Article Contributed by The Press House
Published on January 9, 2026
SIDE-EYE III+ LAUNCHES METHENY’S NEW IMPRINT, UNIQUITY MUSIC
Pat Metheny has never been content to let his music live in one place, one style, or one era. Now, the acclaimed guitarist and composer is bringing his past, present, and future together under a single banner with the launch of his new record label, Uniquity Music, alongside the announcement of his first major studio album in six years, Side-Eye III+.
The album marks the inaugural release on Uniquity Music, which Metheny has created in partnership with Primary Wave, the parent company of Green Hill Music under the Sun Label Group umbrella. In addition to serving as the home for all of Metheny’s future releases, the new label will oversee reissues of his entire catalog dating back to Song X in 1984.
“My dream for years has been to have a place where all of my work, past and future, could live under a single umbrella — a label of my own,” Metheny says. “With the creation of Uniquity Music, that dream has now become a reality. In many ways, I feel like I am just beginning, and I expect the next period to represent the best of where music has led me so far.”
The debut release from the label arrives February 27 with Side-Eye III+, the latest evolution of Metheny’s Side-Eye project. First introduced as a platform to spotlight the next generation of exceptional young musicians, Side-Eye has grown into one of Metheny’s most forward-looking creative outlets.
At the core of Side-Eye III+ is a trio featuring Pat Metheny alongside keyboardist Chris Fishman and drummer Joe Dyson, the same lineup that has toured extensively around the world in recent years. But once the group entered the studio, Metheny realized the material was calling for a broader canvas.
“Once I got in the studio with the guys, I realized that while the trio concept was perfect for us as a live ensemble, the music I had written was asking for something bigger,” Metheny explains. “That is where the ‘+’ in Side-Eye III+ comes in.”
What followed was a dramatic expansion of the project, with Metheny adding fifteen additional musicians to the core trio. The album features contributions from bassist Daryl Johns, harpist Brandee Younger, percussionist Luis Conte, and a powerful vocal ensemble led by Mark Kibble of Take 6, resulting in a richly layered and expansive sonic world.
“He brought in an incredible group of singers,” Metheny says of Kibble. “Together, we found a sound that has a relationship to the Gospel tradition, but I think most people will hear the kinds of harmonies and melodies that identify it as mine right away.”
Recorded entirely in the studio, Side-Eye III+ pushes beyond the boundaries of the live Side-Eye format while retaining the exploratory spirit that defines the project. The result is a bold, panoramic statement that bridges generations, genres, and ensemble sizes — a fitting first chapter for Metheny’s new label era.
Fans can check out the visualizer for the album’s first single, “In On It”, now, with Side-Eye III+ arriving February 27 via Uniquity Music.
“Being part of the launch of Uniquity Music while helping usher in SIDE-EYE III+ makes this a special moment for Green Hill,” said Blake Davis, General Manager, Green Hill. “The album showcases Pat’s commitment to collaboration and discovery, and it reflects exactly the kind of thoughtful artistry we’re proud to support. Uniquity creates a home for that spirit to thrive, and we’re thrilled to begin this journey with him.”
Metheny adds, “Musicians often say their new record is their best, and I will take that risk here — this is one of the best records I have ever made.”
Metheny and the Side-Eye III+ band will embark on an extensive world tour throughout 2026.
“There is almost no way to replicate exactly what is on the record with just the trio, nor will that be the explicit goal on this next round,” Metheny says. “But the material on the record can be played a lot of different ways, which is always a good sign. I am already thinking ahead to the next stage of the Side-Eye thing, and the broader palette of this record plus my thoughts about what’s next gave me the idea of bringing in an incredible young bassist from California, Jermaine Paul, and the percussionist and vocalist Leonard Patton, who is a musician I have wanted to include in my thing for years. But the core of the band will remain Chris, Joe, and me — continuing what we have been working on together on the bandstand and in the studio during this really interesting musical time we have shared together.”
