Customer Reviews

First Light

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The odds of anyone reading this review are about 200,000 to 1, but in case you are a Martino fan who was hoping the 1976 fusion album "Joyous Lake" would someday be released on CD, wait no more. Amazingly, the Savoy marketing people have chosen to include a second album, "Starbright," for free. Altogether, it's a good value, with a running time of 75 minutes and reasonable sound quality.

Well, okay, "Starbright" seems like a bunch of short, mostly mellow, studio jams thrown together for contractual obligations. But, "Joyous Lake," with it's intricate, funky arrangements, quirky synth sounds, and virtuoso ensemble playing is worth the money alone. It's one of the great hidden classics of 1970s fusion. And some of the "Starbright" tracks aren't all that bad, either. If you are a long-time Pat Martino fan, I don't think you will be disappointed.

"First Light" is a repackage of two long-deleted Pat Martino albums into one CD. A fairly new jazz label, 32 Jazz, has been bringing out of the vault a lot a underappeciated for Martino and a number of other jazz artists.

In this package, "Joyous Lake" and "Starbright" are put together on a budget-priced CD, and since they were both recorded in 1976, one would expect this to be a pairing of very similar recordings. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"Joyous Lake" takes up the first six tracks, and it is by and large a successful foray by Martino into fusion. The lead tune "Line Games" sounds like a Return to Forever song without the goofiness. Listen closely to Martino's incredible solo: where a Jeff Beck might have thrown in scads of rock guitar cliches, Pat sounds like Grant Green on hormones. Throughout these tracks, Martino get ample support from Delmar Brown (keys), Mark Leonard (bass) and Kenwood Dennard (drums), three guys who had just graduated from music school sounding like old veterans. The buoyant title track sounds like something Martino protege Pat Metheny might have written. It wraps up this part of the CD nicely.

Tracks 9 on forward are from the "Starbright" LP. In spite of a top drawer band (Gil Goldstein, Will Lee, Michael Mainieri, etc.), this record is mostly a huge disappointment. Most songs alternate between new-age soundscapes and seventies-style police detective music, neither of which showcase Martino's abilities on guitar at all. Wayne Shorter classics "Nefertiti" and "Fall" are excellent cover opportunities squandered away by their needless brevity. The lone exception to this mediocrity is "Prelude", a solo flamenco acoustic guitar song that reveals yet another side of Pat's enormous talents.

So, you get 7 good tunes out of 18. But the price is right, if you like Pat Martino or any guitar player of the highest caliber.

I would concur with Oliver Towne's review, adding another star to my review because of Joyous Lake's near-perfection as an example of jazz-rock fusion in its purest, most uncompromising form. Mr Towne is right on the money about Joyous Lake being overlooked. If you are a fan at all of funky, skillfully-played fusion, low on ego-fueled soloing and long on chops and passion, buy this CD and prepare to be transported.

"First Light" is a compilation of the great Pat Martino's two recordings for Warner Bros., "Starbright"(1976) and "Joyous Lake" (1977). They represent the guitarist's flirtation with jazz-rock fusion and have to be taken in that context. "Starbright" is the more varied of the two, featuring several lovely duets with electric pianist and longtime accompanist Gil Goldstein, and an excellent solo acoustic piece, "Prelude." Several cuts feature funky keyboards and rhythms similar to Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea's work of the era ("Deeda" begs to be sampled), while others are more pastoral, including the title track, which pops up in several variations throughout. One of his most rewarding listens. "Joyous Lake" is more strictly a fusion record, with a regular band (including the great drummer Kenwood Dennard). Synthesizers and electronic effects are far more prominent, yet Martino's style (much less rockish than Coryell, McLaughlin or DiMeola)shines through. The title cut and "Line Games" are the strongest cuts. A bit dated, yes, but a fun listen. These are the last two recordings Martino made before the brain aneurysm that sidelined him for many years and forced him to learn to play again by reading his own literature and listening to his own recordings was discovered. Not the place to start for the curious, but worth checking out for a complete picture of one of the best.

For whatever reason, every great jazz guitar player has a period in his career when he deviated from what he did best. Wes Montgomery and George Benson both went Pop later in their careers. Grant Green did some funk before he passed away. Kenny Burrell now sings on his cd's. And Pat Martino did this. I don't know what you call it; 70's fusion I guess. But I think you can love and respect Pat as the guitar god that he is, and still not be able to listen to this cd. I know I couldn't!

i've had this cd for 3 months and still listen to it all the time.the first 6 tracks get 50 stars-funk,jazz & rock with melody & without the cheese 70's fusion sometimes has. the last 12 (alot of them real short)are less intense but every bit as cool.this sounds as good as anything you will ever hear.

This album is a wonderful example of Pat Martino's years in the 70's. I love listening to this one in the car. In fact now that I'm thinking of it, I'm going to go transcribe one of Pat's solos here. My personal favorite is Mardi Gras.