As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls
Encyclopedia
As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls is a collaborative album by Pat Metheny
and Lyle Mays
, released in 1981. The title makes reference to Wichita, Kansas
and Wichita Falls, Texas
. The title tune clocks in at just under 21 minutes.
It is one of the only albums where Metheny not only acts as both the lead and accompanying guitarist but also the bassist, as each track uses fair amounts of overdubbing
. The track "September Fifteenth" is in reference to September 15, 1980, the day the American jazz pianist Bill Evans
died. Metheny and Mays cite Evans as a main influence.
Pat Metheny
Patrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects...
and Lyle Mays
Lyle Mays
Lyle Mays is an American jazz pianist and composer from Wausaukee, Wisconsin. He is best known for his work with guitarist Pat Metheny as a member of the Pat Metheny Group...
, released in 1981. The title makes reference to Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
and Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
. The title tune clocks in at just under 21 minutes.
It is one of the only albums where Metheny not only acts as both the lead and accompanying guitarist but also the bassist, as each track uses fair amounts of overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
. The track "September Fifteenth" is in reference to September 15, 1980, the day the American jazz pianist Bill Evans
Bill Evans
William John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
died. Metheny and Mays cite Evans as a main influence.
Track listing
Personnel
- Lyle MaysLyle MaysLyle Mays is an American jazz pianist and composer from Wausaukee, Wisconsin. He is best known for his work with guitarist Pat Metheny as a member of the Pat Metheny Group...
- piano, synthesizer, organ, autoharp - Pat MethenyPat MethenyPatrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects...
- electric and acoustic six and twelve string guitars, bass - Nana VasconcelosNaná VasconcelosNaná Vasconcelos is a Brazilian Latin jazz percussionist, vocalist and berimbau player, most notable for his works with Pat Metheny, Don Cherry, Egberto Gismonti, and Gato Barbieri....
- barimbau, percussion, drums, vocals
Charts
Album - Billboard| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Jazz Albums | 1 |
| 1981 | Pop Albums | 50 |
Trivia
- The slight deviation of the name of the album is heard repeatedly as a line from the movie The Ice HarvestThe Ice HarvestThe Ice Harvest is a 2005 dark comedy/drama film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Richard Russo and Robert Benton, based on the novel of the same name by Scott Phillips. It stars John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Connie Nielsen, Randy Quaid, and Oliver Platt...
. The line in the movie is, "As Wichita Falls, So Falls Wichita Falls," rather than, "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls."
- In the anti-nuclear movie "Dark Circle", during the discussion of the Diablo Canyon Power PlantDiablo Canyon Power PlantDiablo Canyon Power Plant is an electricity-generating nuclear power plant at Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County, California. The plant has two Westinghouse-designed 4-loop pressurized-water nuclear reactors operated by Pacific Gas & Electric. The facility is located on about in Avila Beach,...
nuclear reactors' earthquake supports for the cooling system having been installed backwards, part of the song "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls" plays. The song is also mentioned in the movie's ending credits.
- The spoken words "38, 42, 55, 3" in the title track occur at 14:38, 14:42, 14:55, and 15:03 into the recording. An excerpt from this track was chosen in 1988 as a sound effect to a Fragrance TV-commercial (Fahrenheit by Christian Dior), which made it more recognizable to the audience as the Fahrenheit music track.
- The songs "September 15th" and "It's for You" were featured in the Kevin Reynolds film FandangoFandangoFandango is a lively couple's dance, usually in triple metre, traditionally accompanied by guitars and castanets or hand-clapping . Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has an instrumental introduction followed by "variaciones"...
.
- "It's for You" was featured in WWOR-TVWWOR-TVWWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
's "Community Calendar" commercial during the 1980s and 1990s.
- According to Pat Metheny, the titles of the album and title track came from jazz musician Steve Swallow.
- Akiko YanoAkiko Yanois a Japanese pop and jazz musician and singer. She was born as Akiko Suzuki in Tokyo and raised in Aomori, Aomori, and later began her singing career in the mid-1970s...
, a Japanese jazz vocalist and pianist, covered "It's for You" with Pat Metheny in her album Welcome Back (1989).