Guitarist artist/pat-martinos-mn0000792583">Pat Martino's debut every bit a leader finds the 22-year-old showing off his roots inwards soul-jazz organ groups piece looking ahead at the same time. Joined yesteryear organist artist/trudy-pitts-mn0000022041">Trudy Pitts, flutist artist/danny-turner-mn0000674336">Danny Turner, drummer artist/mitch-fine-mn0000547190">Mitch Fine, as well as both artist/abdu-johnson-mn0000547604">Abdu Johnson as well as artist/vance-anderson-mn0000659490">Vance Anderson on percussion, artist/martino-mn0000792583">Martino primarily plays a straight-ahead laid (five of his originals, "Just Friends," as well as "Once I Loved"), but already displays a fairly distinctive sound. This CD reissue brings dorsum artist/martinos-mn0000792583">Martino's impressive start to what would hold out a productive solo career.
Pat Martino was merely 22 when he stepped through the hallowed doors of Rudy Van Gelder’s Englewood Cliffs studio to tape his showtime appointment every bit a leader. H5N1 veteran of a serial of cracking bands—particularly the organ groups of Brother Jack McDuff, Jimmy Smith, as well as Richard Groove Holmes—the small-scale fry knew the blues. And he had speed.
El Hombre is an organ-drenched speedfest that shows off this Philly kid’s might to play soulfully, spinning out seemingly endless solos shot through amongst blueish notes, flatted fifths, as well as thirty-second runs. It was Martino’s calling card, as well as this was his party. And it is, appropriately, a proficient time.
The Martino storey can’t hold out told without a cry of his 1980 encephalon aneurysm, which resulted inwards amnesia as well as a total loss of his legendary guitar skills. In the next 7 years, Martino listened to his ain records as well as retaught himself how to play, renewing his astonishing technique as well as bringing to it the sheen of experience. You imagine that, inwards copping his ain riffs, Pat Martino could get got done no improve than listening to El Hombre at cracking length.
The personnel on this debut is neither imposing nor disappointing. Trudy Pitts is (to this day) a strong Philly Hammond player, as well as hither she gets to devise dozens of settings for Martino’s taking-on-the-word sound. Danny Turner, from McDuff’s group, plays tasty flute on some selections. Mitch Fine is the drummer, amongst two-hand percussion on board for season on tunes that swing inwards three, four, as well as six. The band keeps upwardly amongst the kid, as well as that’s plenty.
In 1967 Martino came out of the pocketbook amongst a rich history of recent style-changing players—always-always Wes Montgomery, but also Grant Green as well as Kenny Burrell. Martino sounds inwards some ways similar his contemporary, George Benson, inwards the fluid means that he translates Montgomery’s impulses into something to a greater extent than insistent and, if possible, prettier. On a Latin handling of Jobim’s “Once I Loved”, Martino plays Wes-style octaves, but he also unfurls gorgeous runs that start on the depression E-string as well as force upward similar rising water. On “A Blues for Mickey-O”, Martino is smack-dab inwards the pump of the blues, as well as he has the wisdom non to rush also much. His solo chop-chop gets into the effective role of repeated phrases, as well as he makes a dot of non playing to a greater extent than fancy bop changes than a immediately blues tin bear. There’s merely plenty seize amongst teeth to his assault that y'all hear something contemporary, but at that topographic point are also echoes of onetime tunes such every bit “Teach Me Tonight”. When he moves to the Wes octaves over again for a span of climaxing choruses, it feels alright.
More often, though, at that topographic point is the immature cat’s incredible speed. On “Waltz for Geri”, Martino seems to get got a bottomless pocketbook of ideas, as well as he yanks them out ane after the other without seeming to get got a breath. Amazingly few of them audio similar regurgitated practise patterns. Rather, they come upwardly out similar shards of potential songs, actual compositions inwards motion. No other soloist dares to play on the song.
The championship rails is a tune inwards 6/8 that may fifty-fifty hold out slightly faster. The tune is articulated every bit harmony amongst the flute, amongst the manus percussion percolating beneath every bit incitement to riot. Martino comes out of the gate amongst harmonic conception as well as beat on his mind, wrapping licks roughly the insistent organ figure amongst abandon. The flute solo adds color as well as precision earlier the tight tune returns. “Cisco” as well as “One for Rose” swing up-tempo too, inwards four, amongst the same formula making for cracking listening. “Just Friends” drops the flute but also gallops through the changes, amongst Martino playing every bit fluently every bit on whatever blues. When he rips downwards from a high banker's complaint amongst a small-scale border of distortion amidst the speed, you’re able to recapture what must get got seemed as well as thus special nigh this small-scale fry inwards 1967—he was an unabashed jazz guitarist who played amongst a youthful abandon without seeming to defect from the tradition.
There is ane previously unissued rails on the destination of El Hombre this fourth dimension out, a Martino ballad called “Song for my Mother”. Pitts sounds a flake overdramatic here, coloring the rattling ho-hum melody, as well as Turner’s flute seems out of house playing unison amongst Martino on such a lugubrious line. Still, when Martino begins to solo, at that topographic point is gilt inwards the means he rises upwardly into a chord and, later, when he gently swings the band amongst octaves. This form of rails is never what this flag-waving album is going to hold out remembered for, but it’s proficient to know that the immature Philly axe-wielder has to a greater extent than on his heed than the Indy 500.
As always, Rudy Van Gelder’s audio is exceptional, as well as the remastering keeps the album crisp as well as urgent. Today, Pat Martino is fully recovered from his amnesia as well as playing improve than ever. El Hombre deserves to hold out heard yesteryear novel fans every bit good every bit onetime ones. Many a immature guitarist today volition hold out stunned as well as jealous, I’m sure, of how fresh this forty year-old music nevertheless sounds.
Track listing
All compositions yesteryear Pat Martino except every bit indicated- "Waltz for Geri" - 6:21
- "Once I Loved" (artino - 1967 [2007] El Hombre">Ray Gilbert, artino - 1967 [2007] El Hombre">Antonio Carlos Jobim, artino - 1967 [2007] El Hombre">VinÃcius de Moraes) - 5:42
- "El Hombre" - 5:57
- "Cisco" - 4:29
- "One for Rose" - 4:54
- "A Blues for Mickey-O" - 8:02
- "artino - 1967 [2007] El Hombre">Just Friends" (artino - 1967 [2007] El Hombre">John Klenner, artino - 1967 [2007] El Hombre">Sam M. Lewis) - 5:47
Personnel
- artino" title="Learn Pat Martino - 1967 [2007] El Hombre">Pat Martino - artino - 1967 [2007] El Hombre">guitar
- Danny Turner - artino - 1967 [2007] El Hombre">flute
- artino - 1967 [2007] El Hombre">Trudy Pitts - artino - 1967 [2007] El Hombre">organ
- Mitch Fine - artino - 1967 [2007] El Hombre">drums
- Vance Anderson - artino - 1967 [2007] El Hombre">bongos
- Abdu Johnson - artino - 1967 [2007] El Hombre">congas
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