2011 · Album
What's It All About
Nonesuch Records · Released: June 14, 2011 · Grammy Award: Best New Age Album (February 12, 2012)
A Guitarist Steps Into Other Voices
Metheny interprets standards and jazz classics instead of writing his own—a revealing choice for a restless composer.
What's It All About marks an unusual detour in Pat Metheny's catalog. After decades of composing his own material, he spent this album interpreting work by other writers—a move that might seem like a step backward for someone who built his reputation on relentless innovation. Instead, it works as a kind of X-ray. You see how Metheny listens, what he gravitates toward, where his taste actually lands when he's not busy proving something new. The album includes standards, obscure jazz tunes, and pieces that don't fit neatly into any category. It's genuinely curious music, not a victory lap.
What makes this different from a typical standards album is how direct it sounds. Metheny plays without the elaborate production or ensemble arrangements that define much of his solo work. The approach is cleaner, simpler, which means every choice matters more. You hear his hands on the guitar, his phrasing, his instinct for when to push and when to leave space. Some tracks swing with real ease; others move into territory that's harder to pin down. The album doesn't announce itself loudly, which is maybe why it won a Grammy for Best New Age Album—a category that sometimes captures introspective, guitar-based jazz that doesn't fit elsewhere.
In his catalog, this sits somewhere between his exploratory mood and his more accessible work. It's not the place to start with Metheny if you haven't heard him before—his earlier trio records or ECM work would give you a better sense of his voice. But if you already know his music and wonder what he sounds like when he steps back from his own compositions, this rewards attention. It's a solid, intelligent album by someone who clearly knows how to listen as well as how to play.
Who's playing
Pat Methenyguitar
