the University of Miami and the Berklee College of Music in Boston by the time he was 20 years old. Metheny made his first recording in 1974. He also joined the jazz combo of vibraphonist Gary Burton that year. He remained with Burton until 1977, when he started his own band, the Pat Metheny Group.
Metheny created the Pat Metheny Group with composer and keyboard player Lyle Mays. The two performed together in the band into the 2000’s. The Pat Metheny Group has won numerous Grammy Awards. They include Grammys for best jazz fusion performance, best contemporary jazz album, and best rock instrumental performance. The group’s award-winning albums include Still Life (Talking) (1987), Letter from Home (1989), Imaginary Day (1997), Speaking of Now (2002), and The Way Up (2005).
Metheny has also recorded solo, duet, and trio albums. He has played with such modern jazz instrumentalists as guitarists Jim Hall and John Scofield, pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Jaco Pastorius, and saxophonist Ornette Coleman.
