Jump to content

Did Volker Kriegel influenced Pat Metheny?


barnaba.siegel

Recommended Posts

It's hard to deny Metheny's genius, especially when talking about his 70's recordings. But I was always wondering, how this young guy came up with the style that was so unique, like without precedent. We're not talking about another McLaughlin, Montgomery, Benson, Szabo. We're not talking either about music that clearly came from all the guitar-driven jazz-rock albums or a straight soul-jazz or country influenced music

I'm still digging early and pre-jazzrock recordings, I've listented to dozens of famouse and thrice as much obscure guitarist and I couldn't figure out, what could inspire both his style and sound. He was a jazz-rock enthusiast in early 70's and - according to Bill Milkowski book "Jaco" - his early playing with Jaco was much more fiery, as on this bootleg "Jaco", a studio album with Paul Bley and Bruce Ditmas. Bob Moses stressed out in Milkowski's book, that he was a bit disappointed with the final effect of "Bright Size of Life", complaining that the music captured was far from the flaunt Jaco and Metheny were supposed to show with Moses alive in New York's clubs.

I couldn't figure out all of this till I started to dig Volkrer Kriegel, great German guitarist, one of the stars of MPS label. He cut great psycho jazz-rock stuff with the Dave Pike Set and he recorded a bunch of amazing albums. And more I've been listening to him, the more I catched: the chords, the single notes, the passages, the tone, the aura, use and cooperation with other instruments. Here's a bunch of tracks featuring Volker I gathered - it's usually not a whole song (and definitely not those distorted, blues-oriented solos), but rather elements, "ingredients")https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5itBC69M09elsoe0to5kbO?si=ec52174074bf4b6c

It's not like I've found that Pat cut a part of his song with a saw. But given the exceptionality of Metheny's style and absolute scarcity of links between him and his older fellow guitar players from USA, I started to think that maybe this guy was an actual inspiration... Well, Metheny played with Burton and recorded with him "Ring" in Germany in 1974. Maybe all of this doesn't sound so crazy. 

I wonder what are yours thoughts about Metheny's inspirations, folks. And I mean those "audible".

 

Volker Kriegel - Slums On Wheels - YouTube

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pat astounded Berklee teachers by transcribing and playing the entire Wes Montgomery album "Smokin' at the Half Note" when he auditioned for the college, so Wes' ideas are strongly implanted in his brain.

I hear some Kenny Burrell ideas in his playing, from the albums that KB made in the 70s, like Asphalt Canyon Suite. He acknowledged to Jon Raney that his father Jimmy Raney was also an influence on his playing. That would also link him with grant Green, who was also Raney influenced.

I thought I had a Volker K. LP, but it turned out to be Rune Gustaffson!:huh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...