Pat Martino

Pat Martino – born Pat Azzara on August 25, 1944, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – is a jazz guitarist and composer. His professional career began at the age of 15 when he relocated to New York City. He began playing local jazz clubs while living with legendary guitarist Les Paul for a short time. Early in his career, he recorded or played with a variety of artists including Lloyd Price, Eric Kloss, Jack McDuff, Willis Jackson, Charles Earland, Richard ‘Groove’ Holmes, Jimmy Smith, and many others. His debut solo album, El Hombre, was released in 1967, followed later that same year by Strings! Pat Martino continued to collaborate with other artists and release solo albums including East! (1968), Desperado (1970), Consciousness (1974) and Exit (1977). In 1980, he suffered an aneurysm and surgery left him with amnesia. With no recollection of his career or how to play the guitar, Pat Martino had to relearn how to play. His first album after his long recovery was 1987’s The Return. Subsequent albums include The Maker (1995), Stone Blue (1998), Nexus (2015), and Formidable (2017). Due to a chronic respiratory disorder, Pat Martino had to retire from performing in 2018. He died on November 1, 2021.

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