Q&A: (Pat Martino)

It was June of 1968 when jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery died of a heart attack at the age of 43.

Montgomery first started playing in his late-teens and recorded some songs with his brothers Monk and Buddy in the late 1950s. Montgomery was signed to Riverside Records from 1959 until 1963, and jazz historians and musicians alike consider the work he accomplished during his time with the label as his most influential.

One such musician is guitarist Pat Martino who met Montgomery when he was 14 at a jazz club in his hometown of Philadelphia where Martino's father offered to buy Montgomery a drink - he ordered an orange juice.

Now at 61, Martino has honored the man who has remained so instrumental in his life with his latest work “Remember: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery” out on Blue Note Records April 4.

For Martino, the title serves as a double meaning. In the 1980s, Martino underwent neurological surgery after doctors found a brain aneurysm that left him in a coma for several days and wiped out his memory.

He did finally decide to play guitar again, and relearned his craft that took about 17 years, which drew him back into his memories of childhood that included Montgomery.

The tribute primarily focuses on his earlier work with the Riverside label before he signed to Verve Records in 1964 for a two-year stint.

Martino selected some of his favorite songs by Montgomery and others like Carl Perkins and Sam Jones.

The compositions come from albums such as “Groove Yard,” “Full House” and “The Incredible Jazz Guitar.”

The Beach Reporter recently spoke with Martino about his new album and the impact Montgomery has had on his life.

What does the album mean to you?

It's more than only a tribute to Wes, it's leading me back to a period and a decision and a dream come true that most adults forget about and the only thing that replaces it that in their opinion is of any value is retirement. So it's brought me back to the very beginning in a childish way and it's creatively magnificent.
A lot of these songs are from Montgomery's Riverside period?

Yes, they are the earlier years of his public presentation. It was a time that really affected me and it was also a time that was prior to his gold records, his affiliation with Verve Records, prior to the years of success that took place for Wes. These were the initial releases that came out that I think are the roots of what he was all about. By the time he began to produce a more commercial repertoire, I was already on my way in my own career and I didn't have time to follow him because I was busy with mine. So this brought it back to authenticity with regards to just part of my own evolution as well as just the favorite things I've learned from a brilliant artist.

Do you have a favorite Montgomery album?

Well, I have a couple but from my album, my favorite is one that the Montgomery Brothers put out called “Groove Yard.” It is my favorite because that was when I met Wes when the Montgomery Brothers were promoting that album. They came to Philadelphia at a place that is longtime gone, Pep's, that and the Showboat were the biggest jazz rooms in the city at that time. My dad took me to see them and that's when I met Wes.

The album in the sense that not all the songs are written by Wes but many people think of Wes when they hear them, did you know right away the songs you wanted to record?

Yes, I did. Each one of these songs comes from some of my favorite records of Wes. These were the source of my excitement and my commitment and my dedication to this way of living.