Fictionary

1. Bill Evans

2. Fictionary

3. Sienna

4. Lincoln Reviews His Notes

5. Hard Eights

6. Something Left Unsaid

7. Trio #2

8. Where Are You From Today

9. Falling Grace

10. Trio, No. 2

11. On The Other Hand

Fictionary,Lyle Mays With Johnson & DeJohnette,Geffen Records,Adult Alternative,Contemporary Instrumental,Contemporary Jazz,Crossover Jazz,Fusion,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Post-Bop

Average customer rating:

If you like the audio samples buy it
Very good but could've been better
Pretty Good
Partly great.......partly not so great.
Not his usual setting.

Fictionary
Lyle Mays With Johnson & DeJohnette
Manufacturer: Geffen Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Bebop & Post-Bop | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music

Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Solo: Improvisations for Expanded Piano
Street Dreams
Lyle Mays
Metheny / Mehldau
Metheny Mehldau Quartet

ASIN: B000000OT9
Release Date: 1993-03-16

Tracks:

Bill Evans
Fictionary
Sienna
Lincoln Reviews His Notes
Hard Eights
Something Left Unsaid
Trio #1
Where Are You From Today
Falling Grace
Trio #2
On The Other Hand

Customer Reviews:

If you like the audio samples buy it.......2006-12-03

I would like to add something, different strokes for different folks everyones taste are different there are reviews that get real analytical dont know if that was spelled correctly maybe I will receive a comment on my grammar what cracks me up are some of these review writers who act like they are beethoven or something half of them dont even play any instrument and have the nerve to pick apart album after album if they didnt care for the album or cd whatever why buy it lyle mays has played with some serious people metheny joni mitchell others i am even unaware of The cd was a good one ,relaxing ...follow your heart and the audio samples

Very good but could've been better.......2006-11-19

I've always considered Lyle Mays to be the unsung hero of the Pat Metheny Group and I've always wondered why, in comparison to Pat Metheny, he has released so few solo albums. Having read some of the reviews here, the picture is a little clearer, though I do feel it odd that a musician of Mays' skill, gravitas and experience would be influenced by the opinion of critics. I recall a line by the rapper Ice-T on the Quincy Jones album "Back On The Block": "Keep doin' what you're doin' man, Don't give a damn about squares who don't understand. You let 'em tell you what to say and what to write, Your whole career'll be over by tomorrow night."

I've always loved Lyle Mays' piano playing, personally. What I love the most about his sound is how crystal clear and precise it is. I remember some car adverts years ago that used to talk about German precision engineering. Well, Lyle Mays makes me think of precision. Brilliant improviser though he is, he still leaves me with the feeling that he knows exactly where every note is supposed to be and puts it right there. I liked his first album, the 1986 "Lyle Mays and LOVED the follow up, the 1988 "Street Dreams" so whatever the critics had to say about them, I beg to differ.

On this one - from 1993 - produced by Pat Metheny and Steve Rodby (the formidable bass player in the Pat Metheny Group), he goes jazz traditional and presents as a trio with legends Marc Johnson on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums. That alone should've ensured magic but while there is magic to be found, the album for me, is very much hit and miss.

The hits include "Bill Evans", "Sienna", "Something Left Unsaid" and "Where Are You From Today". The two free improvisations, "Trio #1" and "Trio #2" are okay but the rest is just filler. Background music, if you will. Still, all said and done, it's a damn good album. It's just when one compares it to an album like "The Ground" by the Tord Gustavsen trio, one knows it is possible to have an entire album of beautiful tunes. I know Lyle can do it. For me, "Street Dreams" is faultless.

I'll always be fan though. I also got the 2000 album "Solo: Improvisations For Expanded Piano" and while it took a minute to get into, I now love it for its bravery and innovation. I just wish he would produce more albums!

While I think many may struggle to fall in love with every single tune here, I definitely think that any jazz fan (especially a fan of jazz piano in the trio tradition) will like this CD. It's definitely worth investing in. Yes, it is 13 years old but that's the wonderful thing about jazz: It doesn't age.

Pretty Good.......2006-07-03

I listen to a lot of music. Currently it's the only Lyle Mays (w/out Metheny) that I own. This album has some great moments, but his word with Pat Metheny is alot better. Fictionary is a great song, and Mays' rendition of Falling Grace is spectacular and it is amazing how they keep it together. The three musicians make a great combination, and you will not find this sound elsewhere.

Partly great.......partly not so great........2005-04-08

This cd is considered to be one of Lyle Mays' best two efforts, the other being the maiden release under his own name in 1985.I have none of his renowned electric collaborations with Pat Matheny although I'm sure I have him in recordings with other groups within my collection.

The talent of Lyle Mays and the other trio members is well known through many recordings. Lyle Mays, besides being exceptional on the acoustic piano, is equally gifted with compositional skills. The tribute to Bill Evans, my favorite cut, captures all of the style and feeling associated with his (Evans) playing. "Fictionary", "Sienna", "Hard Eights","Something Left Unsaid", and "Where Are You From Today" are excellent compositions and display not only Lyle's artistry at the piano but the fine bass work of Marc Johnson and the exceptional light touches on the drums by Jack DeJohnette as well.

That said, free style or avant garde has never been appreciated by me, probably indicating my lack of musical education or even a sophistication of taste. I feel that music is an emotional appeal to the individual and some of the tracks fail to make it for me. "Trio #2" is a good example of what appears to me as one big intro that goes nowhere! ("what are we going to play, guys?.....gee, I dunno....let's just play around.....maybe something will fall out!). "On the Other Hand" has some beautiful piano runs and fills but not much else.

This cd will probably appeal mostly to those fans who follow the musicians on this cd, those who appreciate some of the truly good compositions contained on this cd, and neglecting all else, excellent musicianship.

Not his usual setting........2004-12-28

Lyle Mays, as we all know, plays his best as a member of the Pat Metheny Group. He hasn't shown himself to be a great songwriter alone. His soloing and composition ability works best in the format of the Group, where Metheny is there to essentially guide him, or provide feedback since Mays is basically just a supporting role to Metheny's musicianship.

In my opinion Mays isn't great in a purely acoustic setting. He does great work with synths and layering them to get that tight, crisp "sound" he always nails. And his acoustic piano solos are great in the context of the acoustic-electric fusion of the PMG. But just by himself on a piano with bass and drums, Mays often seems lost. There are flashes of brilliance, but they are rare. I would recommend his other albums over this one.