Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
Flea Finds His Jazz Thing
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
The 1985 legendary Pat Metheny/Ornette Coleman collaboration Song X has been reissued by Nonesuch Records. The remixed and remastered album includes six new songs in addition to the original eight tracks.
On the 20th anniversary of the release, guitarist Metheny says, “There may have been a few different decisions made about what did and didn’t get included on the record and especially about how the whole thing actually sounded ... with this opportunity to look at things again two decades later, it seems upon review that although I did pick the right takes of the tunes that were on the original version of the release, there were in fact major improvements to be made in the mixing and mastering of the record.”
The remastering and remixing help to create “a more complete picture of our efforts,” Metheny says. In addition to Metheny and Coleman, Song X features Charlie Haden on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums and Denardo Coleman, Ornette’s son, on drums and percussion. The album was remastered by Ted Jenson at Sterling Sound and remixed by Peter Karam.
“Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”
Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
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