Haden backs Metheny perfectly on this beautiful album. Look for Haden's perfect solos on Waltz for Ruth, and Message for a Friend. But the highlight of this recording is The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress. Haden has the keenest sense of harmony around. He grounds Metheny's complex chord voicings beautifully. Mostly strict duo but some tracks have comping overdubs.

This is easily one of Haden's most accessible recordings, and one of Pat's most straightforward efforts. Neophyte jazz fans can work on hearing the strong pulse that underlies these quiet pieces, often unstated, because there is no drummer. The danger for younger listeners is to think of this as merely background music because it isn't loud. In fact, there is a great deal going on musically that is not obvious on first hearing. Compositions are strong overall, but the main attraction of Beyond the Missouri Sky is the quiet interactions of two players who have a natural affinity for one another, the gorgeous tone Haden gets from upright bass, and the huge variety of tones and colors Metheny coaxes from his different instruments.