One of the most influential guitarists in the world, Pat Metheny has carved out a unique path over his career. After paying dues backing up Paul Bley and Gary Burton, he broke out in 1976 with his debut album Bright Size Life for ECM Records, soon founding the successful Pat Metheny Group. From there, the Missouri-born musician has explored world music, noise, and free jazz with collaborators such as Ornette Coleman, Carlos Santana, and John Zorn. Metheny also fearlessly embraces technology using synthesizers and his fully automated Orchestrion to augment his compositions.