20-time Grammy winner Pat Metheny inks deal with BMG’s new label imprint

Jazz guitarist and composer Pat Metheny has signed a new recording agreement with Modern Recordings, one of BMG’s newest label imprints, launched last November.

The signing marks Metheny’s first new label deal in 20 years, following his time with Warner Music’s imprint Nonesuch Records.

He now joins a growing artist roster at Modern Recordings, the new home for classical and jazz-adjacent acts. The artist roster includes Scottish composer Craig Armstrong, producer Robot Koch, and composer and conceptual artist Hendrik Weber aka Pantha du Prince.

Pat Metheny is one of the most prolific music acts of his time, having released over forty albums since 1974 and picking up 20 Grammy Awards along the way. In fact, Metheny is the only artist to be awarded Grammys in 12 different categories, including Best Rock Instrumental, Best Contemporary Jazz Recording, Best Jazz Instrumental Solo, and Best Instrumental Composition, among others.

Pat Metheny said, “Music is infinite and open. I have never felt limited by any of the cultural issues that live on the perimeter of the mission at hand. The quest that Modern Recordings is undertaking intersects perfectly with the kind of musician that I aspire to be.

“I am so excited to be able to continue the research under the auspices of this excellent team of people who love music without boundaries in the same way that I do.”

Check out Pat Metheny’s song ‘America Undefined’:

Christian Kellersmann, SVP Modern Recordings, said, “It’s a big pleasure and honor to welcome Pat Metheny to Modern Recordings. Since his first album in 1976 he has developed a unique career as a musician, composer and as an artist, who has been always searching for new musical experiences. I am excited that he follows this path on his new album Road to the Sun, which opens another new chapter in his oeuvre.”

Fred Casimir, BMG EVP Global Repertoire & Marketing added, “We launched Modern Recordings exactly a year ago with a vision to reimagine the jazz and classical world for the streaming age. There could be no better way to celebrate the first anniversary of Modern Recordings than to sign Pat Metheny, one of the standout musicians of the past half century. We are delighted to welcome him to BMG.”

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.