PAT MARTINO
Remember: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery
Blue
Note
The beauty of a Pat Martino album that is
a tribute to Wes Montgomery is that it is a perfect concept
that one already knows ahead of time will be perfectly executed.
Why? Because Martino is a master guitarist and a jazz stylist
who was not only influenced by Montgomery, but in whose
natural playing elements of Montgomery’s often surface.
Yet, because Martino is a stylist and incredibly accomplished
musician who can execute his musical ideas flawlessly thanks
to his total command of the guitar, he never comes across
as merely imitating another musician’s style.
On Remember: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery,
Martino and a talented group consisting of David Kikowki
on piano, John Patitucci on bass, Scott Allan Robinson on
drums and Danny Sadownick on percussion joyfully play their
way through ten tracks composed by or closely associated
with Montgomery. The style is natural to Martino, a Philadelphia-born
musician who developed his style during the soul-jazz years
of the 60s and for whom Montgomery was a guiding light.
Martino suffered a brain aneurysm in 1980 and had to completely
relearn the guitar, but you would never know if from listening
to this set. The driving highway groove of “Four on
Six” that opens the program immediately shows Martino
to be playing at a high point even for him. The group swings
hard on numbers like “Full House,” “Twisted
Blues,” “Road Song,” and “West Coast
Blues.” Kikowski’s playing is at a consistently
high level as well (check out his solo on “Twisted
Blues”), demonstrating that he is a great pianist
who deserves wider recognition. Patitucci and Robinson lock
together fiercely, with Sadownick providing nice touches
along the way.
On ballads, Martino shows admirable restraint
in striving to communicate the essence of the song in question
rather than displaying his considerable technique. “Heart
Strings” is a slow blues, and there’s plenty
of economy in Martino’s statement of the melody, as
well as in his soloing. He also demonstrates his mastery
of the blues and soul jazz style with which he is associated.
His version of “If I Should Lose You” is an
even more dramatic performance, one whose beauty comes largely
from Martino’s heartfelt interpretation and total
lack of artifice.
In many ways, Martino has outstripped his
idol, playing faster and, in some places, with more depth.
However, it is important to remember that Montgomery died
young, the victim of a heart attack generally attributed
to too much touring and the attendant lifestyle complications
that go with it (ie, poor diet, lack of exercise). His most
classic work was recorded for either Pacific Jazz (1958/59)
or Riverside (1959-63). After signing with Verve, he recorded
a couple of fine albums, including 1965’s Smokin’
at the Half Note, which is generally thought to be
one of jazz music’s classic live recordings. However,
much of his work for the label as well as subsequent A&M
work for Creed Taylor, was highly overproduced and presaged
the eventual ‘smooth’ approach that guitarists
like George Benson would also follow. Martino selects music
from Montgomery’s best years, the most swinging hard-bop-meets-soul
compositions in the guitarist’s canon. Remember
gives an idea of what Montgomery might have sounded like
playing these songs later in his life, had he survived and
not been pushed down an overtly commercial path. It’s
a hard-driving recording of particular interest to fans
of straightforward hard bop and soul jazz as well as to
fans and students of real jazz guitar artistry.
