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Pat Metheny Group is a jazz group founded in 1977 by jazz guitarist Pat Metheny known for their consistently recognizable yet eclectic sound, fusing elements of new jazz, fusion, heartland folk, Latin and other international styles. The music ranges from highly refined melodic and rhythmic excursions to lyrical tone poems, to avant-garde textures, and much more. Core members of the group are guitarist and leader Pat Metheny, keyboard player and pianist Lyle Mays, and bassist Steve Rodby, who joined in 1980. The group has had many additional personnel come and go over the years. Drummer Paul Wertico was a long lasting member of the group, whose tenure lasted from 1983 until 2001. The current members are Pat Metheny (guitars), Lyle Mays (piano and keyboards), Steve Rodby (double bass, electric bass), Antonio Sanchez (drums), Cuong Vu (trumpet), Grégoire Maret (harmonica, percussion, vocals) and Nando Lauria (guitar, percussion, vocals). Founder Pat Metheny came onto the jazz fusion scene in the mid-1970s with a pair of solo albums; the latter of these, 1977's Watercolors, featured keyboard player Lyle Mays. Metheny's follow-up album formalized this arrangement, featuring several songs co-written with Mays; the album was released as the self-titled Pat Metheny Group on the ECM record label. The second group album, American Garage (1980), was a breakout hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Jazz chart and crossing over onto the pop charts as well, largely on the strength of the u