Think Tank - Pat Martino

Aug

22

Think Tank - Pat Martino

≡ Category: 2000s, Post Bop, Recommended, Reviews |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING

Rating:

There’s something odd about Think Tank (released on the Blue Note label). It’s extremely listenable and often compelling from moment to moment, but the melodies don’t stick. You’ll be hard pressed to recall any specific tunes within five minutes of hearing it. This is not as much of a liability as you might think.

One of the great pleasures of Think Tank is the group interplay. Often, with groups composed of established artists, ego gets in the way, and the musicians try to outplay one another. Not on Think Tank. These guys are listening to and supporting one other, and they all have enormous ears.

Drummer Lewis Nash is practically telepathic in the way that he follows the soloists, strategically placing accents to emphasize turning points in any given solo. Christian McBride’s basslines groove but they avoid the monolithic quality that Michael Henderson had on some of Miles’ recordings. He’s consistently inventive. You won’t catch McBride in any cliches.

I’ve got to admit. I am normally not a great fan of Joe Lovano’s playing. His breathy tone, sleepy loping lines and lack of intellectual rigor don’t impress me. But I’ve got to admit that he’s perfect for the understated quality of this date. (Don’t get me wrong. It’s not there is no fire in these band performances. It’s just that they simmer instead of boil.) Lovano plays the heads with Martino just fine, and when he solos, it’s easy to just tune him out and go with the band’s sound.

Pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba has incredible technique, but unlike his Cuban fellow countryman Chucho Valdes, Rubalcaba is not a showoff. He consistently subordinates his technique to the demands of the music. Like the drummer, he supports the soloists beautifully with crisp and unpredictably voiced stabs of chord clusters. When he solos, it’s with restraint. He thoughtfully and melodically builds his solos, leaving his considerable power in reserve so as not to overwhelm the band’s sound or overshadow the leader.

Which brings us to Pat Martino. The ensemble playing, the arrangements, everything is organized to showcase Martino’s playing. And it’s a thing of beauty. Martino works almost solely with harmony and melodic rhythm. Unlike John Scofield or Scott Henderson, Pat Martino is not much interested in pursuing various tonal shades or varying his attack. That means that there is pretty much no place to hide. If his lines aren’t inventive, fluid, and surprising, his solos are pretty much going to suck. And here is another strange thing. Pat Martino is using the same scales as everyone else, but the intervals he chooses are completely off the wall. I can hear him thinking, but I can’t follow his train of thought. Still, the solos have an interior logic which makes them instantly appealing. Pat Martino has never sounded better.

And here’s the truly amazing thing. This new peak in his playing comes after brain surgery in 1980 to correct an aneurysm had the side effect of making him forget how to play. Pat Martino re-learned how to play guitar, partly by listening to his old records.

In any case, Think Tank is a remarkable group effort, topped off by the stellar solos of Pat Martino and Gonzalo Rubalcaba. My only complaint is that the compositions themselves are less than memorable. You won’t go around the house humming these tunes while doing the laundry, but they’re great to listen to, and would closely reward close study if you’re a musician.