Ron Russell, it was a real pleasure to spend a few lovely moments in great conversation. I hope that both you and the Mrs. really enjoyed your moments in New Orleans, and as to your invitation, at some point I just might take you up on that. For now I send you both my warmest regards.
Pat Martino
USA - Friday, April 29, 2005 at 11:47:28 (EDT)Brad, that's an interesting question. I remember a teacher that advised me to use a different way of picking; (something quite unlike the way that was natural for me). The problem was when least expected I broke the first or second string. It was due to an extremely aggressive attack; (from the right hand, which remains the same to this day). I really tried hard to follow his suggestions but in the process I became more and more disappointed; (I think that was because I began to loose my own expressive technique). It finally dawned on me that an alternative solution would be to use heavier gauged strings; (with a lower action). From that point on I experimented with heavier gauges until they finally stopped breaking. Since 1957 they've remained approximately the same, as follows: E-16, B-18, G-26, D-36, A-48, E-58. Recently I've been enjoying the flatwound La Bella 20P Jazz Series with gauges that are just a little lighter..... E-15, B-17, G-24, D-32, A-42, E-52. Cheers!
Pat Martino
USA - Friday, April 29, 2005 at 11:38:37 (EDT)Dear Pat,
I want to start by saying I love your music. It's truely inspiring
to hear a player like yourself create so many wonderful songs. I do have a
question, What are your feelings regaurding string gages. It's a question
that has been tossed around a lot with me and my fiends. Any advice would be
greatly appreciated. thanks
Brad <srv_n1 (at) yahoo.com>
Fort Wayne, IN USA - Thursday, April 28, 2005 at 15:10:50 (EDT)Hi Pat:
It was a pleasure to meet you on the plane going down to Ga.
on April 15th. Just had a chance to go on your web-site and was so impressed with your luminous career. All the best to you and remember there's an open invite to come down to the "Jersey Shore". Warm Regards, Ron Russell
Ron Russell <russelll (at) comcast.net>
Toms River, NJ USA - Wednesday, April 27, 2005 at 23:15:08 (EDT)Pat,I had the great pleasure to hear and see you play in the early-mid sixties at Atlantic City's Club Harlem.You played with Willis "Gatortail" Jackson and his group,and I was supposed to be working at the Club,but spent more time listening to you and Gator.It was the highlight of my summer. Be well,Alan Alten
alan alten <a.alten (at) comcast.net>
Narberth, Pa USA - Saturday, April 23, 2005 at 11:13:23 (EDT)Hi Pat...
I really enjoy your playing a lot...
Listening a lot to Joyous Lake at the moment, great record!
I agree with Bård, it would have been great hearing you playing in Norway soon.
Take care
Michael
Kristiansand, Norway - Thursday, April 21, 2005 at 18:46:19 (EDT)Dear Pat!. Im a guitarist and a big fan your playing. When will you come to Norway again?.
Bård Helgerud <baahelg53 (at) hotmail.com>
Norway - Wednesday, April 20, 2005 at 22:42:07 (EDT)Dear Mr. Pat Martino, as you know, I`m a great fan about your music and yourself. Hope you come to Europe this year, perhaps in july? Just one question: Perhaps you know, the Gibson Pat Martino guitar is no longer available in Germany (the importeur don`t order it any longer), and Gibson just make now a limited run. I cann`t understand - this is the best guitar in this world! My old guitar teacher wanted to buy one, he is fascinated about the guitar, and I could give him one (I bought two the last years) but, are there any plans for another Pat Martino Modell ? What guitar would be a good alternativ ? And whats going on with Gibson to stop a guitar like this ?? Thank you for your music !!!! felix from germany
Felix Hartl <felixhartl (at) web.de>
munich, D Germany - Monday, April 18, 2005 at 12:35:42 (EDT)Hi Pat,
Thank you so much for sharing your talents and concepts about the guitar at Dreamcatcher in Atlanta. I brought my 1975 L5-S in for you to see and you commented about what a great instrument is was. You not only showed us what a brilliant musician you are, you also showed that you are a gentleman and a very generous person. I had been looking forward to your visit for several months and I was so upset that I got called away and had to leave the workshop before you completed your presentation. Thanks again, Pat. I hope to see you in concert again soon.
