Pat Metheny and Saint Amant Grangeneuve

Pat Metheny has long been one of my favorite guitarists. His style incorporates elements of progressive and contemporary jazz, post-bop, Latin jazz, and jazz-fusion. He spends considerable time in Brazil and the influence of its music shows in many of his compositions as well as his 3 gold albumns and 19 Grammy awards.

Born and raised in Lee’s Summit, MO, a suburb of Kansas City, Metheny won a Down Beat scholarship at the age of 15 to a one week Jazz Camp where guitarist Attila Zoller took him under his wing. For a short time he attended the University of Miami and took a teaching position that led to another teaching opportunity at the Berklee College of music and a gig with vibraphonist Gary Burton.

His first major solo album, Bright Side Life was recorded with Jaco Pastorius on bass and drummer Bob Moses. In 1977, he met keyboardist Lyle Mays and began a songwriting/playing collaboration that is still alive today. Besides his work with the Pat Metheny Band, his outside collaborations include some of the biggest names in music.

Most of the compositions I’ve selected feature his acoustic work. His acoustic guitars are made by Canadian Luthier Linda Manzer. Check out the 42-string Pikasso guitar he uses on the acoustic version of “Are You Going With Me.” Manzer said it was a bear to make because the bracing of the top had to be super strong to stand up to all the string tension without losing the tone she sought.

Metheny’s picking technique is somewhat unique. He uses the rounded edge of the pick instead of the point, a practice that help give him his incredible tone. If you’ve never heard his work, I think you’re going to love it.

Lugano Festival: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvaVQZP6A_M

Have You heard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApI-zA6suXE

Are You Going With Me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOyPG_D2EnE

And I Love Her: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYcZ6s3z1jg

The Girl From Ipanema: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1G7DD0WJTs

Cherish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbW4FmlN3M8

That’s The Way I Always Heard It Should Be: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3BTNpHQzL0

Don’t Know Why: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BntNRMiI4PQ

September Fifteenth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA3lSTDPPuE

As It Is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hffNtUqkwBA

Bright Size Life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amEp34owKn0

It’s Superbowl weekend and more food will be consumed than any day of the year except Thanksgiving. I’m not sure of the nutritional value of it, since it consists mostly of chips, dips, and chicken wings, although I hear there’s a shortage of the latter. So, with a super guitarist, I recommend trying a bottle of one of my favorite wines, namely the 2010 Saint-Amant Grangeneuve Beaumes-du-Venise ($17.00). It’s a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Viognier with a touch of Carignan.

In the glass its aroma is filled with tart cherries, blackberries, vanilla, and a touch of nutmeg. The palate is reminiscent of a lighter bodied Syrah with blackberry, raspberry, and black pepper. I lay this one in by the case and at $17.00 a bottle, you can’t go wrong. Enjoy the music of one of the premier guitarists on the scene today and toast your favorite team with a dynamite wine.

Cheers!  

Bruce Cockburn & Château Cadillac Cuvée du Pin Franc

Bruce Cockburn, born May 27, 1945, is one of the finest folk singer/guitarists of the modern day. His style ranges from jazz to rock to folk and is infused with poignant lyrics that harken back to the days of protests against the Viet Nam war. But he pushes the concept farther to protest the stupidity of any war.   

Raised as an agnostic, Bruce became a devout Christian early in his career and many of his recordings from the 70s refer to his Christian beliefs, which forms the core of his concerns for human rights and environmentalism expressed in his later works. Through the 1980s Cockburn's songwriting became more urban, more global, and then more political; he became heavily involved with progressive causes. These concerns became more evident in 1984, with Cockburn's US radio hit, “If I Had a Rocket Launcher.” He wrote the song a year earlier following a visit to Guatemalan refugee camps in Mexico that were attacked by Guatemalan Helicopter gunships.

More recently, Bruce added two more awards, contemporary album of the year and solo artist of the year, to his long list of honors. And lastly, for you guitar buffs, Bruce plays acoustic guitars custom made by fellow Canadian Linda Manzer.

Pacing the cage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAcqr3MYMmM

The last night of the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02TUsZzF6es

If I had a rocket launcher: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOjHior0RfU&feature=related

Lovers in a dangerous time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKjgJ3oLJqE&feature=related

Iris of the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XCw4juhAdI&feature=related

Call it democracy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68zccrskOqQ

After the rain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ8X8YvKLAY&feature=related

Incandescent blue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URRkJv2RY_E&feature=related

Wondering where the lions are: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL4CdHd9ma4

Night train: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvPYnYup47I&feature=related

Get up Jonah: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bwlLGsl-TY&feature=related

Maybe the poet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcUiOADXfsI&feature=related

Drive away: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGQL21dIUAA&feature=related

Château Cadillac has become one of my favorite Bordeaux Supérieur producers. The estate crafts excellent-quality wines for the price, but its 2009 vintage stands out as one of its recent best. This wine has an abundance of fruit and spice and the perfect balance of concentration and complexity. Unfortunately, it’s not often found in the U.S., but check on line as I did/do.

Cadillac's wines are Merlot driven, 70 percent in this case, with smaller portions of Cabernet Sauvignon (28 percent) and Cabernet Franc (2 percent) rounding out the blend. Given the spectacular 2009 vintage, the fruit was more complex and intense than usual, allowing winemaker Patrick Soye to use a higher percentage of new oak barrels for this wine, providing great spice and long, gorgeous length.

While its price ($16.00) may imply that it's a Tuesday-evening sipper, this Bordeaux is really much more. Pair this at your next dinner party with steak or duck, gift it to a good friend and certainly park a few bottles in your cellar for savoring later.

The 2009 Château Cadillac Cuvée du Pin Franc is a dark brick-red, with an intense, spicy nose of plum, cherry, boysenberry, anise and earth. It’s a medium-bodied wine, soft on the palate, with round, berry-fruit flavors complemented by vanilla, cocoa and a touch of oak. Soft, silky tannins lead to a smooth, round finish on black cherry flavors. It’s a great choice for kicking back on the weekend with the music of Bruce Cockburn.

Cheers!