Desperado (Pat Martino album)
| Desperado | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1970 | |||
| Recorded | March 9, 1970 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 35:53 | |||
| Label | Prestige | |||
| Producer | Bob Porter | |||
| Pat Martino chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [2] |
Desperado is a 1970 post-bop jazz album by American jazz musician Pat Martino.
“A key album in the shift in Pat Martino's sound at the end of the 60s -- with one foot in the soul jazz camp in which he got his start, and the other in the freer, open-minded style he used a lot in the 70s!”[3]
Reception
Jazz critic Scott Yanow described the album as “funky in spots, electric, and swinging when called for” and extols Martino's performance as “consistently inventive"[4]
The authors of the Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings wrote: "Desperado is a little-known stab at fusion: Martino plays electric 12-string against rumbling electric piano and bass, and the results are akin to a tighter, less violent Lifetime. 'Express' and 'Desperado' hit a particularly compelling movement."[2]
In an article for All About Jazz, Ian Patterson wrote: "Martino's inventiveness... seems inexhaustible... Though Martino's soloing has the energy of rock, the language is unmistakably jazz, with a clear melodic logic. There is also a gentler side to his playing, as witnessed on the caressing ballad 'A Portrait of Diana.' 'Express' caps an excellent album on a thrilling note."[5]
“Even this difficult instrument doesn’t dampen his proficiency.”[6]
Background
Recorded at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder studios, Martino chose a 12-string guitar to define his interpretations of his own compositions and "Oleo" by Sonny Rollins.[6]
Track listing
- "Blackjack" (Martino) – 7:45
- "Dearborn Walk" (Martino)– 3:50
- "Oleo" (Sonny Rollins) – 4:53
- "Desperado" (Martino, Green) – 7:55
- "A Portrait of Diana" (Martino) – 4:30
- ”Express” (Martino) – 6:43
CD Reissue
Remastered versions of the album (one being from 1989) do not include any bonus tracks and are stereo versions of the original stereo recording.
Personnel
- Pat Martino – 12-string electric guitar
- Eric Kloss – soprano sax (track 1)
- Eddie Green – electric piano
- Tyrone Brown – electric bass
- Sherman Ferguson – drums, bells
- Les Paul – notes
- Rudy Van Gelder – recording
- Bob Porter – supervision
References
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ a b Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 957. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ "Home". dustygroove.com.
- ^ All Music Guide to Jazz –ISBN 0-87930-530-4
- ^ Patterson, Ian (December 27, 2021). "Pat Martino Top Ten Albums: More Than Meets The Eye". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
- ^ a b Desperado LP-7795 liner notes by Les Paul
