Pat Metheny May 10, 2010

On the heels of the release of his newest album, 'Orchestrion,' Pat Metheny brings a new and inventive program to the stage. The 17-time Grammy-winning guitarist will perform all original compositions in concert entirely alone--a unique ensemble presentation but with no other musicians onstage. Metheny has created his own Orchestrion, an ensemble of mechanical instruments controlled entirely from his guitar and pen, integrating conventional acoustic sound and robotic technology. Metheny's concept stems from the multi-instrument orchestrion devices that reached the height of popularity in 1920s jazz. Bringing orchestrion technology into the 21st century, he has incorporated a wide range of instruments in his machine--including several pianos, drum kit, marimbas, "guitar-bots," dozens of percussion instruments and even cabinets of carefully tuned bottles, played by means of solenoid switches and pneumatics. Metheny worked for months with a team of scientists and engineers to develop and assemble his new Orchestrion. Over the course of more than three decades, Pat Metheny has set himself apart from the jazz mainstream, expanding and blurring boundaries and musical styles. His record-setting body of work includes award-winning solo albums, a series of influential trio recordings, scores for Hollywood motion pictures, and collaborations and duets with major artists such as Ornette Coleman, Steve Reich, Charlie Haden, Brad Mehldau and many others. Metheny's 17 Grammy Awards span 12 distinct categories, and the Pat Metheny Group, which he founded in 1977, is the only ensemble in history to win Grammys for seven consecutive releases.