Quartet

This is the second release by established legend Pat Metheny on guitar and emerging giant Brad Mehldau on piano, and it’s a stunner. Both players have previously proven how edgy and adventurous they can be, but they mostly tread the subtle and sophisticated route here, focusing on strong compositions, melodic improvisation, and the exchange of sympathetic solos at tempos ranging from light speed to slow burn. The title is not entirely accurate—only seven of the 11 songs actually feature the quartet—but while the four duets are undoubtedly gorgeous, particularly the tender “So Much Music Everywhere,” with its powerful build-up and release, it’s as a quartet that they truly shine. Rooted by the astonishing rhythm section of bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard, both of whom play regularly with Mehldau, Metheny and Mehldau create imaginative and textured soundscapes that are engaging, intensely focused, and never predictable, and the result is a beautiful and stirring piece of work that lives up to the superstar pairing. And now that Metheny and Mehldau are Nonesuch Records labelmates, perhaps we can expect, and hope for, further collaborations.