Best Pat Martino Record

[jayv999]

My first and favorite from Pat was "Footprints" - it was my introduction to jazz guitar, and it continues to be an all-time classic for me.

[Robert1950]

I just listened to "Live at Yoshi's" It is definitely worth listening to. I am partial to a quartet with a B3 also. Any other of his records similar?

[phdmerrill]

El Hombre is my favorite by far. In my mind, it's the definitive Pat Martino album, and its just one of the grooviest albums you'll ever hear. It's the kind of thing you might play for someone who doesn't listen to jazz, and you'll be confident they'll enjoy it. Yes, you can dig deeper into his catalog and there's other great stuff he's done, but nothing tops El Hombre.

[monkmiles]

I just listened to "Live at Yoshi's" It is definitely worth listening to. I am partial to a quartet with a B3 also. Any other of his records similar?

Check out his latest live album called Undeniable. It's b3, sax, drums, guitar. For something much older I like the album he did with Groove Holmes called Blue Groove.

[Sburn2448]

Also, check out his work as a sideman, with Willis Jackson and Don Patterson.

[princeplanet]

Also, check out his work as a sideman, with Willis Jackson and Don Patterson.

Ha! This post from 10 years ago is from a guy who made this as his first and only post! And is probably better advice than anything I've ever offered in 13 years of being here! Indeed, he is right, his work as a sideman, with Willis Jackson and Don Patterson, is I think some of his best ever playing. This means it's some of the best Jazz guitar playing from anyone you will hear anywhere from any time.

If you like his early stuff (tone, attack, lines, groove etc), then you simply need to hear these cuts.

[Dennis D]

I started with ' East' after someone recommended PM....Still have the lp.

I may have missed it, but did no one in this thread mention 'Desperado' ? .....Even after all these years, it includes, for me at least, as good a version of 'Oleo' as any.

[Aiq]

I love something about them all but to me the Yoshi’s to Think Tank to Remember arc is apex predator.

[StormyMonday]

My two favorites are two of his less popular records; Starbright and Interchange. Starbright had some stuff on it I could do without, but Fall and Nefertiti I loved. I liked the title tune as well with a more Eastern flavor. But I can see why some of the more fusion oriented stuff didn't get traction.

[Bob_Ross]

Starbright had some stuff on it I could do without

LOL! You can say that again.

But then again, my favorite Martino record may very well be Joyous Lake -- which I realize is a very polarizing opinion.
And frankly, my appreciation for that album has as much to do with drummer Kenwood Dennard's performance as it does with Martino's.

The Visit (aka Footprints) probably would have been my favorite Martino record, except I can't stand the sound of that recording. It's almost like the audio engineer got Pat and Richard Davis confused with one another: "Hey, let's make the guitar super-bassy and bottom-heavy, and let's make the bass bright, thin, and excessively trebly!"

[L50EF15]

“Live!” That was my point of entry, followed by “Consciousness”. From there it was down the rabbit hole in earnest.
I was fortunate enough to see Pat on multiple occasions, and he’s way up high on the list of my favorites.

Someone mentioned “Interchange” upthread and I agree. In fact, thinking about it now, it’s the CD I grabbed first when friends asked me to bring some jazz to play for a dinner party they had (I remember that Lee Morgan’s “The Procrastinator” was another). It’s a great introduction to one of the Great Masters.


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[zephyrregent]

Not my favorite, but the first time I heard Pat Martino was on KJAZ back in the 60's - Israfel from Baiyina: The Clear Evidence. The interwoven lines of the two guitarists (Pat plus Bobby Rose) seemed to come from outer space and inspired me to try to play like that! Another one that hasn't been mentioned is Desperado. He did some records with Erik Kloss in the 60's also with musicians ranging from the Don Patterson Trio to Chick Corea, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette.