The Pat Methany Group was the first jazz concert I ever saw. It was the First Circle tour at the Beacon Theater in Manhattan...1985 I think. My view of music has never been the same since. I currently own over 30 Pat CD's including a few bootleg concerts from Europe and has seen him live over a dozen times (most recently with the Trio band in Leeds, England in 2001) and he is my favorite living musician.

Needless to say I am quite anxious to see his live rendition of "This Way up" as he comes to the Lisner Auditorium in DC in a couple weeks. At first listen I was not blown away by this release...I liked it OK, but did not think it was one of his best. By the 3rd or 4th listen it started blowing me away. Now It's my 4th favorite Pat album behind Still Live Talking, Pat Methany Group, and ...As Falls Witchita.

I'm hoping that they recording the live concert tour to make into a DVD. Pat's albums have always had outstanding sound as most of his CD's were recorded on the acoustically conscious ECM label so I'm sure the 5.1 live mix would be outstandings sonically. I still need to the get the Speaking of Now DVD-Audio.

Great to hear that there are so many people that appreciate Pat's music. I feel he's an American artistic treasure in the same vain as Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, and Miles Davis.