First Circle is the fifth studio album by the Pat Metheny Group, released in 1984 on ECM Records. It was recorded in August 1984 at Power Station studios in New York. The lineup included Pat Metheny (guitars), Lyle Mays (pianos and synthesizers), Steve Rodby (bass), Dan Gottlieb (drums), and Pedro Aznar (vocals, bass, and percussion), who joined the group for the first time on a studio album.
The album won the Grammy Award in 1985 for Best Jazz Fusion Performance, marking the group's second consecutive Grammy. It stands out for incorporating elements of Brazilian and South American music, especially through Pedro Aznar's participation, and for the innovative use of synthesizers and complex rhythms.
First Circle is acclaimed for its cohesion and compositional maturity, with tracks like 'First Circle' and 'Minuano (Six Eight)' becoming classics in Metheny's repertoire. The production, co-directed by Metheny and Mays, reflects an evolution towards a more polished and global sound, while maintaining the essence of jazz fusion.