“Lemon curry?”

[ DAVID BLAMIRES ]

Where you aware of Lyle before joining the Pat Metheny Group?

I most certainly was. In 1978 I saw PMG on a PBS afternoon show, it was the era of the PMG first album. They played “Phase Dance” and “San Lorenzo” and “Jaco” and other stuff from that album. I was mesmerized. The music completely floored me, & resonated with me so much. I loved it. And here were these guys kinda looking like hippies, and the pianist/keyboardist really stood out (it was Lyle of course). What fluid, emotional, beautiful playing. And he really was quite striking, with the hair etc, and I’d say he had incredible star quality. I was transfixed.

I was a passionate fan of PMG going forward after that. I bought all the albums, and Pat’s solo albums. I recall hearing As Falls Wichita… and nearly losing my mind I loved it so much, start to finish. Then Offramp. But First Circle really blew my mind, I still say it’s my favorite PMG album, and this is from a guy who’s on 3 of them. It’s a masterpiece. And Lyle is so very much a huge component in the DNA of all that music. So yes, I was very much aware of Lyle before joining PMG in 1986.

What were your impressions meeting Lyle the first time?

I was a very enthusiastic fan of the group and of Lyle, I’d listened to all the music for many years, and seen the band quite a few times live. So to walk into that Waltham warehouse and meet and play a couple of tunes with those guys was surreal. We forget things throughout life, but I’ll never forget that evening. My admiration for Lyle as a musician has been clearly delineated (I have a distinct memory of him using that word semi-frequently, it’s funny what you remember sometimes), but "off the bandstand” he was a super friendly, chill, amiable, funny, considerate guy. He had wonderful energy, personality-wise and physically, always up for throwing a frisbee or tossing a ball. I have a very distinct memory of he and I playing catch with a hardball and gloves in a Tucson hotel parking lot. How we came to have a ball and gloves on tour I can’t remember. I also have a very strong memory of tossing a frisbee for an hour or so in a cavernous exhibition hall in El Paso between sound check and the gig.

And during July ‘87 Lyle and I kicked a soccer ball back and forth around midnight on the streets of Catania in Sicily. Just for fun, uncomplicated fun. He was very athletic. He was very welcoming and supportive towards me. We hung out quite a bit on this first tour. The gigs were very intense - this is not a band for the undisciplined and unserious about music. But offstage - traveling, hotels etc - he was a blast.

It was also a very humorous environment. I could write a book about the non-stop irreverence, on every concert tour certainly, and at times during the album recording sessions. Lyle was a Monty Python fan (who isn’t?) so he and I were definitely on the same wavelength. There is an episode in which, completely out of nowhere, John Cleese looks at the camera and randomly asks “Lemon curry?” - so during a vehicle ride between somewhere and somewhere, I was gazing out the window and abruptly and randomly said “Lemon curry??” I recall Lyle howling with laughter and for the rest of the day and onward, we would periodically look at each other and ask .. “lemon curry??” There are many many other memories of moments similar to this.

Another anecdote. We were driving from Keene NH to New London CT on the brief pre-Still Life tour - it was Feb ‘87 - and he and Steve Rodby and I were chatting and laughing in the van, and somehow Reagan’s bold proclamation “No Soviet beachhead in Central America!!” became “No Soviet BEACHHOUSE in Central America!!” … I have such a fond memory of us howling with laughter as we hurtled southward through Connecticut on I-395.

Humor humor humor … this was such a wonderful component to our friendship. Between everyone in the band actually.

What made Lyle such a special musician?

That’s kind of impossible to answer. I don’t know if I’ve ever crossed paths with a musician of his gift. His unprecedented originality and pure musical genius never, ever failed to absolutely blow my mind. Anyone who has heard PMG or Lyle’s solo albums (oh wow, don’t get me started on Lyle’s solo stuff) will know and sense the transcendence of his musical gift. But to be around that, to witness it and to be a part of it on stage and in the studio, is indescribable. Just imagine. That’s all I can say about that for now.

Did anything surprise you about Lyle?

I think I could only say that .. as a super fan before becoming involved with the group, because I perceived Lyle as such a musical genius (he certainly was) and I was in such awe, I might have had this subconscious presumption that personality-wise he would be eccentric, reclusive, aloof. I don’t know where this strange presumption came from. Before I met him and started playing music with him, he was like a god to me. But he certainly wasn’t difficult to get to know, he was very chill and fun and friendly. There was a solid and constant social and friendship bond. I can hardly claim to be as close to him as others, but we had a tangible connection, a lot of it based on humor, and I’m very very grateful for that. I learned so much from him.

Can you share in any “Lyle” moments recording the vocals on those PMG albums?

A lot of time has passed since those sessions (Still Life Talking was 1987, We Live Here was 1994, Imaginary Day was 1997). The almighty trio of Pat/Lyle/Steve were the behind-the-controlroom-glass decision makers, producers. The musical and vocal direction given to Mark Ledford and I was provided by all three of them, so it’s hard to recall or specify any particular Lyle moments. He was very intuitive and helpful in describing how to convert his and Pat’s melodies into vocal phrasing and attitude.

PS: I just remembered something else .. this was hilarious … Lyle used to frequently call me “Davidip”, riffing on the Sri Chinmoy affected name modifications of John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana (Devadip..) etc .. so funny ..