PAT METHENY: SIDE-EYE III+ WORLDWIDE TOUR DATES
3/2–3 – Jackson, MS – Duling Hall
3/5 – San Antonio, TX – The Charline McCombs Empire Theatre
3/6 – Austin, TX – The Paramount Theatre
3/7 – Houston, TX – Lillie and Roy Cullen Theater at Wortham Theater Center
3/8 – New Orleans, LA – Orpheum Theatre
3/10 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza Live
3/12-13 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – The Parker Playhouse
3/14 – Stuart, FL – The Lyric Theatre
3/15 – Naples, FL – Artis—Naples
3/16 – Clearwater, FL – The Capitol Theatre
3/17 – Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre
3/19 – Charlottesville, VA – The Paramount Theater
3/20 – Richmond, VA – The National
3/22 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
3/23 – Atlanta, GA – Atlanta Symphony Hall
3/24 – Charlotte, NC – Blumenthal Performing Arts Knight Theater
3/25 – Lexington, KY – Lexington Opera House
3/26 – Knoxville, TN – Big Ears Festival @ Tennessee Theatre
3/27 – Savannah, GA – Savannah Music Festival @ Lucas Theatre
3/29 – Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall
3/30 – Little Rock, AR – Robinson Center
3/31 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Performing Arts Center
4/1 – Dallas, TX – The Majestic Theatre
4/3 – St. Louis, MO – The Sheldon Concert Hall
4/4 – Kansas City, MO – Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
4/7 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
4/8 – Omaha, NE – Kiewit Concert Hall
4/9 – Madison, WI – Wisconsin Union Theater
4/10 – Indianapolis, IN – Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University
4/11 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
4/12 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater
4/14 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
4/15 – Newark, OH – Midland Theatre
4/16 – Columbia, MO – Missouri Theatre
4/17 – Chicago, IL – Symphony Center
4/18–19 – Minneapolis, MN – Dakota
4/21 – Ketchum, ID – Argyros Performing Arts Center
4/23–26 – Seattle, WA – Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley
4/27 – Vancouver, BC, Canada – The Centre in Vancouver For Performing Arts
4/28 – Portland, OR – Newmark Theater
4/29 – Eugene, OR – The John G. Shedd Institute For The Arts
5/1 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
5/2 – Sacramento, CA – Crest Theatre
5/3 – Santa Cruz, CA – Rio Theatre
5/4 – Los Angeles, CA – Walt Disney Concert Hall
5/5 – Santa Barbara, CA – Lobero Theatre
5/7 – Irvine, CA – Irvine Barclay Theatre
5/8 – San Diego, CA – Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay
5/9 – Chandler, AZ – Chandler Center for the Arts
6/6 – Flensburg, Germany – Deutsches Haus
6/7 – Lübeck, Germany – Musik-und Kongresshalle Lübeck
6/8 – Hamburg, Germany – Laeiszhalle
6/9 – Wroclaw, Poland – National Music Forum
6/12 – Katowice, Poland – National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra
6/13 – Warsaw, Poland – Palladium
6/15 – Berlin, Germany – Admiralspalast
6/17 – Munich, Germany – Isarphilharmonie
6/18 – Dortmund, Germany – Konzerhaus Dortmund
6/19 – Freiburg, Germany – Konzerthaus Freidburg
6/20 – Nuremberg, Germany – Serenadenhof
6/21 – Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhunderthalle Kuppelsaal
6/24 – Zürich, Switzerland – Volkshaus
6/29 – Wien, Austria – Wiener Konzerthaus
7/2 – Udine, Italy – Castello di Udine
7/5 – Rome, Italy – Cavea Auditorium Ennio Morricone
7/6 – Pompei, Italy – Anfiteatro degli scavi
7/7 – Giulianova, Italy – Arena del Porto Turstico
7/9 – Milano, Italy – Teatro degli Arcimboldi
7/18–19 – London, UK – Barbican
7/25 – Donostia, Spain – Kursaal
