April 14 – August 16, 1994 The first emails

CompuServe, 1994: “Is this Patrick Bruce Metheny?”

CompuServe email, from Baltimore

On the night of April 14, 1994, Sean sent a CompuServe message to an account listed as “PAT B METHENY,” asking whether it really was Pat. He was working toward a Doctorate of Music at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, researching a dissertation on odd meters with a volume planned on Pat’s music, and he mentioned that he played jazz on the bassoon.

Pat answered the next evening: “sure, ask away.” Over the following four months Sean sent the list of tunes he hoped to discuss, Pat wrote back while “working like crazy now on a new record” (one reply went out at 3:10 AM), and by August he was asking Sean for a phone number. Sean kept the printouts in a folder marked “Metheny.” Every email visible in those photos is transcribed here, in order.

The conversation that started on CompuServe in 1994 has continued, on and off, by email ever since.

Transcribed from Sean Fenlon's 1994 printouts (photographed). CompuServe user IDs are replaced with [address redacted]. A few words cut off at the edges of the original printouts have been filled in.

Email 1 of 7 April 14, 1994 · Sean to Pat Metheny

FROM:: Sean P. Fenlon, [address redacted]
TO:: PAT B METHENY, [address redacted]
DATE:: 4/14/94 9:56 PM
Re:: Copy of: Odd-Meter

Is this Patrick Bruce Metheny? Born Lee's Summit, Mo. - 8/12/54? Taught @ Berklee before age 30?

If not, my apologies. I was only taking a shot in the dark.

If so, my hopes and dreams have come true. I am student working toward a Doctorate of Music here in Baltimore at the Peabody Conservatory of Music. I have begun researching my dissertation which will be on the use of ODD METERS in western music. An entire volume will be devoted to studying the music of Pat Metheny and I was hoping for the opportunity to ask a few simple question to the composer. Any luck?

Sean

p.s. I have studied composition for years with the great Hank Levy (arranger for Stan Kenton and Don Ellis orchestras), a pioneer in the use of exotic time signatures. Also, I'm a bassoonist (yes I can play jazz on bassoon).

Sean’s printout, deskewed and contrast-adjusted only. IDs blacked out.

Email 2 of 7 April 15, 1994 · Pat Metheny to Sean

FROM:: Pat Metheny, [address redacted]
TO:: Sean P. Fenlon, [address redacted]
DATE:: 4/15/94 7:02 PM
Re:: Odd-Meter

sure, ask away, i'm gonna be off line most of next week but will try to respond.

bestfrom pat m

Sean’s printout, deskewed and contrast-adjusted only. IDs blacked out.

Email 3 of 7 April 15, 1994 · Sean to Pat Metheny

FROM:: Sean P. Fenlon, [address redacted]
TO:: PAT B METHENY, [address redacted]
DATE:: 4/15/94 10:56 PM
Re:: Copy of: More Odd Meter-N-Stuff

I'm sure you remember the very first time that you made "contact" with one of your real music heroes, so you know how exciting this is for me.

I was first introduced to your music by Hank Levy. He played for me a recording of the North Texas State Lab Band playing their arrangement of "First Circle." I will forever consider that day a turning point in my entire musical life. I was so floored by the construction of the tune that I knew that that was the musical language I wanted to use in my own compositions. My very first big band chart soon followed (all in 13/8 of course). Hank called it a masterpiece. I've been writing odd-meter ever since.

I've been working my way towards a Doctorate by selling very high-end stereo equipment. Through the years I've used your CDs to demo the sophisticated equipment. The customers usually want to know who they're hearing.

If it is O.K., I would like to make up a text file with a list of specific questions, but I wanted to be sure that I didn't fatigue your typing (or your patience). A quick phone conversation could provide a wealth of information for me - which means a kick-ass dissertation.

Here are the tunes I was hoping we could talk about:

First Circle Song for Bilbao Have you Heard 45/8 Sueno Con Mexico Finding and Believing The Epic Minuano Third Wind The Red One

I'm also studying your solo on Dave Holland's "Shadow Dance" that was recorded live on to Laserdisc at the Mellon Jazz Festival (I could only get it as an import from Japan but it was worth it!)

