Fifty years since his earliest professional recordings with Paul Bley and Gary Burton, Metheny continues exploring a melding of jazz-fusion, pop, and Americana. Here, the proposition is a solo recording where he plays a Linda Manzer baritone acoustic with nylon strings, and recording without overdubs. Your ears at times will perceive two guitars and a bassist, but it’s all Metheny performing in real time. The results are a sonic treat.

Metheny has done solo baritone recordings before, notably One Quiet Night of 2003, but the nylon-stringed Manzer offers fresh texture, with its muted top and middle ranges and staggering bass dimension. The rapturous “You’re Everything” is reminiscent of one of Metheny’s key influences, the iconic pianist Bill Evans (1929-’80), who similarly wove melody, harmony, and counterpoint. “La Crosse” has the lilting charm of a James Taylor pop song, but in the form of an instrumental with those strong bass notes from the guitarist’s thumb.

The album closes with “MoonDial (Epilogue)”; barely 75 seconds long, Metheny reaffirms why he’s been a contemporary-jazz hero for nearly a half a century.

This article originally appeared in VG’s July 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.