Pat Martino: Undeniable
) | Label: HIGHNOTE Catalog: HCD7231 Format: CD Pat Martino, guitar; Eric Alexander, tenor saxophone; Tony Monaco, organ; Jeff "Tain" Watts, drumsLean Years o Inside Out o Goin' to a Meeting o Double Play o Midnight Special o 'Round Midnight o Side Effect Long before he became a world renowned jazz virtuoso, guitarist Pat Martino was a sideman in small combos that prominently featured the Hammond B-3 organ. He's never lost his affection for that particular group dynamic, nor his quiet flair for moving back and forth between the roles of supporting player and compelling soloist. Here, recorded live at Blues Alley with an all-star band, Martino sounds perfectly content enhancing the rhythm section's soulful thrust while, at the same time, his post-bop, minor mode improvising is sleek and precise, never busy, and his use of sliding octaves colorfully underscored his stylistic ties to guitar great Wes Montgomery. With the full-throated tenor sax of Eric Alexander, Jeff "Tain" Watts propelling the band with his usual drive and Tony Monaco keeping the B-3 pedals to the metal, UNDENIABLE promises to be one of 2011's most exciting jazz releases.  Price: $24.98 |