The Way Up

The Way Up is the eleventh and final studio album by the Pat Metheny Group. It was released in 2005 and won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 2006. It is the last album in the prolific, three-decade collaboration of Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays.

Background

The album consists of one 68-minute-long piece, split into four tracks. The piece is through composed, featuring complex shifts of dynamics and meter, and precise transitions between solo improvisation sections.

Swiss multi-instrumentalist Gregoire Maret is showcased on the harmonica and joined the Group for the album's world tour. The tour included a performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival, and an official concert recording of the Seoul, South Korea appearance was released on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays

Personnel

Pat Metheny – acoustic and electric guitars, guitar synthesizer, slide guitar, toy guitar, producer
Lyle Mays – piano, keyboards, toy xylophone, producer
Steve Rodby – acoustic and electric bass, cello, violin, producer
Cuong Vu – trumpet, vocals, toy whistle
Grégoire Maret – harmonica
Antonio Sánchez – drums, toy xylophone

Additional musicians

Richard Bona – percussion, vocals, toy guitar
Dave Samuels – percussion

Technical personnel

Pat Metheny – producer
Steve Rodby, Lyle Mays – co-producers
Rob Eaton – recording, mixing
Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound, NYC, USA
Doyle Partners – design, photography

Awards

Grammy Awards

References

^ Jurek, Thom. "The Way Up - Pat Metheny Group | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
^ Kelman, John (20 January 2005). "Pat Metheny Group: The Way Up". allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 995. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.