Welcome to the official website of Grammy Award-winning composer, orchestrator, pianist and keyboardist Lyle Mays.

“I’m trying to reach people who speak the language. I assume a certain fluency in the imagined audience. If the listeners have never heard Brahms, or the Beatles, or Bird, they may not understand large chunks of my music, (even though they may enjoy the experience). I’m really aiming at the most well-listened and broad-minded listeners.”

LEGENDARY

"The first notes one heard on the first album we released, the White Album as so many have called it, were on an electric 12-string with an alternate tuning, That was followed by a giant autoharp chord. The first melody which followed was on fretless bass doubled with left-hand piano. Within seconds we had demonstrated that we were going to orchestrate the music like some kind of chamber ensemble.  At the height of fusion and narrow tie retro jazz, we sounded like nobody else. We played compositions not tunes. There was a kind of magical sweet spot involving Midwestern sincerity and Classical principles which probably required two precocious kids from the Midwest to find. I don’t know, I was just so thrilled to be on that wild ride."

— LYLE MAYS
(Co-founder of the Pat Metheny Group)

INNOVATOR

“I envisioned synths as expanding the sound palette, functioning as french horns, clarinets, string sections and all those many other exotic instruments that a young struggling band could not afford. I viewed synths as a way to express my orchestrational visions, not as a way for me to express my personal performance aspirations.”
- LYLE MAYS