Pat Martino

[MrPelicano]

I've mentioned this to someone on the Jazz Guitar Forum already but thought I might throw it out there for the rest of you intrepid transcribers of oblique licks.

On Pat Martino's "Baiyina (The Clear Evidence)" album, he plays this incredible lick starting at around the 17th bar in the song "Israfel". It's the primary head riff leading into Pat's first extended solo, and he refrains it a couple times before the coda of this rather lengthy modal work out.

I've tried for some time to work out this riff, which features a terrific 4 bar modal scale of some sort then two bars of smoking blues riffing.

If anyone would like to take a stab at figuring it out you can actually here it at 0.50 seconds into the MP3 song sample on Amazon.com, though I'd encourage you to pick up the CD if you don't already own the album.

I think that "Baiyina" is something of a forgotten gem, insofar as it ventures into that Indian / Fusion / Psychadelia Jazz idiom that has a rather bad reputation these days. But everyone on the session is smokin' hot, and Pat's soloing is excellent throughout, brilliant in places.

Thanks very much in advance!

NOTE: I should have noted that the song is in the key of "A", which seems a bit unusual, even for something with the bluesy undertones of this piece.

[jseaberry]

Look at the head to "Freedom Jazz Dance" by Eddie Harris for a similar line, just to see where this type of line comes from, then transcribe it yourself. That's the best way to learn it.

[jseaberry]

after re-reading your original post, I'm not implying that you were unable to learn it yourself, but this is the way I think things like this lick are best learned in general.

[MrPelicano]

JSeaberry - Actually, you did read my post correctly the first time. I was not able to figure out the Pat Martino lick on my own, having worked on it for longer than usual.

But I did take your advice and try to track down a version of the Eddie Harris song. I was only able to find a transcription for Miles' solo which, while interesting (being Miles, after all), didn't really help.

I don't have a copy of "Freedom Jazz Dance" to listen to. Perhaps what would help is some pointers as to what scales / modes both Eddie and Pat are operating in.

I actually have one of Pat's tutorial books but I can't find anything that resembles what he's up to in that one spot. Otherwise, there are a lot of licks that he plays during his solo that I'm familiar with and that he continues to play to this day (sprinkled through "Remember" as a matter of fact).

But, by golly, these 4 bars are dangling out of reach.

[jseaberry]

If you have the lead sheet for "Freedom Jazz Dance", I think you will see how the two are built in similar lines of fourths and some fifths intervals. Being able to look at "FJD" and slowly analyze it will help to figure out the Martino line. I know this is convoluted, but look at this link, go down about halfway to "Real Book" tom I, and you will find the lead sheet to "FJD" on page 165 of that link.

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[jseaberry]

Also, you may wanna ask Pat himself;

Pat Martino - Jazz Bulletin Board

[MrPelicano]

JSeaberry - Your suggestions and assistance are much appreciated, and not at all convoluted... though perhaps requiring more effort on my part than, say, simply sending me the transcription.

But effort is a good thing.

I'm pursuing your recommendations as we speak and appreciate your pointing me in this direction. I'm looking forward to analyzing the "FJD" head as soon as it downloads.

Mr. P

[MrPelicano]

Also, you may wanna ask Pat himself;

Pat Martino - Jazz Bulletin Board

LOL! You know, I was over at Pat's site yesterday afternoon and was thinking exactly that. But then I started thinking: "Why waste his time asking about something he did more 30+ years ago rather than asking him about what he's up to these days?"

What I would like to find out from him is why his treatment of the Wes Montgomery material in "Remember" is so restrained and why the guitar mix is so muddy. In fact, the mix was muddy when I saw him perform this material live last year, as if he was playing solely on the neck p/u with all the treble dialed off and the bass cranked on. It wasn't "bad" but just didn't seem quite "right".

As I noted somewhere else in this forum, the highlight of the "Remember" show was Pat and the band stepping out on a wildly deconstructed version of "Impressions". That was the kind of approach I wish he had taken with Wes' material.

But it was still Pat and I still thoroughly enjoyed hearing him and watching him play. He's also a great story teller and warm person.

[jseaberry]

I agree on all points. You should try to catch him at one of his seminars; very deep and thoughtful, but a delightful personality. I would have sent you just the "FJD" transcription, but not being a computer savant, I could not get that Russian zip file to let me copy and paste just that one page. A lot of stuff on that site to look into.......

[MrPelicano]

I printed out a copy of the head for Eddie Harris' "Freedom Jazz Dance" and went at it last night. Looks tricky... and is tricky. But I'm starting to get the feel for it. My sight-reading isn't what it should be so I'm not sure I've got it quite right; and couldn't find any helpful versions on the Web to listen to (since I've never actually heard the song).

Any comments on what's going on with this particular piece?

[jseaberry]

Take each section of the melody one part at a time; look at how it is built on ascending and descending notes in 4ths and 5ths. The first part of the melody lays right within the familiar 8th-position F minor7th chord......without the "C" on the 4th string, 10th fret. The end of the second phrase falls right on the familiar 6th-position Bb minor 7th chord.....without any 5th on the 5th string. If you play the melody phrases while looking at the familiar chord shapes underneath them, you will see how to get these modern-sounding lines from shapes you already know. When you can see how "FJD" is constructed, the Martino melody is very similar. Once you see how lines fall on the guitar in 4ths and 5ths, you'll be able to figure out the Martino line.

[MrPelicano]

I owe you, JSea! Thanks for taking the time to lay it out like this. A big help. Going away for 3 days so won't be able to spend time on it but it will be my project for next week (so I don't have to focus on my job).

Best Regards,

Mr. Pelicano

[jseaberry]

Nah, you owe me not a thing. After all the people that have helped me and shown me things that they learned from trial-and-error, I'm glad to show how little I actually learned to someone else.

[Butch]

[What I would like to find out from him is why his treatment of the Wes Montgomery material in "Remember" is so restrained and why the guitar mix is so muddy. In fact, the mix was muddy when I saw him perform this material live last year, as if he was playing solely on the neck p/u with all the treble dialed off and the bass cranked on. It wasn't "bad" but just didn't seem quite "right".]

I agree with your quote above. I really like Pat Martino, but was very disapointed in the mix on this CD. I also found the playing restrained.

Butch

[MrPelicano]

Butch -

Sorry that you missed Pat's Jazz Alley show in Seattle last year, which is where I saw him perform the "Remember" tribute. I'd seen him several years earlier at the Fairmont Hotel, in San Francisco, and his sound was closer to what you can hear on his other albums - still not a lot of treble but a bit more crisp. Since he doesn't play an archtop he relies on his pre-amp settings for his overall sound, and perhaps that's why it doesn't come across as rich as Wes when he played the L-7.

[leroyhenry]

Check out this site: The Pat Martino transcription site & the Grand Central homepage This guy has transcribed most of pat's stuff.