Sincerely,
Jeff Sherry
Jeff Sherry <gumdocga (at) mindspring.com>
Douglasville, GA USA - Monday, April 18, 2005 at 11:38:16 (EDT)Hi Pat,
I was fortunate to attend your workshop at Dreamcatcher Guitars a couple of nights ago (I'm the guy who studied with Steve Giordano in Philly). We briefly touched on a few areas where music and metaphysics overlap and I was hoping you'd be willing to continue the dialogue. I'm particularly interested in the pursuit of mastery as a form of spiritual contemplation (i.e., archery, yoga, sumi-e, et cetera) and would like to know what your thoughts/ideas are on the subject of jazz/guitar as an object of spiritual and existential study.
Your clinic was immensely enjoyable and I find that I approach the instrument with renewed vigor (if it is at all possible to be any more vigorous). The concepts and simplifications of what most consider a complicated subject have given me plenty of food for thought and fodder for ideas of my own to explore. Thank you.
Warmly,
Brennen Reece
Brennen Reece <brennen.reece (at) gmail.com>
Auburn, AL USA - Sunday, April 17, 2005 at 03:24:17 (EDT)Pat, have been a fan a long time and looking forward to your performance tonight at Spivey Hall in Atlanta. Saw you last in '95 at the Mellon Jazz fest where you were honored and had the first opportunity to see Eric Alexander in action, who I have caught many times in NYC since then. Great to have you back in action-- Think Tank was great and I look forward to all your future endeavors. Congrats on the Downbeat award. --Henry
Henry Brent <hsbrent (at) hotmail.com>
Marietta, GA USA - Saturday, April 16, 2005 at 18:27:59 (EDT)Thank you
JB NALLET <jb.nallet (at) libertysurf.Fr>
USA - Friday, April 15, 2005 at 09:37:27 (EDT)Pat is responsible for introducing me to Dennis Sandoli sometime around 1963. Would very much like to say hello and wish him well. I haven't had a chanced to see him since his illness. He has had a great influence on my playing and my career. I'm a little older then he and would like to thank him.
Thaddeus Robinson-St.John <thaddeus41 (at) aol.com>
West Trenton, NJ USA - Wednesday, April 13, 2005 at 18:39:46 (EDT)with hat in hand, i humbly correct myself: the song i ID'd as incendiary "think tank" was actually "phineas trane".
aiq
USA - Monday, April 11, 2005 at 20:12:24 (EDT)Agree, this weekend's Blues Alley shows (we caught 3 of 4) were sublime, exciting, joyful, and so precise. It's corny to say this, perhaps, but the players seemed a single organism at times. There was something in Friday's early show (I'm not a musician, so I can't say just what was happening at the moment) that literally gave me goosebumps, followed by tears. A peak experience. Thanks so much.
stephanie <slpoe (at) verizon.net>
Washington, DC USA - Sunday, April 10, 2005 at 09:42:08 (EDT)a wonderful weekend of music! the 8:00 friday was an energetic welcome. "4 on 6" opener, other standouts: "el hombre" "oleo" "impressions" and lots of wes m. a school band group from chicago here for the cherry blossom parade was in the house, very attentive and appreciative of the jazz...there IS hope!
saturday (the quartet was locked and swinging) 8:00 a few repeats but with freshness, "earthings" from 'think tank'. the 10:00 show was one of the best musical performances i've had the pleasure to hear. they took "impressions" to another level, "mac tough", which pat dedicated to jack mcduff, cooked, "think tank" was incendiary. the ballads were lovely, and at blues alley the people were listening...
thanks to mr. martino and the group for an uplifting and inspiring set of performances.
aiq
USA - Sunday, April 10, 2005 at 09:20:14 (EDT)Hello Mr. Martino,
I WILL BE AT BLUES ALLEY SAT.NITE TO CELEBRATE THE BEAUTIFUL AND CREATIVE SPIRIT THAT IS YOU! WE MET BACK IN 1980 WHEN I WAS A STUDENT AT B.I.T. IT
WAS YOUR INFLUENCE THAT LED ME TO GRADUATE AND PERFORM MY COMPOSITIONS IN FRONT OF MY PEERS.THAT WAS A CROWNING MOMENT FOR ME THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET.
