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Desperado (Pat Martino album)

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Desperado
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 1970
RecordedMarch 9, 1970
GenreJazz
Length35:53
LabelPrestige
ProducerBob Porter
Pat Martino chronology
Baiyina (The Clear Evidence)
(1968)
Desperado
(1970)
The Visit!
(1972)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[2]

Desperado is a 1970 post-bop jazz album by 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

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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

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Recorded at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder studios, Mr. Martino chose a 12 string guitar to define his interpretations of his own compositions and "Oleo" by Sonny Rollins.[6]

Track listing

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  1. "Blackjack" (Martino) – 7:45
  2. "Dearborn Walk" (Martino)– 3:50
  3. "Oleo" (Sonny Rollins) – 4:53
  4. "Desperado" (Martino, Green) – 7:55
  5. "A Portrait of Diana" (Martino) – 4:30
  6. ”Express” (Martino) – 6:43

CD Reissue

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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

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References

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  1. ^ Allmusic review
  2. ^ a b Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 957. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  3. ^ "Home". dustygroove.com.
  4. ^ All Music Guide to Jazz –ISBN 0-87930-530-4
  5. ^ Patterson, Ian (December 27, 2021). "Pat Martino Top Ten Albums: More Than Meets The Eye". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Desperado LP-7795 liner notes by Les Paul