Search - Pat Martino :: East! (Mlps)

An Early Piece of Brilliant Musicianship From Pat Martino

Mark A. Daniels | Waterford, CT United States | 06/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'll try to keep this short, as some of my reviews tend to be somewhat over the top, but it won't be easy. Here goes: I started listening to Pat when I was 16 and just a wanna be guitar kid. I'm now 46, and Pat has been with me the the entire time. The things that most impressed me on the first album I got of Pat's, "Exit", holds true for nearly all of his other work, especially East. His playing, the long , seemless, flowing, rhtymically precise lines were, and still are, absolutely extraordinary. Considering his age at the time of recording youth, (early 20's), he plays as a virtuoso, without hesition, and without showing off. He plays a lot of swing eights, and the music on East really soars, and the bass and drums are right with him, not intrusive, but not invisible.
I like some of the newer, more "fashionably hip" players such as Steve Vai, Eric Johnson and the like, and they, like Pat are signature players, i.e. you know them when you hear them. But among guitar players, speed has become a priority over the other elements of music that Pat had already mastered in his late teens, that is, rhytmic sense, phrasing of passages, melody (not laking in Eric Johnson, just a different sensibility), harmonic structure of solos over chords. Most important, what Pat had the advantage of, and learned very profoundly, was how to make his music SWING. He had a very close mentor-like relationship with Wes Montgomery, was friends with Les Paul, was in bands with the likes of Stanely Turrentine, and many other great jazz men. Most of this happened while he was still in his teens. I think that in part, a substantial part, his trading licks with Wes and friends became central to his own style. Wes and Tal Farlow sure could play fast, but that was never at the expense of the overall sound of the music they were playing. If you listen to some of Wes's or Tal, or Kenny Burrell, e.g. you can hear the swing that started with Charlie Christian, the melodic invention and tasteful speed of Django Reinhardt, and the influences of the great tenor players, s.a. Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, and of course, John Coltrane. Pat was a child of these parents, and went on to develop and refine his own style and sound, which to me, still swings like a good hard bop player should. I highly recommend East and (all of Pat's recordings) Deperado for some early musical gifts from Pat Martino."

One of the best guitar albums of all time

Stifrok Paeters | Spokane, Wa USA | 08/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is truly one of the "essential" jazz guitar albums of all time. Martino's lines, phrasing, and even tone are so unique and true to the language of jazz that one is left speechless. My only qualms are with the mic- ing and balance of the recording in some spots and the fact that the piano is horribly out of tune; Martino's playing is so good, though, that you wont even care about the piano after a while. Highlights are Coltrane's "Lazy Bird" where Pat takes chorus after chorus of intense, melodic and very fast solo; and "Park Avenue Petite" where Pat's ability to make the most of a ballad really shines. A must for jazz guitar fans and especially students of jazz Guitar!!!"

Superb Recording

greg DOBROV | chicago, IL USA | 05/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is vintage Martino, but with one special virtue: good sound. Often, in my opinion, Pat's guitar sounds muffled and will tend to get buried in the mix. On East! you hear the pick strike the strings and you can really tell that he's playing a steel-string hollow body with heavy guage strings and high action (using a super heavy pick). The title track is an mesmerizing journey, a bit like Consciousness from the album of the same name: bebop, free bop and a touch of rock and latin thrown in. Five stars!"