Images of Metheny

The arrangements and performance featured on classical guitarist Jason Vieaux’s 2005 solo recording, Images of Metheny, confirms the fact that Metheny writes wonderful and evocative melodies which fit—or, more precisely belong on—the guitar. The liner notes accompanying the recording consist principally of a conversation between the performer and new music maven John Schaefer. Early in the interview, in response to Schaefer’s questions, Vieaux confirms two important points about this recording. First, although the recording features arrangements of works by a jazz musician, it is clearly not a jazz recording. Second, the focus of this recording is melody, the real mainstay of Pat Metheny’s success as a composer. – Jeffrey Noonan, University of Illinois Press