Home » Jazz Articles » Top Ten List » Pat Martino Top Ten Albums: More Than Meets The Eye
Pat Martino Top Ten Albums: More Than Meets The Eye
Courtesy John Kelman
John McLaughlin
guitarb.1942
John Abercrombie
guitar1944 - 2017
Pat Metheny
guitarb.1954
John Scofield
guitarb.1951
In a sixty-year career, interrupted for the guts of a decade by a near fatal brain aneurysm—see Ian Knox's documentary Martino Unstrung (Sixteen Films, 2008)—Martino recorded twenty-seven albums as leader for labels such as Prestige, Muse, Warner Bros. and Blue Note.
There were also over fifty outings as a sideman with
Richard "Groove" Holmes
organ, Hammond B31931 - 1991
John Handy
saxophoneb.1933
Sonny Stitt
saxophone1924 - 1982
Jimmy Heath
saxophone, tenor1926 - 2020
Woody Herman
band / ensemble / orchestra1913 - 1987
Stanley Clarke
bassb.1951
Joey DeFrancesco
organ, Hammond B31971 - 2022
Steeped in the tradition of
Wes Montgomery
guitar1923 - 1968
El HombrePrestige
1967
Pat Martino's debut recording as leader was, in fact, his second. A year before, in 1966, Martino had recorded an album for Vanguard Records with
Ron Carter
bassb.1937
Tommy Flanagan
piano1930 - 2001
Tony Williams
drums1945 - 1997
Larry Coryell
guitar1943 - 2017
Willis "Gator" Jackson
saxophone, tenor1932 - 1987
Jack McDuff
organ, Hammond B31926 - 2001
Don Patterson
organ, Hammond B31936 - 1988
A couple of months earlier, Martino had played on Pitts' own Prestige debut, Introducing the Fabulous Trudy Pitts (1967), and the Hammond B organist—a fellow Philadelphian—provides beautifully shimmering accompaniment throughout, displaying her own considerable chops on the smoking "A Blues For Mickey- O." Flautist
Danny Turner
saxophone, altob.1920
The session, however, is all about Martino, who wears his
Wes Montgomery
guitar1923 - 1968
Antonio Carlos Jobim
piano1927 - 1994
Baiyina (The Clear Evidence)Prestige
1968
After a slew of albums in the Hammond B, jazz-soul vein, including half a dozen with Jack McDuff, Martino admitted that he had grown tired of the format by the end of the '60s. Experimentation was the order of the day. If Wes Montgomery had influenced El Hombre, then the sounds of
Jimi Hendrix
guitar, electric1942 - 1970
Ravi Shankar
sitar1920 - 2012
The album's subtitle, A Psychedlic Excursion through the Magical Mysteries of the Koran, reflected the widespread interest in spiritualism and Eastern philosophies so prevalent in those times, though the not unrelated musical imprints of
John Coltrane
saxophone1926 - 1967
Miles Davis
trumpet1926 - 1991
Richard Davis
bass, acoustic1930 - 2023
Charlie Persip
drums1929 - 2020
As for Martino, he navigates the unusual time signatures with attacking lines that owe more to Coltrane and Shankar than Wes Montgomery.
Gregory Herbert
saxophone1947 - 1978
At the time, Downbeat's Leonard Feather awarded Baiyina a five-star review. It is possible that the estimable jazz critic was also on LSD at the time as Baiyina is far from a masterpiece. It is, however, a fascinating insight into Martino's evolution and stands as a unique entry in his discography.
DesperadoPrestige
1970
Almost two years passed between Baiyina and Martino's next album, Desperado, which might not seem like a long time, but in the interim Martino's sound had developed more avant-garde leanings. Playing twelve-string guitar throughout, Martino is joined by
Tyrone Brown
bassb.1940
Eddie Green
piano1933 - 2004
Sherman Ferguson
b.1944Martino's inventiveness, which seems inexhaustible, is heard to great effect on the ripping jazz funk of "Blackjack," where he solos for five mazy minutes. Another doozy on the bluesy "Dearborn Walk" and a breathless romp through
Sonny Rollins
saxophoneb.1930
John Scofield
guitarb.1951
Emily Remler
guitar1957 - 1990
Bobby Broom
guitarb.1961
Fareed Haque
guitarb.1963
Trey Anastasio
guitarThough Martino's soloing has the energy of rock, the language is unmistakably jazz, with a clear melodic logic. There is also a gentler side to his playing, as witnessed on the caressing ballad "A Portrait of Diana." "Express " caps an excellent album on a thrilling note, with visceral solos from Martino and Green.
