Pat Metheny was born on August 12, 1954, in Kansas City into a musical family and switched from trumpet to guitar at the age of 12. During his three-year collaboration with vibraphonist Gary Burton, the young musician developed his distinctive playing style, which combines the flexible articulation of wind players with advanced rhythmic and harmonic sensitivity. With his debut album Bright Size Life (1975), he reinvented the traditional "jazz guitar" sound for a new generation of players.

Metheny has won three Gold albums and 20 Grammy Awards and is the only person to have received Grammys in 10 different categories. He was inducted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame in 2013, making him only the fourth guitarist alongside Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, and Django Reinhardt. Throughout his career, Pat Metheny has redefined the genre by utilizing new technologies and continuously developing the improvisational and sonic potential of his instrument.