A CLOSER LOOK AT
THE NEW PAT METHENY QUARTET

September 6, 2016 | by Rusty Aceves

Pat Metheny Quartet in Ukraine

With guitar giant Pat Metheny’s new quartet making its North American debut in Miner Auditorium this week to kick off Season 5, we take a look at the three musicians who join the 20-time GRAMMY winner to make up this exciting new band.

Gwilym Simcock

Dubbed “a creative genius” by no less an authority than Chick Corea, British pianist Gwilym Simcock is a major force on the European scene, with one foot in the world of jazz and the other in classical music. An award-winning composer, musician and bandleader, Simcock works in settings ranging from solo recital to big band, and his latest release on the ACT label, Instrumation, features the City of London Sinfonia, string soloists and his trio rhythm section. Simcock was a member of saxophonist Tim Garland’s Lighthouse Trio, Bill Bruford’s Earthworks, and the Impossible Gentlemen with Mike Walker, Steve Rodby and Adam Nussbaum. He has performed internationally with Dave Holland, Lee Konitz, Bob Mintzer, Bobby McFerrin, and Kenny Wheeler, among others.

Linda Oh

Malaysia-born, Australia-raised bassist Linda Oh has earned accolades around the jazz world, including a #1 Acoustic Bass Rising Star nod from DownBeat magazine in 2010. She’s led the albums Entry, Initial Here, and Sun Pictures, all of which have ended up on Best-of-Year lists in major publications, and provided the foundation to records and live dates with Lee Konitz, Kenny Barron, Geri Allen, Terri Lyne-Carrington, Joe Lovano, and Steve Coleman. Oh is member of Cuban pianist Fabian Almazan’s trio with drummer Henry Cole, and just this week performed at the 55 Bar in New York with her quartet including Almazan and a pair of Bay Area-raised musicians, saxophone great Dayna Stephens and drummer Ches Smith.

Antonio Sánchez

Best known for his drum-based score to the 2015 Best Picture Oscar winner Birdman, for which he won a GRAMMY for Best Score Soundtrack, Antonio Sánchez has been Pat Metheny’s drummer of choice since 2000, touring the world and appearing on seven recordings with the guitarist’s various ensembles including the Pat Metheny Group and Unity Group. The Mexico City-born Sánchez is one of the instrument’s modern masters and one of the most accomplished, in-demand drummers in jazz, leading his acclaimed ensemble Migration and performing regularly with a jaw-dropping list of greats including Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Danilo Perez, David Sánchez, Miguel Zenón, Donny McCaslin and Michael Brecker.