Pat, thanks so much for offering to help. You've really made my decade. With as much musical territory as you cover, you're bound to start using new instruments in your writing. I hope you'll keep me in mind. I represent one of maybe a dozen bassoonists in the world that is fluent in the symphonic rep as well as bebop, fusion, third-stream, whatever. Cool jazz, too.

p.s. Do you know the music of Don Ellis?

Handwritten on the printout, not part of the email: check marks beside several tune titles, “(6/8)” beside Minuano, and a circle around “solo on Dave Holland's ‘Shadow Dance.’”

First page of Sean's April 15, 1994 message, subject “Copy of: More Odd Meter-N-Stuff,” cut off at the right edge and bottom of the photo

Second page of Sean's April 15 message: the list of ten Metheny tunes, with handwritten check marks and “(6/8)” beside Minuano

Sean’s printout, deskewed and contrast-adjusted only. IDs blacked out.

Email 4 of 7 April 26, 1994 · Sean to Pat Metheny

FROM:: Sean P. Fenlon, [address redacted]
TO:: PAT B METHENY, [address redacted]
DATE:: 4/26/94 10:55 PM
Re:: Copy of: back online?

Hello Pat,

Just checking to see that you're still out there.

Printout of Sean's April 26, 1994 message, subject “Copy of: back online?”

Sean’s printout, deskewed and contrast-adjusted only. IDs blacked out.

Email 5 of 7 April 27, 1994 · Pat Metheny to Sean

FROM:: Pat Metheny, [address redacted]
TO:: Sean P. Fenlon, [address redacted]
DATE:: 4/27/94 3:10 AM
Re:: back online?

hi sean,

still here but just barely- working like crazy now on a new record and almost no time for anything but- will still try to reply to your stuff when i can....

best from pat m

On this printout the words “will still try to reply” fall off the right edge; they are read from Sean's second printout of Pat's replies, where the line wraps differently.

Printout of Pat Metheny's April 27, 1994 reply sent at 3:10 AM: “still here but just barely- working like crazy now on a new record”

Sean’s printout, deskewed and contrast-adjusted only. IDs blacked out.

Email 6 of 7 Undated, spring or summer 1994 · Pat Metheny to Sean

[Header not visible in the photo]

hi sean,

well this is gonna be hard only cause i've got so little time- working about 18 hours a day and just have time to look at my email and sleep. when is your deadline- might be easier and faster for me to do this by phone sometime. i'm willing to participate in these questions but would be faster for me to just tell you the answers rather than to write em. don't know exactly when i'd be able to do THAT either but if your deadline is far enough away maybe we can do it.

best from pat m

The header of this reply is not in any of the photos, so its date is unknown. It is placed here because it follows the April 27 reply on Sean's printout of Pat's messages.

Printout of an undated reply from Pat Metheny beginning “hi sean, well this is gonna be hard,” photographed at an angle

Sean’s printout, deskewed and contrast-adjusted only. IDs blacked out.

Email 7 of 7 August 16, 1994 · Pat Metheny to Sean

FROM:: Pat Metheny, [address redacted]
TO:: Sean P. Fenlon, [address redacted]
DATE:: 8/16/94 2:53 AM
Re:: Happy Birthday!!!

thanks sean,

yeah, i'm back and would like to try to get to you in the next few weeks before we go back in the studio again. could you leave me a number and what times are generally good for you?

best from pat m

Printout of Pat Metheny's August 16, 1994 reply, subject “Happy Birthday!!!,” asking Sean to leave a phone number

Sean’s printout, deskewed and contrast-adjusted only. IDs blacked out.

A manila file folder with “Metheny” handwritten on the tab, holding the printout of Sean's April 14, 1994 message — Sean’s folder for the printouts, labeled “Metheny” by hand. Contrast-adjusted only; IDs blacked out.