PAT METHENY 
Photo Credit Jimmy Katz
Pat Metheny, born August 12, 1954, in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, has stood at the forefront of modernmusic for more than five decades. Beginning on trumpet at age eight and switching to guitar attwelve, Metheny was performing with Kansas City’s top jazz musicians by fifteen—an early startthat helped shape his unmistakable sound.
After joining vibraphonist Gary Burton’s group in 1974, Metheny’s horn-like phrasing, lyrical touch,and rhythmic fluidity quickly distinguished him. His debut album, Bright Size Life (1975), redefinedthe possibilities of jazz guitar, introducing a new sonic openness and melodic clarity that inspiredgenerations of players.
With more than 20 million albums sold and 20 Grammy Awards in ten different categories—arecord unmatched by any other artist—Metheny’s influence extends across genres and generations.His collaborations span from Steve Reich and Ornette Coleman to Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, MiltonNascimento, and David Bowie. His compositions encompass everything from solo guitar works andorchestral pieces to the groundbreaking Orchestrion project.
A dedicated educator, Metheny became the youngest instructor in the history of both the Universityof Miami and Berklee College of Music, where he later received an honorary doctorate. He is amember of the DownBeat Hall of Fame, a NEA Jazz Master, and an inductee of both the RoyalSwedish Academy of Music and the Missouri Hall of Fame.
In 2026, Metheny will embark on a world tour with his new ensemble Side-Eye III+, supporting therelease of their self-titled album—the first on his new label, Uniquity Music, which will encompassall of his recordings since 1984 and all future projects.
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PAT METHENY Side-Eye III+
Pat Metheny: Guitar
Chris Fishman: Piano
Leonard Patton: Vocals & Percussion
Jermaine Paul: Bass
Joe Dyson: Drums
"There is almost no way to replicate exactly what is on the record with just the trio, nor will that be the explicit goal on this next round,” Metheny says. “But the material on the record can be played a lot of different ways, which is always a good sign. I am already thinking ahead to the next stage of the Side-Eye thing, and the broader palette of this record plus my thoughts about what’s next gave me the idea of bringing in an incredible young bassist from California, Jermaine Paul, and the percussionist and vocalist Leonard Patton, who is a musician I have wanted to include in my thing for years. But the core of the band will remain Chris Fishman, Joe Dyson, and me — continuing what we have been working on together on the bandstand and in the studio during this really interesting musical t - Pat Metheny
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