The guitarist's guitarist invariably wins plaudits when he forsakes fusion for straightahead jazz, but it is hard to see exactly which constituency will be tempted by this trio date. While the bassist Christian McBride and the drummer Antonio Sanchez make imposing partners, Metheny's improvising lacks the muscle to win over the jazz crowd, and his monochrome palette is too functional to appeal to followers of his new-age-tinged band. The collision of reggae and funk on Red One finds the trio working at maximum throttle, at long last - McBride and Sanchez make it all sound effortless. The rest is tasteful, but largely anonymous.
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