Music Nerds

Saw the Pat Metheny Trio last night. I know Metheny is pretty iconic to guitarists, but I’ve never listened to much except for his collaboration album with Ornette Coleman, where I was really listening to the Ornette Coleman part. But he was playing with just a drummer and bassist, the latter being Christian McBride, who’s pretty much the best living bassist I’ve ever heard play. So I thought, here’s my chance to hear him playing stuff I’m likely to like, and anyway I was asked there by an exceedingly cute and groovy undergraduate of my acquaintance, so who would say no to that?

The guys in the next row who were doing the “I’m not worthy” bow and screaming like they were at the Superbowl instead of a small college auditorium were my first clue, and when Pat came out with a three-necked guitaroid instrument clearly of his own design, I knew that what I was about to hear was all about guitar nerd-dom. Fair enough; the solo numbers he started with were not my cup o’tea, but it got good after the band joined him, and the encore number was an Ornette Coleman tune that I really liked. Certainly a good player but for style, I’d rather listen to Grant Green (if he weren’t dead, I mean.) Call me a traditionalist.

One thing’s for sure, though - I don’t know if I’ll ever have the nerve to do it, but I can definitely get behind the nerds with big hair thing.