With
Live at Yoshi's, his 20th recording as a leader and third release for the Blue Note label, the legendary
Pat Martino has come full circle. Accompanied by
Joey DeFrancesco on Hammond B-3 and
Billy Hart on drums, the hard bop and funky soul-jazz of this trio are sure to please enthusiasts of the guitar, organ, and drum trio.
Martino, heir to
Wes Montgomery's warm, bluesy guitar style, plays eight great compositions, including two great extended versions of the classic
Miles Davis compositions "All Blues" and "Blue in Green." On "All Blues," creative guitar voice plays the melody with soulful interpretations and subtle musical resonance.
Martino's version of "Blue in Green" creates a world of melancholy and the guitarist plays his guitar with the same sweet sadness as
Miles did with the support of
DeFrancesco's organ solo adding additional shades of emotion. The songs selected for this "live" performance recording also appear on previously recorded
Martino projects, including his 1970 Desperado album and his 1998
Stone Blue CD. However, listeners now receive the benefit of having the set performance available in real time. From the sound of the audience on
Live at Yoshi's, the guitar sage's head-spinning dexterity and cool tones on "Catch" are more spirited than ever, and after listening to this CD, you'll be inclined to agree. ~ Paula Edelstein