Pat Martino's Footprints (Fragments by Gary Giddins)
“First off, the music on this record, an extraordinary testimony to communication, was conceived by Pat Martino as a personal tribute to, a ‘visit’ with, the memory of Wes Montgomery. I suppose that anybody hip enough to even think of buying this record knows all about Wes and there is, therefore, no reason even to note that he was the most dynamic figure on jazz guitar since Charlie Christian”. “Despite a twenty years disparity in age, the two guitarists [Wes Montgomery and Pat Martino] had developed a strong musical bond in the same town they used to play. Work. Jam, learn, teach, experiment, dig each other.” “Influence is a problem all artists have to contend with a various degrees. In trying to create your own art, you become self-conscious about you’ve picked up from your predecessors. Sometimes you become paranoia fencing off what you think is influence or, worse, imitation, in order to create something that is new, original, yours. I know a writer whose admiration for Faulkner i...