This album was never reviewed in JJ when it was first released and that’s an oversight that needs rectifying. Martino is something of a cult figure among guitarists, but also an enigma. It’s a source of surprise that he doesn’t get more exposure, that he isn’t heard more, toured more and more talked about, for he’s one of the finest modern guitarists. Various sources suggest that he is more involved now in session work and teaching, and that’s our loss.
There are numerous guitarists who have a good technique, but few who can match Martino’s agility and precision. Marry this skill with a sensitive and sophisticated musical intelligence and you’ve got an unbeatable combination. But Martino is not just a jazz guitarist – he is also an individualist. His playing has an easily recognised identity, and the same goes for his writing. The title track shows some of the impressionist influences of pop culture in the late sixties and seventies, and is built on a slow-burning modal vamp, but over it all, Pat lays post-Coltrane jazz guitar.
For virtuosity though, it’s Impressions and the blues On The Stairs which really impress; these are jazz guitar classics and leave you suspecting the master tape was speeded up. Both solos illustrate Martino’s amazing chromatic facility.
The rhythm section is firmly supportive and lovers of Gordon Beck’s late seventies electric piano work might like to compare Green’s solo on Consciousness. Producers don’t often get a mention in these columns, but Michael Cuscuna’s sympathetic mixing deserves credit. Guitar aficionados need not hesitate.
Discography
Impressions; Consciousness; Passata On Guitar (19.09) – Along Came Betty; Willow; On The Stairs; Both Sides Now (19.06)
Martino (g); Eddie Green (p/pc); Tyrone Brown (b); Sherman Ferguson {d/pc). Recorded New York, c. 1974?
(Muse 5039)
