Allmusic awarded the album 4½ stars stating "Martino performs music that falls between advanced hard bop, fusion and the avant-garde without really fitting into any of the genres. Well worth several listens".[3]
Tom Moon, in his book 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die, wrote: "Whenever you're feeling lethargic, unable to get anything done, cue up 'Sunny' from Pat Martino's famed Live! disc, and prepare to have your clock cleaned. Here, in a solo that lasts more than four minutes, the guitarist motors from one peak to the next with such determination he seems less a jazz musician than a superhero charged with saving Planet Earth."[5]
In an article for All About Jazz, Ian Patterson wrote: "There are only a handful of live recordings of Pat Martino, but this one... is arguably the best... The quartet is on fire on a charging, seventeen-minute version of 'Special Door,' where Martino drags bebop kicking and screaming into funk and avant-garde territory. Even when really attacking the music, however, Martino's warmth of tone, his rhythmic pulse, swing feel and melodicism are ever present."[6]
Critical acclaim
Pat Martino stood out with a style of his own with a well-defined sound in the early 1970s with his numbers like "Special Door," and the pop song "Sunny." His talent outshines his peers for being extraordinarily versatile. [7] Pat Martino has been also referred to as a man who had to struggle to survive because of his health problem that threatened his outstanding career. Considered a guitar prodigy in his early days, he continued to embrace innovation, progress and a distinct technique throughout his career. [8] His music works magic on the listeners and the composers alike as it is marked by the five T’s – tone, time, technique, touch, and taste. He has proved to the music buffs and musicians that he is no short of a legend, an inspiration to followers of any genre. [9]
Track listing
All compositions by Pat Martino except as indicated
