Mike Metheny: KC Potpourri

by Jack Bowers
August 29, 2006

Trumpeter Mike Metheny is a homeboy, seldom straying far from his native Kansas City, which explains in part why he isn't as well-known here in the States or overseas as his celebrated brother, guitarist Pat. But make no mistake, Mike is a superb musician in his own right, and as he says, “some of the finest musicians I've ever known live right here in my hometown. Many of them appear on KC Potpourri, Metheny's fond salute to the city of ...

Mike Metheny: KC Potpourri

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
December 8, 2003

KC Potpourri (n)--a goodly bunch of fine Kansas City musicians addressing themselves through a varied and satisfying program. Assembled by trumpeter and former Berklee educator Mike Metheny, these “jazz sounds from the heartland" prove that there's more to Kansas than steak and tornados. In this case, it's a pleasing mix of quartet, quintet, and big band tracks, originals and standards, with some sterling moments, many of them provided by Metheny himself.A supremely lyrical player, Metheny manages to make ...

Mike Metheny: Embouchure Of Doom

by Maynard LeBlanc
April 1, 2003

It's hard to know what to make of this album. Is it merely a blending of the disparate elements of heavy metal and country club background music? Or is it a follow up to Metheny's saccharine and overly sentimental 1992 effort, From Then 'Til Now, a forgettable plunge into the gooey abyss of musical autobiography and unsolicited personal revelation?

From the outset of Embouchure Of Doom, we know attention spans will be tested and listener sensibilities dissolved. Witness “Razor Blades ...