Pat Martino Live!Muse
1974
There are only a handful of live recordings of Pat Martino, but this one from late '72—and his first as leader—is arguably the best. Leading up to the gig in at Fair City, New York, Martino, organist Ron Thomas and drummer Sherman Ferguson had played a heap of engagements around town with various bassists. For this recorded gig Martino's regular bassist, Tyrone Brown, made the date. The quartet's chemistry is pronounced.
By this point Martino had a reputation as one of the hottest guitarists around, and the good and the great turned up that night to see him, including
Ornette Coleman
saxophone, alto1930 - 2015
George Benson
guitarb.1943
Chuck Loeb
guitar1955 - 2017
There's no letting up in intensity on "The Great Stream," an apt title for Martino's relentless torrent of creativity, though there is also room for a fine solo from Thomas. A brilliant interpretation of Bobby Hebb's "Sunny" draws applause mid-solo as Martino pulls out all the stops in a bravura performance.
At just thirty-eight minutes long, there has to be more of this concert gathering dust in a can somewhere. If
Willis "Gator" Jackson
saxophone, tenor1932 - 1987
We'll Be Together Again Warner Bros.
1976
Martino was in the studio a lot in 1976, cutting no fewer than four albums, although Joyous Lake (Warner Bros) wouldn't be released until 1977. On February 10th '76, Martino recorded the quartet outing Exit (Muse) with pianist
Gil Goldstein
pianoRichard Davis
bass, acoustic1930 - 2023
Billy Hart
drumsb.1940
Goldstein's orchestral colors are the perfect foil for Martino, who is in quietly inspired form. The fifteen-minute suite "Open Road (Olee / Variations and Song / Open Road)" is an arresting union of Goldstein's bright chordal voicings and Martino's fluid, ever lyrical responses. The feel throughout, however, is aid back, with Martino's beautifully tender yet warm playing on Henry Mancini's sensual ballad "Dreamsville," a selection likely inspired by Wes Montgomery's 1963 version that featured minimalist organ comping from
Melvin Rhyne
organ, Hammond B31936 - 2013
Other highlights include "Lament," with Martino flitting effortlessly between bluesy restraint and darting runs, a gorgeous reading of "You Don't Know What Love Is" and a gently bluesy interpretation of the old chestnut "Willow Weep for Me." Goldstein takes a couple of brief solos, but his remit is chiefly one of supporting Martino in what amounts to arguably the most sensitive and moving playing of the guitarist's entire recorded oeuvre.
Joyous LakeWarner Bros.
1977
Martino's fusion outing Joyous Lake seemed to signal a new direction for the guitarist, though Starbright, (Warner Bros, 1976) with its eclectic mixture of styles ranging from rock to balladry and from post-bop and jazz-funk/fusion to acoustic, Shakti-influenced music, had already indicated a restlessness to explore new terrain. Joyous Lake is a more cohesive album stylistically, with Martino joined by brilliant young Berklee graduates, Delmar Brown on electric keyboards,
Mark Leonard
bass, acoustic
Kenwood Dennard
drumsPacy and intricate, there are shades of
Weather Report
band / ensemble / orchestra
Herbie Hancock
pianob.1940
Lyle Mays
keyboards1953 - 2020
The touring life of this exciting band was curtailed as Martino began to suffer severe headaches and, on one occassion, a seizure mid-performance—early warning signs of the trouble that lay ahead. But the record has stood the test of time, and for jazz-fusion fans anyway, it ranks as one of Martino's best.
