Undeniable (feat. Eric Alexander, Tony Monaco, Jeff 'Tain' Watts)

Pat Martino’s 1967 debut, El Hombre, found the guitarist fronting an organ combo, a format he was no stranger to. Martino has gone on to release numerous albums that have incorporated rock, world music, and pop, but 2011’s Undeniable looks back to his funky organ days. His band here—tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, organist Tony Monaco, and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts—swing and groove throughout this live album, recorded at Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. The quartet immediately wins the listener over on the high-energy opener, “Lean Years.” Martino’s exciting solo is fully engaged, and he continually surprises with new twists and turns. Alexander displays his husky tone on a no-notes-wasted statement, Monaco burns, and Waits drives hard. The band shows its affinity for the blues on tracks such as “Goin’ to a Meeting” and “Midnight Special,” which features a rip-roaring monster of an organ solo. The quartet is effectively moody on a version of Monk’s “‘Round Midnight,” and things wrap up with “Side Effect,” where Martino makes nice use of octaves.