Real Music 3

More time with Metheny Mehldau. These guys are geniuses. The album continues to grow on me. Track 10! Wow. Simple and beautiful to start and end, but something else entirely in the middle.

Real Music 2

I've spent the morning listening to the Metheny Mehldau album. I picked it up a week ago, and until now had only listened to it briefly in the car on the way home from the store. Those first impressions weren't great, but as with so many albums before it's growing on me in a big way as I give it its due attention. That's another thing about real music. You might not like it at first. Also, if you're not fully listening you'll miss the subtlety that makes it great.

It's a weird way to rate music, but I've been working as I've listened this morning and I've gotten a lot done. Good album.

Real Music

I love music. Real music.

When someone spends days, months, years with an instrument it becomes a part of them. The immensely complex processes linking thought to sound wave cease to be a barrier. The music just flows. It's tempting for amateur musicians (author is guilty as charged) to consider practice something that untalented people do. It's a badge of honour to say "Yeah, I just went up there and sight-read that whole thing," or "I was completely making that part up." True, it's great to have that ability, but without practice there is no improvement. Practice seems to go against spontaneity, but in truth it is the only way to spontaneity. And music is very unforgiving. A few wrong notes can sour a whole performance.

But time with an instrument isn't enough. There must be a source. That source can be external. Many talented musicians make their living interpreting the music of others. But when someone is blessed with a rich, creative, internal source and they've taken the time to master an instrument, that is something very special indeed. Real music.

Two such artists are Pat Metheny (guitar) and Brad Mehldau (piano). Metheny's Song for the Boys from the album One Quiet Night is a song I can listen to over and over. How does he push so much energy through an acoustic guitar? Mehldau is remarkable for his improvisation. I'm pretty sure he has two brains, one for each hand. One almost needs two brains to listen to him.

I have just become aware that these two have released a new album together. What will that sound like? I'm about to find out.