Pat Martino Trio/Julian Arguelles Quartet Double Bill

Cheltenham Jazz Festival
Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, 01/05/2009

This intriguing double bill featured two of America’s most distinguished jazz guitarists, Pat Martino leading his own organ trio and John Abercrombie appearing as a guest as part of an Anglo- American quartet led by British saxophonist Julian Arguelles.

Martino opened the show accompanied by his regular partners Tony Monaco on Hammond B3 organ and Louis Tsamous at the drums. The trio were winding up a European tour which had included a stint in London at Ronnie Scott’s.

Philadelphia born Martino cut his teeth in organ combos working with the likes of Jimmy Smith, Don Patterson, Jimmy McGriff, Jack McDuff and Richard “Groove” Holmes so it’s probably fair to say that this is his favourite format. More recently he has worked with Joey DeFrancesco with Monaco the latest incumbent to fill the co -pilot’s seat. 

One of the most remarkable things about Martino is the fact that he was sidelined for four years following a brain aneurysm and subsequent surgery in 1980. The consequences of this were memory problems which meant that Martino had to learn his guitar technique again from scratch. This episode was captured in Ian Knox’s film “Martino Unstrung” which was screened earlier in the week as part of the festival accompanied by a question and answer session with Knox and Martino.

Today Martino plays as if this had never happened. His peerless technique was fully demonstrated here, fluent single string improvising, effortless comping and chording plus an ability to share the bass duties with Monaco’s pedals by use of the top strings. Using his black signature Gibson guitar this was a master-class in the jazz guitarist’s art.  From my vantage point in row B I could see it all.

Unfortunately it initially didn’t always sound as good as it looked. The opening tune was spoilt by a horribly muddy sound but the engineers were able to sort this out fairly quickly. The second tune “On Midnight Special”, Martino’s tribute to his former employer the late, great Jimmy Smith could have come great straight off one of Smith’s legendary Blue Note records of the 50’s and 60’s with Monaco laying down a great groove and soloing joyously. Martino weighed in with a solo of his own and Tsamous steady drumming was right on the money.

Ballad versions of Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight” and Bill Evans/Miles Davis’ “Blue In Green” proved that the trio could do tender as well as tough, with Martino’s beautiful solo guitar introduction to the latter a particular highlight. 
“Lean Years” from Martino’s 1967 album “Strings!” and a dedication to Sonny Stitt marked a return to groove territory with articulate and fiery solos from Martino and Monaco and a series of drum breaks from Tsamous. The greying,elegant Martino cuts a cool figure but Monaco and Tsamous, both mugging shamelessly each have a touch of the showman about them. This isn’t really a criticism,  both were clearly getting right into the music and it was a shame that this was scheduled to be the last number of the set.
However a warm audience reception (and no they weren’t ALL guitar students) saw the trio back to encore with Stevie Wonder’s “Sunny” with Martino and Monaco soloing fluently over Tsamous’ sturdy backbeat.  Martino’s crisp rhythm guitar playing as Monaco soloed was textbook stuff.

Although this was very much Martino’s show Monaco proved an extremely competent lieutenant. He was a new name to most people here, but all I spoke to were very impressed with his playing and his trusty B3 complete with Leslie cabinet sounded wonderful, like a living, breathing thing.

Once the early technical problems had been sorted out this had been an enjoyable set even though there was nothing new here and at times you felt the trio could do this sort of stuff standing on their heads.

Julian Arguelles’ compositions stretched his band far more and not everything came off but his spirit of adventure was admirable and his own playing superb. Arguelles’ regular “American” trio of bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Tom Rainey was initially assembled for the recording of the album “Partita” on Basho records. However the rapport that developed between the players has encouraged them to keep working together and for this date Arguelles added US guitarist John Abercrombie to the line up.
This was the first time that this quartet had played in public together and at times things were a little ragged. The free-wheeling opener “Redman” was Arguelles’ dedication to fellow saxophonist Dewey Redman but it also owed something to the spirit of Ornette Coleman. It was all a bit untogether despite strong solos from Arguelles( here exclusively on tenor sax), Abercrombie and Formanek but I suspect that most of the audience were pleased when the group subsequently moved on to more melodic and structured material.
The abstract ballad “La Di Da Di” was altogether more listener friendly and featured a seamless transition from Arguelles tenor solo into Abercrombie’s guitar statement. The guitarist could just be heard singing his lines in the style of Keith Jarrett. Formanek again featured as a soloist, his playing throughout the set was forceful and articulate and he is, of course, a band leader in his own right.

“A Lifelong Moment” opened with Arguelles’ on solo tenor, a tour de force of technique incorporating everything from simple folk like melody to prodigious circular breathing. This led into a more conventional tenor solo with band accompaniment before Abercrombie took over the baton. Rainey’s sympathetic playing was excellent throughout with the drummer demonstrating some exquisite touches on the cymbals.

“Line Up” was the only Abercrombie in the set and the guitarist was conspicuously more comfortable here. The tune began with him playing guitar unaccompanied before building up to a fiery solo incorporating rock influenced effects and dynamics, easily his best playing of the night thus far. Arguelles followed with a powerful statement of his own and Rainey was featured at the drums.
“Bularis”, a nod to Arguelles Iberian roots incorporated flamenco elements and was opened by Formanek on solo bass. Abercrombie weighed in with another powerful, effects laden solo followed by Arguelles’ masterful tenor. Finally came Rainey deploying firstly his hands, then sticks on rims to convey the flamenco rhythms. This was a melodic, good natured set closer that incorporated some great playing but unfortunately time constraints prevented the group from returning for an encore.

There was much to enjoy here with the core trio in good form and Arguelles himself particularly impressive. Abercrombie seemed a little discomfited at times; Arguelles’ music is adventurous and complicated and it took a long time for the guitar master to really hit his stride. Some of the ensemble passages with the guitar shadowing the tenor were a little tentative but I suspect that rehearsal time had been minimal.

However the quartet are about to embark on a short tour sponsored by the Scottish Arts Council which should see Abercrombie become more integrated. It would be interesting to catch one of the later dates on the tour. See http://www.julianarguelles.com for full details.
So an enjoyable evening’s jazz with some imperious playing from the two leaders but overall a night that promised more than it delivered. I’m not sure that the “double bill” format really worked with both bands having to call a halt just as they’d really begun to hit their stride. In the Arguelles’ group’s case a lack of rehearsal time may have meant that they didn’t have any further material and it may, arguably, have made sense to have scheduled them first.

A “curate’s egg” in other words. Hey, I wonder if anybody’s used that as a title for a tune?