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The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings

Speaking of Now is the tenth studio album by the Pat Metheny Group. It was released in 2002 by Warner Bros. The band was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album for the album in 2003.

Speaking of Now marks the first appearances of drummer Antonio Sánchez and multi-instrumentalist Cuong Vu as members of Metheny's band. Cameroonian musician Richard Bona also participated in the album's recording and tour, the latter of which particularly showcased his abilities on vocals and bass guitar.

In 2003, as part of the album's promotion, a concert was recorded in Japan and released on DVD and the Group performed on the PBS series Austin City Limits.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."As It Is"7:42
2."Proof"10:18
3."Another Life"Metheny7:13
4."The Gathering Sky"9:27
5."You" (song ends at 8:25; hidden intro to "On Her Way" directly follows)Metheny8:57
6."On Her Way"5:42
7."A Place in the World"9:54
8."Afternoon"Metheny4:46
9."Wherever You Go"8:04
Total length:72:05
Bonus Track for Japan
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Epilogue" (Japanese bonus track)Metheny4:07
Total length:76:35

On the Japanese pressing, an extra 30 seconds of silence is added at the end of "Wherever You Go" to create a longer gap before the bonus track "Epilogue".

Personnel

Additional musicians

Technical staff

  • Pat Metheny – producer
  • Steve Rodby, Lyle Mays – co-producer
  • Rob Eaton – recording, mixing
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • Doyle Partners – artwork, design

Awards

Grammy Awards

YearCategory
2003Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album