Pat Metheny | Side-Eye III+
Celebrated jazz guitarist and composer Pat Metheny returns with "Side-Eye III+", the inaugural release on his newly launched imprint, Uniquity Music. A bold evolution of Metheny’s long-running Side-Eye project, "Side-Eye III+" expands the concept he introduced as a platform to spotlight extraordinary young talent within his musical circle.
At its core, the album captures the intuitive interplay of Metheny alongside keyboardist Chris Fishman and drummer Joe Dyson, the trio that has formed the heart of his Side-Eye ensemble on stages around the world. But in the studio, the music revealed a larger vision — one that demanded a broader orchestral palette. To realize that expansive sound, Metheny augmented the group with additional musicians, including bassist Daryl Johns, harpist Brandee Younger, percussionist Luis Conte, and a vocal ensemble led by Mark Kibble of Take 6.
Recorded with both immediacy and depth, "Side-Eye III+" blends tight ensemble precision with rich, exploratory improvisation. Complemented by contributions from a diverse roster — from harp and percussion to an intricate vocal ensemble — the album underscores Metheny’s lifelong commitment to musical curiosity, collaboration, and boundary-pushing expression.
Side-Eye is a long-running musical concept created by jazz guitarist and composer Pat Methenyas a flexible, live-focused ensemble designed to highlight exceptional younger musicians while preserving the immediacy and risk-taking spirit of performance. Unlike Metheny’s more fixed long-term bands, Side-Eye functions as a rotating project that evolves from tour to tour, allowing new voices to enter the music while remaining anchored by Metheny’s compositional identity.
The concept was publicly introduced in the early 2020s and documented on the live album Side‑Eye NYC (V1.IV), recorded at New York City’s Village Vanguard.
At the core of Side-Eye is Metheny’s stated intention to work closely with musicians who bring new energy, perspective, and technical fluency to his music. The project serves as a mentorship-driven environment, where younger players are given full creative responsibility within Metheny’s repertoire rather than functioning as sidemen.