Track Listing

1. Oleo
2. All Blues
3. Mac Tough
4. Welcome to a Prayer
5. Hombre
6. Recollection
7. Blue in Green
8. Catch

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #111892 in Music
• Released on: 2001-06-19
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live

Amazon.com's Best of 2001
That Pat Martino's new Live at Yoshi's is a stunning display of jazz-guitar prowess should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the six-string legend. That the disc is one of those lucky live albums that captures a night when everything seemed to be falling into place for Martino and his trio of organist Joey DeFrancesco and drummer Billy Hart is perhaps more than even the guitarist's most ardent admirers could have hoped for. DeFrancesco and Hart are both predictably awe-inspiring, but it's the telepathic chemistry between the three band members and the understandably thrilled audience that really blasts Live at Yoshi's into a higher realm of live jazz albums. The trio's interplay on the laid-back version of "All Blues" seems to reach a new peak with each chorus, culminating in Martino's beautiful closing unaccompanied cadenza, and the guitarist and DeFrancesco seem to inspire each other to ever greater heights on the ballad "Welcome to a Prayer." Those enamored of Martino's fleet-fingered heroics will have plenty to feast on here--from the breakneck tempo of the opening "Oleo" to the hard-swinging "El Hombre," Martino and DeFrancesco trade lines with an assurance that few musicians can muster. Martino has one of the more inspirational personal stories in music. A guitar legend in the '70s, he had to completely relearn the instrument after a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 1980--and he can now lay claim to one of the more inspirational live albums released in years. --Ezra Gale

Customer Reviews

Review by Rick Wurzbacher
PERFECTION, simply one of the best jazz guitar CDs ever put out. Being a jazz/blues guitarist myself, I know that statement says alot. The depth of each individual musician on this record is absolutely incredible. Pat is truly a master at his craft. This CD has high energy jazz guitar, with blues, ballads and an all around excellent mix. The recording quality is wonderful. Having Joey DeFrancesco on-board is just another reason to buy this album. Joey is in my opinion the best Hammond B-3 player in the world. He will be appearing on an upcoming record with me and I am truly excited and honored to be afforded the opportunity to play with this extraordinary musician. His flair on this record is tasteful...awesome dynamics and you must listen carefully to his bass lines. Absolutely killer. Bill Hart, well it just does not get much better. Bill has so many fresh percussive ideas, the combination of the three of these masters could demand twice or three times the price of this CD. I can actually say I have listened to this CD more than 50 times. Each time I listen, I get more attached to the music. The CD was arranged in such a manner that tension is built and then at the end is released for a very satisfying listen. In the tune "All Blues", Pat truly puts "The Nature Of Guitar" formula's to use. ALL GUITARISTS at ALL levels much have this album! I give it my highest rating.

Rick Wurzbacher

No Jive: The Best Guitar/Organ/Drum Trio Album in 30 Years
This is the single best guitar-organ-drum trio album recorded in 30 years. The levels of invention, intensity, and collective empathy are absolutely astonishing -- I *guarantee* you that if you ever dug the Wes Montgomery/Melvin Rhyne stuff, this record will blow your toupee plain off. It's one of the only such trio albums that takes the form to its limits by burning so fiercely, and yet is always swinging and soulful. It is a tremendously important album. Every guitar player should hear it -- if only to hear what Pat does at the very end of "All Blues"!

Pat Martino at his very best
I cannot believe that after 40 years of listening to jazz, I have only just discovered this superb musician. This music swings consistently, has wonderful melodic lines and is one of the most played CDs in my collection.

If you love jazz this must be in your collection.