I HOPE WE WILL HAVE A MOMENT TO SPEAK TONIGHT. GOD BLESS,CHRISTIAN "BIG N.Y" de MESONES
christian "big new york" de Mesones <bignythebassman (at) aol.com>
lake ridge, va USA - Saturday, April 09, 2005 at 17:15:49 (EDT)Hi Pat: I have several of your CDs. All great.
Back in the 50's my wife and I heard and saw the great "Art Tatum" at Birdland.
Pure genius. I put you in that category.I am not a musician,just a lover of great music. Your rapid rides totally knock me out.
Play on and on.
Charles Jacobus <swimmer77 (at) myway.com>
Auburndale, Fl. USA - Friday, April 08, 2005 at 22:29:17 (EDT)Pat, I look forward to seeing you at Blues Alley at the 8:00 PM show this coming Saturday. I am the guitarist (retired executive) who gave you, my first attempt at recording and producing, a demo CD when you where in Harrisburg Pennsylvania last year. Thanks a million for sharing your "secrets" with the world. In my opinion, you are at a very high level of consciousness and have transcendent the mundane human tendencies of not sharing knowledge because of a fear that someone will “catch up” or improve on what you do. I remember my experience in talking with Wes at the Bohemian Caverns in Washington DC a couple of months before he made the transition. He was all about sharing his knowledge and experience. I model my behavior on Wes’s and yours.
Robert W. Whiting
Robert W. Whiting <Jazzbuff12>
Washington, DC USA - Thursday, April 07, 2005 at 16:10:43 (EDT)anyone hitting blues alley this weekend? i'll be at 8/fri, 8 & 10/sat...
aiq
USA - Wednesday, April 06, 2005 at 18:25:54 (EDT)Pat, It is so good to hear you are back! I hadn't given up on you...but I hadn't heard from you for many years; twenty at least. Hope to see in Houston in 2006 or earlier. Love your guitar...hang in there!
Maurice LaMontagne <mlamontagne (at) eng.hctx.net>
Houston, tx USA - Wednesday, April 06, 2005 at 14:14:47 (EDT)Mr. Martino,
I don't know what type of pick ups you use but I usally ask " Do you have anything I can catch ?
........................may the VOICE be with you
Lawrence E. Tamanini <italam1 (at) yahoo.com>
Hulmeville, Pa USA - Wednesday, April 06, 2005 at 11:28:53 (EDT)Hi Mr.Martino!I'm a hobby jazzguitar student from Finland and I have really enjoyed your video 'Creative Force Part I'&'Quantum Guitar'! Beatifully simple approach to music and creativity.I just posted here to thank you for sharing your approach to guitar. :) Another thing I was wondering ...is there any public sheet for 'Outrider'? Would be nice to have it.Hopefully you visit Finland some time.
Jaakko Kaarela <jacobe ( (at) ) netti.fi>
Jarvenpaa, Uusimaa Finland - Tuesday, April 05, 2005 at 17:08:22 (EDT)
The February and March 2005 Guestbook entries have been archived.
Enjoy!
Richard <Webmaster (at) PatMartino.com>
Lambertville, NJ USA -Saturday, April 02, 2005 at 17:37:27 (EDT)
Swede blues lover I have a whole bunch of answers to that one. That one to four in the blues throws allot of us. I guess it's that stupid blues scale method, with the box licks and all, that they teach us. Anyway take it from a fool, I feel I have allot of good answers to that question. Painful learning experience. As for Martino on the blues, man that "All Blues" on live at Yoshi's is one of the all time great solos by anyone.
joe <joethornton (at) comcast.net>
Philadelphia, USA - Friday, April 01, 2005 at 23:42:14 (EST)