The Way Up
2005 studio album by Pat Metheny Group
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The Way Up is the eleventh and final studio album by the Pat Metheny Group. It was released in 2005 and won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 2006. It is the last album in the prolific three-decade collaboration of Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays.
| The Way Up | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 25, 2005 | |||
| Recorded | 2003–2004 | |||
| Studio | Right Track, New York City | |||
| Genre | Jazz, jazz fusion | |||
| Length | 68:07 | |||
| Label | Nonesuch | |||
| Producer | Pat Metheny | |||
| Pat Metheny chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| All About Jazz | (favourable)[2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [3] |
| Tom Hull | B+( )[4] |
Background
The album consists of one 68-minute-long piece, split into four tracks. The piece is through-composed, featuring complex shifts of dynamics and meter, and precise transitions between solo improvisation sections.
Swiss multi-instrumentalist Gregoire Maret is showcased on the harmonica and joined the Group for the album's world tour. The tour included a performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival, and an official concert recording of the Seoul, South Korea appearance was released on DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-Ray.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Opening" | 5:17 |
| 2. | "Part One" | 26:27 |
| 3. | "Part Two" | 20:29 |
| 4. | "Part Three" | 15:54 |
Personnel
- Pat Metheny – acoustic and electric guitars, guitar synthesizer, slide guitar, toy guitar, producer
- Lyle Mays – piano, keyboards, toy xylophone, producer
- Steve Rodby – acoustic and electric bass, cello, violin, producer
- Cuong Vu – trumpet, vocals, toy whistle
- Grégoire Maret – harmonica
- Antonio Sánchez – drums, toy xylophone
Additional musicians
- Richard Bona – percussion, vocals, toy guitar
- Dave Samuels – percussion
Technical personnel
- Pat Metheny – producer
- Steve Rodby, Lyle Mays – co-producers
- Rob Eaton – recording, mixing
- Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound, NYC, USA
- Doyle Partners – design, photography
Awards
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album |