Guitarist visited Council Bluffs January 23rd By Chris Cooke
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/national/local-national-561731.mp3
Chris talks with Pat Martino (20:50)
Omaha, Nebraska – Pat Martino is an articulate and thoughtful master of the guitar with many unforgettable records to his credit.
Martino began playing professionally when he was 15. Becoming a self described "Wes Montgomery Addict" early in life, his initial work was with groups led by Willis Jackson, Red Holloway, and a series of organists, including Don Patterson, Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Richard "Groove" Holmes, and Jimmy McGriff.
Pat Martino was a bandleader by the late 1960s. Some of the records that Martino released in the first part of his career were El Hombre, Consciousness, and the much loved We'll Be Together Again.
Pat made a remarkable comeback after brain surgery in 1980. That surgery corrected an aneurysm that caused him to lose his memory and completely forget how to play. It took years, but he regained his ability, partly by listening to his older records.
Martino did not resume playing until 1984, making his recording comeback with 1987's The Return.
Martino's latest record, Remember: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery, features brilliant interpretations of works made popular by his primary inspiration, the legendary Wes Montgomery.
Martino visited Council Bluffs on January 23rd in a performance that was part of the Jazz Arts Midwest Concert Series. KIOS Jazz Host Chris Cooke spoke with Pat via phone before the show. Click on the link at the top of this article for that interview.
Chris Cooke is the host of Jazz in the Afternoon and Last Call on KIOS-FM.