All Artists: Pat Martino Title: Footprints Members Wishing: 3 Total Copies: 0 Label: 32. Jazz Records Release Date: 7/22/1997 Genres: Jazz, Pop Styles: Modern Postbebop, Bebop Number of Discs: 1 SwapaCD Credits: 1 UPC: 604123202121 |
Pat Martino Footprints Genres: Jazz, Pop
Even as a teenager, Pat Martino was already a fixture on the chitlin circuit and the Harlem jazz scene, where his rhythmic intensity, harmonic sophistication and horn-like melodic elisions sent all the young jazz guitarist... more » | |
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Amazon.com Even as a teenager, Pat Martino was already a fixture on the chitlin circuit and the Harlem jazz scene, where his rhythmic intensity, harmonic sophistication and horn-like melodic elisions sent all the young jazz guitarists scurrying back to the woodshed. Deeply influenced by the studied classicism of Johnny Smith and the bluesy rhythmic drive of Wes Montgomery, Martino defined his own musical turf on a series of albums for the Prestige and Muse labels (most tellingly on the eastern-flavored Baiyina [The Clear Evidence] and the hard swinging Live). But Footprints (originally issued as The Visit) may be the best of Martino's studio recordings, in part due to its dark, sensual recorded sound and the sublime rhythmic empathy of Richard Davis and Billy Higgins. On the title tune and Montgomery's "Road Song," Martino dances through the changes with the commanding intensity of horn giants such as Coltrane or Clifford Brown. Yet the standout tracks are a pair of deeply moving ballads ("What Are You Doing with the Rest of Your Life" and "How Insensitive"), where Martino evokes Montgomery's spirit by incorporating the old master's octave stylings into understated solos of incredible grace and lyric restraint. --Chip Stern Similar CDs
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CD ReviewsTasty choices richard frank | Irvington, New York | 12/17/1999 (4 out of 5 stars) "The release of this vintage album of the late 70's to CD shows why Pat Martino is to be revered as one of the greats of jazz guitar. Footprints has everything - classic ballads, Brazillian treats, uptempo tour de forces - all with the brilliant musicianship of Martino. This seminal guitarist, oft forgotten has been playing clubs again after a long U.S. hiatus. Footprints will introduce any jazz guitar fan to the type of treat rarely found in today's jazz recordings. Richard Davis on bass and Billy Higgins on drums can't be beat- end of story - and the arrangements here are so sweet you will find yourself playing this disc time and again. Savor these tunes!" This is It Lefty O'doul | 08/11/2001 (5 out of 5 stars) "Far and away Pat Martino's greatest recording and one of the most exhilarating jazz recordings ever. Rarely will you hear the improvised line played so fast while still retaining precise grace and lyricism. Reminiscent not so much of Coltrane's "sheets of sound", but something more on the line of cascading pearls. Both uptempo numbers and the elegant ballad "What Are You Doing For the Rest of Your Life" are built up layer by layer with Pat's gorgeous guitar tone, possibly enhanced by his use of extra heavy gauge strings. By the time you reach the final cut, "Alone Together" you'll be, as a guitar player, on your knees muttering "Merciful God in Heaven, how does one get there?". Never has Pat been recorded with such a sympathetic rhythm section - the multi-directional but sensitive drumming of Billy Higgins, the power and finesse of Richard Davis on bass, and most of all the exquisite, subtle chord colorings by Bobby Rose on rhythm guitar." Jazz for the Desert Island greg DOBROV | chicago, IL USA | 06/17/2006 (5 out of 5 stars) "Everyone has a few, a very few, "cosmic" recordings that changed the way they view music and the world. Pat Martino's "The Visit" (here renamed "Footprints", probably for better recognition) is such a recording for me. For one, the core of this recording is the interplay of two guitars. Virtuosos like McLaughlin and Martino sound especially good when their fire is allowed to blend with another guitar. From the Latin cooker "The Visit" to the world-class bopper "Road Song" we get a hot update on Wes with a hint of the outside, thanks to bassist Richard Davis. In the late sixites we were used to hearing the spooky and adventurous sounds of this man (a favorite of mine is Coltrane's "Nature Boy" where Davis and Garrison fill the room with bass). Most impressive are the fragile and deeply pensive ballads, especially "What are you Doing the Rest of Your Life?" Anyone who thinks Martino is just a machine-gunner with no lyricism in him MUST check out this record. This is beyond stars, it is a milestone."
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