Pat Metheny has been leading his own bands for half a century, and the songs he wrote in his first ten years as a leader are still the ones fans know best. These are 10 Pat Metheny songs from 1977 to 1987, from “Watercolors” to “Minuano (Six Eight)”, with the story behind each one and a recording to start with.
Along the way you’ll hear the first Pat Metheny Group, his duets with Lyle Mays, a hit single with David Bowie and a free-jazz record with Ornette Coleman. And at the end, the bass player he heard in his first days in Miami, who nearly sent him straight back to Missouri.
From Missouri to the Pat Metheny Group
With his groundbreaking use of guitar synthesisers, pioneering spirit, and melodic style, Pat Metheny has done as much as anyone to popularise contemporary jazz guitar. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find a musician who has continually stretched jazz while blending acoustic and electronic elements into his distinctive sound.
Born into a musical family in Missouri in 1954, Pat’s early exposure to music came through his grandfather, father, and brother, all trumpet players. However, after hearing The Beatles in 1964, he turned his attention to the guitar and never looked back. By the time he was 12, Metheny had bought his first guitar, and just a few years later, he was already drawing inspiration from jazz greats like Wes Montgomery and Miles Davis.
His progress was rapid. At 15, he earned a scholarship to a week-long jazz camp, and by 16, Metheny was already considered a prodigy. At 18, he was even invited to teach at the University of Miami before moving on to Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, where he joined forces with vibraphonist Gary Burton.
Metheny’s 1976 debut, Bright Size Life, marked the start of a storied career, with virtuoso bassist Jaco Pastorius accompanying him. A year later, he recorded Watercolors, a quartet album that would lay the foundation for the legendary Pat Metheny Group (PMG), formed in 1977 alongside keyboardist Lyle Mays. Their partnership would span more than three decades, with Mays contributing to the PMG’s signature sound before stepping away in 2010 to pursue other interests.
Even after the PMG went quiet, Metheny continued to explore new musical directions, often incorporating cutting-edge electronics into his compositions. His signature sound, forged in the late 1970s and 1980s, has remained instantly recognisable, even as his music has evolved.
Below, you’ll find 10 Pat Metheny songs.
Watercolors – From the album Watercolors (ECM, 1977)
Although Watercolors wasn’t technically a Pat Metheny Group album, it introduced what would become the core members of the band. Metheny’s melodic guitar lines, set against a subtle, atmospheric backdrop, give an early glimpse of the musical journey he would embark on. Alongside Eberhard Weber on bass, this track provides a perfect taste of Metheny’s growing collaboration with Lyle Mays.
Start with: Pat Metheny on Watercolors (1977). Listen for Lyle Mays’s piano moving underneath the guitar melody.
San Lorenzo – From the album Pat Metheny Group (ECM, 1978)
With “San Lorenzo”, Metheny began to move away from traditional jazz structures. The song is through-composed, meaning it doesn’t rely on a repetitive theme-solo-theme format. Overdubbed guitars and Mays’s use of synthesisers create a lush, full sound, while Mark Egan’s bass and Danny Gottlieb’s drums give the track a clearly defined groove.
Start with: Pat Metheny Group on Pat Metheny Group (1978). Listen for the way the piece keeps moving into new sections instead of circling back to the theme.
(Cross The) Heartland – From the album American Garage (ECM, 1979)
The partnership between Metheny and Mays came into full bloom on American Garage, with “Heartland” standing out for its detailed composition. The interplay between instruments is integral to the song’s structure, with Mays’s more adventurous synthesiser work adding a fresh dynamic.
Start with: Pat Metheny Group on American Garage (1979). Listen for Mays’s synthesiser lines weaving through the band.
The Bat – From the album 80/81 (ECM, 1980)
Stepping outside the PMG framework, Metheny collaborated with a different set of musicians on 80/81, including Charlie Haden and Jack DeJohnette. “The Bat” is a beautiful ballad, with Metheny’s delicate phrasing and Haden’s bass intertwining seamlessly, highlighting a more intimate side to Metheny’s playing.
