Offramp

Pat Metheny’s most enduring project was well underway by the time this 1982 album came out. With charter member/collaborator/keyboardist Lyle Mays as well as drummer Dan Gottlieb, bassist Steve Rodby, and guest percussionist Naná Vasconcelos at his side, the guitarist moves in a more pop-jazz vein of fusion with Mays and Metheny both embracing the (then) modern sounds of synthesizer and guitar synthesizer. Some may bemoan the fact that he was closer to pop or soundtrack music than jazz, but Pat Metheny has always had an exceptional ear for beautiful melodies and well-crafted arrangements—this is even apparent on the atmospheric “Are You Going with Me?” and “The Bat Part 2.” More immediate are the playful “James” (a true standout here) and the intimate “Au Lait.” Tunes like “Eighteen” and the title track will work for those seeking something more upbeat, with the latter being the more demanding of the two. A classic of its kind, Offramp is PMG at their most accessible without them ever having to “dumb it down.”