Stone BlueBlue Note
1998
After another lengthy hiatus from the studio Martino recorded three albums in 1994 of mostly post-bop fare and ballads. All Sides Now (Blue Note, 1997) brought Martino together with a plethora of note-worthy guitarists, but that disjointed album, and the somewhat awkward sounding Indo-jazz outing Fire Dance (Mythos, 1997) (with
Zakir Hussain
tablas1951 - 2024
Perhaps the most satisfying recording of all Martino's '90s output is Stone Blue, a very urbane album that sounds unlike anything he had done before. Twenty-two years after Joyous Lake Martino is reunited with drummer
Kenwood Dennard
drums
James Genus
bassb.1966
Eric Alexander
saxophone, tenorb.1968
There's much to enjoy here, from the racing bop of "Uptown Down" and the slow-burning funk of "Stone Blue" to the breezy,
George Benson
guitarb.1943
Michael Hedges
guitar1953 - 1997
Martino tips a wink to his early days in the Hammond organ outfits led by
Jack McDuff
organ, Hammond B31926 - 2001
Don Patterson
organ, Hammond B31936 - 1988
Live at Yoshi'sBlue Note
2001
Even before recording with the organ combos of Willis 'Gator' Jackson and Jack McDuff, Martino had played with Philadelphian organist
Charles Earland
organ, Hammond B31941 - 1999
Joey DeFrancesco
organ, Hammond B31971 - 2022
Billy Hart
drumsb.1940
The format, as is generally the case with such combos, is unwavering, with Martino and Francesco alternating solos on every track, but the quality of the playing and the chemistry of the trio is terrific. Earland was nicknamed "The Mighty Burner" and DeFrancesco certainly steps into those shoes with sizzling performances on the bop-oriented tunes such as
Sonny Rollins
saxophoneb.1930
Martino seems inspired by DeFrancesco's fire, but the duo is at its most seductive on slower, brushes-steered fare, with the walking blues "All Blues," an especially tender version of "Blue in Green" and Martino's soulful ballad "Walking to A Prayer" serving up some special moments. The enthusiasm of the crowd contributes greatly to the atmosphere on what proved to be one of Martino's best sellers for years.
Nexus HighNote Records
2016
Only the second duo album by Pat Martino, this live recording with keyboardist
Jim Ridl
pianoMartino's playing on up-tempo numbers "Recollection" and
Sonny Rollins
saxophoneb.1930
John Coltrane
saxophone1926 - 1967
FormidableHighnote Records
2017
As it began with an organ combo, so too it ended. Fifty years after El Hombre, Martino took to the studio for what would be the final time, augmenting his latter-day organ trio of
Pat Bianchi
organ, Hammond B3b.1975
Adam Niewood
saxophoneb.1977
Whilst the palette may be enlarged, Martino sticks to what he knows best on this set of blues-based swing numbers, arresting ballads and post-bop burners. The easy swinging grooves of
Joey Calderazzo
pianob.1965
Hank Mobley
saxophone, tenor1930 - 1986
The quintet does raise some steam on Martino's bop-influenced "On the Stairs," but the real keepers, as so often with Martino, are the ballads. On
Charles Mingus
bass, acoustic1922 - 1979
Dave Brubeck
piano1920 - 2012
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Top Ten List
Pat Martino
Ian Patterson
john mclaughlin
John Abercrombie
pat metheny
John Scofield
Richard Groove Holmes
John Handy
Sonny Stitt
Jimmy Heath
Stanley Clarke
Joey DeFrancesco
Wes Montgomery
Ron Carter
Larry Coryell
Willis Jackson
Jack McDuff
Don Patterson
Trudy Pitts
Mitch Fine
Danny Turner
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Jimi Hendrix
Ravi Shankar
John Coltrane
Miles Davis
Richard Davis
Charlie Persip
Bobby Rose
Gregory Herbert
Tyrone Brown
Eddie Green
Sherman Ferguson
Sonny Rollins
Emily Remler
Bobby Broom
Fareed Haque
Trey Anastasio
Ornette Coleman
George Benson
Chuck Loeb
Willis 'Gator' Jackson
Gil Goldstein
Richard Davis
Billy Hart
Melvin Rhyne
Delmar Brown
Mark Leonard
Kenwood Dennard
Weather Report
Herbie Hancock
Pat Metheny Group
Lyle Mays
Zakir Hussain
James Genus
Eric Alexander
george benson
Michael Hedges
Charles Earland
Jim Ridl
Pat Bianchi
Carmen Intorre Jr.
Adam Niewood
Alex Norris Jr.
Joey Calderazzo
Hank Mobley
Charles Mingus
Dave Brubeck
Tony Williams
Tommy Flanagan
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