''Young Guns'' is a live album by jazz organist

Gene Ludwig Gene Ludwig (September 4, 1937 – July 14, 2010) was an American jazz and rhythm and blues organist, who recorded as a leader as well as a sideman for Sonny Stitt, Arthur Prysock, Scott Hamilton, Bob DeVos, and Leslie West, and others. Ludwig ...

and guitarist

Pat Martino Pat Martino (born Patrick Carmen Azzara; August 25, 1944 – November 1, 2021) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Biography Martino was born Patrick Carmen Azzara in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, to father Carmen "Mickey" ...

. It was recorded during 1968 or 1969 at Club 118 in Louisville, Kentucky, and was released in 2014 by HighNote Records. On the album, Ludwig and Martino are joined by drummer

Randy Gelispie Randle Gelispie, "Randy" or "Uncle G", is an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and educator. Born in 1935 in Akron, Ohio, Randy Gelispie began playing drums at a young age. He played clubs while still in his teens, technically illegal for him ...

Reception

In a review for

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

, Jack Bowers wrote: "Ludwig... sprays bluesy notes and ideas all over the landscape, while Martino, a lyrical machine, has the proper phrase for every occasion, whether rushing quickly forward or simply hanging loose. Gelispie, a splendid soloist when his number is called, serves as the trio's rhythmic anchor, deftly shaping the time as Ludwig and Martino zigzag around and through it. To put it another way, all three are at the top of their respective games... Even though the ''Young Guns'' no longer answer to that name, they leave no doubt in this colorful scrapbook why it was once very much their province." In a separate AAJ article, Marc Myers commented: "Placed in a club... Martino caught fire. He used his guitar as a swinging whip, cracking it as he tore into blues and standards. As ''Young Guns'' demonstrates, Martino could stir up the scene with long, impeccable runs and give the organ a run for its money in the funky grease department... Each track on this album has an energy level that raises hairs." Derek Taylor, writing for Dusted Magazine, stated: "Precision octaves and racing single-note runs are regular facets of Martino's arsenal and the guitarist repeatedly ramps the tempo, testing Ludwig and Gelispie, who give it right back in return... If there's a gripe to be made... it's in the bombast of some of his and his partners' passages herein... that's where the collection's title comes in and any excesses in expression by three musicians enamored of their prodigious skills can readily occasion forgiveness." Jazz Weekly's George W. Harris remarked: "The band stretches out for each song, so there's lots of room for Martino to create sonic landscapes and allow Ludwig to kick out the jams on the smoky B3... Relaxed, casual and inspired these guys sound like they're out to change the world; you can't do wrong with this blast from the past." In a review for

Jazz Times ''JazzTimes'' is an American magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade of growth ...

, Mike Shanley stated that the album "reveals a group that was every bit as powerful as the groups that inspired the trio's sound... Martino astounds, alternating between rapid picking... and Montgomery-inspired octaves."

Track listing

# "

Who Can I Turn To? "Who Can I Turn To?" (alternatively titled "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)") is a song written by English lyricists Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley and first published in 1964. Background The song was introduced in the musical ' ...

" (

Leslie Bricusse Leslie Bricusse OBE (; 29 January 1931 – 19 October 2021) was a British composer, lyricist, and playwright who worked on theatre musicals and wrote theme music for films. He was best known for writing the music and lyrics for the films '' Do ...

Anthony Newley Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999) was an English actor, singer, songwriter, and filmmaker. A "latter-day British Al Jolson", he achieved widespread success in song, and on stage and screen. "One of Broadway's greatest leadin ...

) – 13:40 # "

Mr. P.C. "Mr. P.C." is a twelve-bar jazz piece in minor blues form, composed by John Coltrane in 1959. The song is named in tribute to the bass player Paul Chambers, who had accompanied Coltrane for years. It first appeared on the album '' Giant Steps' ...

" (

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Born and raise ...

) – 8:18 # "Sam Sack" ( Milt Jackson) – 12:58 # "Watch What Happens" (

Michel Legrand Michel Jean Legrand (; 24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and jazz pianist. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to many son ...

) – 9:27 # " Close Your Eyes" ( Bernice Petkere) – 12:26 # "Road Song" (

Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for an unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a dist ...

) – 7:59 # "Colossus" (Pat Martino) – 11:58

Personnel

– organ *

– guitar *

– drums

References

{{Reflist 2014 live albums Pat Martino live albums HighNote Records live albums