Pat Martino: El Hombre

El Hombre is a blowing affair. It mainly features the guitarist, who even takes two solos on some tracks; organist Trudy Pitts and flutist Danny Turner take few, succinct outings. The influence of Wes Montgomery (introduced to Martino by label owner and fellow Philadelphian Joel Dorn) is evident throughout the record, and so is the kinship with George Benson. He plays long bouncy eighth-note lines and verbatim ideas interspersed with high-register double-stops and bluesy slides—flawlessly, using a similar tone and approach.

The title track captures the vibe of the era well. The brisk, almost trance-inducing flux of percussion rhythms, organ riffs and lengthy improvisations are reminiscent of the trippy dance gyrations and tie-dyed psychedelic swirls the late '60s are known for. "Jazz for Deadheads" might be a not-so-serious way of describing it.

Most compositions here are dedications. "A Blues For Mickey-O is a straight-ahead walking blues for the guitarist's performer-father, Carmen Azzara (pka Mickey Martino). It offers an opportunity for jazz guitar cognoscenti to hear Martino comp. The decision to cover Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Once I Loved as a cha-cha may have stemmed from producer Cal Lampley (the late pianist, critic, radio host and Columbia Records producer led an orchestra known for its recording of "red hot cha-chas). Martino shares the spotlight with Pitts on the other standard, "Just Friends, both swinging hard behind drummer Mitch Fine's shrill ride cymbal work.

The previously unreleased "Song For My Mother, an evasive ballad, closes the record with an inspired Wes-like octaves solo.

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