PAT METHENY – SIDE-EYE III+
20-time Grammy awarded guitar legend on tour with new album
“Side-Eye III+” first major studio release in six years
In June 2026 on JazzNights tour Pat Metheny has been one of the most influential guitarists in modern jazz for decades – a true exceptional musician who, like few others, unites technical mastery, inexhaustible curiosity, and strong expression. In June 2026, the highly acclaimed artist will travel to Germany for a series of selected JazzNights concerts, stopping in Flensburg, Lübeck, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Dortmund, Freiburg, Nuremberg, and Frankfurt.
At the center of these shows is Pat Metheny's new album “Side-Eye III+”, his first studio album in six years. For this, he has expanded his core group, consisting of him, Chris Fishman (piano/keyboards), and Joe Dyson (drums), adding bassist Jermaine Patton and percussionist and vocalist Leonard Patton. This five-member line-up represents for Metheny a glimpse into the future of his Side-Eye project. Since the studio recording result of “Side-Eye III+” in a trio format cannot be satisfactorily reproduced, he gladly accepted the challenge of finding other approaches to the new material. Metheny fans know how much creative energy this releases in him, so his audience can look forward to true star moments live!
The album is released on Uniquity Music, Pat Metheny's own record label, fulfilling his long-held dream of a label home that unites all his past and future works under one roof. In addition to all future releases, reissues of all his albums from 1984 will also be released here.
Born in Lee's Summit, Missouri, Metheny discovers his love for music at an early age. He starts playing the trumpet at eight but switches to guitar at twelve – the instrument that would shape his life. By the age of 15, he is regularly on stage with the best jazz musicians of Kansas City and develops a musical maturity that far surpasses his age.
Metheny celebrates his international breakthrough in 1974 alongside vibraphonist Gary Burton. Even then, his individual style, which still makes him unmistakable today, begins to emerge: the flexible, almost singing articulation, a modern improvisational approach that remains deeply rooted in jazz, as well as an extraordinary rhythmic and harmonic sensitivity. With his debut album “Bright Size Life” (1975), he fundamentally renews the sound of the jazz guitar, inspiring an entire generation of young musicians.
Few other guitarists move so effortlessly between genres and sound worlds. Metheny works with icons such as Steve Reich, Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, Milton Nascimento, or David Bowie, and composes for solo guitar, ensembles, orchestras, ballet, and his groundbreaking “Orchestrion” project. He consistently transcends stylistic boundaries and re-explores the technical possibilities of his instrument – be it with the Synclavier in the early years of electronic music or with innovative guitars like the 42-string Pikasso guitar.
As an educator, Metheny also sets standards: at just 18 years old, he becomes the youngest lecturer at the University of Miami, and a year later the youngest teacher at the Berklee College of Music, which awards him an honorary doctorate in 1996. Worldwide, he conducts workshops that inspire generations of young musicians.
For his work, Pat Metheny has received nearly all honors that the jazz world has to offer – including 20 Grammy Awards in various categories, three gold records, as well as induction into the DownBeat Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was additionally recognized as an NEA Jazz Master, the highest honor in American jazz.
As a passionate live musician, Metheny has been tirelessly touring the world for over five decades and plays more than a hundred concerts each year. In 2026, jazz fans and music lovers can also look forward to extraordinary evenings where the newly appointed label head Metheny not only presents his latest Side-Eye compositions but also outstanding new musical talents.
Doors open: 7:00 PM
Hallo, ich bin Maya.