Start with: Pat Metheny on 80/81 (1980). Listen for the space Haden leaves between his bass notes.
September Fifteenth – From the album As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls (ECM, 1981)
As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls is a unique duo album with Metheny and Mays, featuring the evocative “September Fifteenth”. The track is a tribute to pianist Bill Evans, who passed away that day, and the interplay between acoustic and electronic elements creates a haunting yet serene atmosphere.
Start with: Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays on As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls (1981). Listen for how little the melody moves, and how the guitar part stops it from standing still.
Eighteen – From the album Offramp (ECM, 1982)
The addition of bassist Steve Rodby in Offramp gave the PMG a wider tonal palette. With “Eighteen”, the band embraced a tougher, more rhythmic sound, with percussionist Naná Vasconcelos adding an extra layer of intensity to the track.
Start with: Pat Metheny Group on Offramp (1982). Listen for Vasconcelos’s percussion pushing the groove along.
Are You Going With Me? – From the album Travels (ECM, 1983)
This live track, recorded during the PMG’s 1982 tour, captures the band’s ability to transform their studio sound into a dynamic live experience. “Are You Going With Me?” features a soaring solo from Metheny on his Roland GR-300 guitar synthesiser, blending melody with electronic innovation.
The studio original, recorded in 1981 for Offramp, and the story of how Metheny found that horn-like sound are in our article on Pat Metheny and “Are You Going With Me?”.
Start with: Pat Metheny Group on Travels (1983). Listen for the crowd when the guitar-synth solo climbs to the top of its range.
This Is Not America – From the album The Falcon and the Snowman (EMI, 1985)
Perhaps one of Metheny’s most unexpected tracks, “This Is Not America” was written in collaboration with David Bowie for the movie The Falcon and the Snowman. With Bowie’s vocals and lyrics, the song became a surprise hit, reaching the charts in both the UK and the US.
Start with: David Bowie and the Pat Metheny Group on The Falcon and the Snowman (1985). Listen for Metheny keeping to simple rhythm guitar while Bowie carries the tune.
Kathelin Gray – From the album Song X (Geffen, 1986)
On Song X, Metheny ventured into free jazz alongside saxophonist Ornette Coleman. The album is challenging and experimental, but “Kathelin Gray” offers a more approachable introduction to their collaboration, with Metheny’s edgy guitar lines mirroring Coleman’s phrasing.
Start with: Pat Metheny & Ornette Coleman on Song X (1986). Listen for the guitar shadowing Coleman’s alto saxophone through the melody.
Minuano (Six Eight) – From the album Still Life (Talking) (Geffen, 1987)
The opening track of Still Life (Talking) marks the start of a new era for the PMG, incorporating Latin influences and wordless vocals. “Minuano (Six Eight)” blends intricate rhythms with Metheny’s lush guitar work, setting the tone for the rest of the album.
Start with: Pat Metheny Group on Still Life (Talking) (1987). Listen for the wordless voices riding on top of the six-eight rhythm.
Three days in Miami, and a bass player nobody had heard of
Metheny had been in Miami about three days in 1972 when he went out to hear some music and saw an electric bass player he had never heard of. “I almost went and got back on the bus and went back to Missouri, to tell you the truth,” he told WLRN in 2014. “Nobody had ever heard anybody play like that.”
The bassist was Jaco Pastorius, two or three years older than him. They became friends and played gigs around Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and when Metheny got to make his first album, Bright Size Life, Pastorius was the man on bass.
That first album came out in 1976, a year before “Watercolors”, the earliest song on this list. From there, these 10 Pat Metheny songs take you through his first decade as a bandleader, ending with “Minuano (Six Eight)” on Still Life (Talking) in 1987.
For more on the records, see our pick of the 10 best Pat Metheny albums. For the bassist, read 10 defining moments of Jaco Pastorius, and for the 1979 tour where the two of them shared a stage again, see how Joni Mitchell assembled one of the greatest touring bands in jazz history.
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“Watercolors” or “Minuano (Six Eight)”: which of these would you play to someone hearing Pat Metheny for the first time? Tell us in the comments.