"Mr. Martino is back and he is plotting new musical directions, adding more layers to his myth." -New York Times
Grammy-nominated jazz guitarist Pat Martino and his trio, will appear at the Jazz Showcase on Thursday, May 31st through Sunday, June 3rd. Martino has had a prolific career in jazz that dates back to the early 1960s. He has been recording and leading his own groups since 1967. He has recorded for all of the top labels in jazz including Vanguard, Prestige, Concord, Fantasy, Warner Brothers, Polydor, Atlantic, Mainstream, and his current label, Blue Note Records. Many of Martino’s recordings are now considered classic, and all of his vinyl recordings have been reissued on CD. He has close to 30 albums out as a leader, and there would be many more if not for a life threatening illness that struck him in the mid 1970s.
In 1976 Martino suffered a severe brain aneurysm that nearly killed him. He suffered from amnesia and would have to go back to his old recordings to rediscover his ability to play the guitar. After a prolonged period of recovery, he returned to recording in 1987, and his career hit full speed again in the early 1990s. Since that time he has received Grammy nominations, has been named guitarist of the year by Downbeat Magazine, and has received numerous awards and honors throughout the world.
A contemporary of jazz greats like Wes Montgomery and John Coltrane, Martino continues to keep the jazz flame burning brightly. His most recent CD Remember: A Tribute To Wes Mongomery was released by Blue Note Records in 2006. Martino is at the peak of his career as a jazz guitarist and is being featured as a headliner at jazz festivals and major venues around the world.
John David Simon has performed extensively on the national and international jazz scene with Ella Fitzgerald, Chaka Khan, Clark Terry, Buddy DeFranco, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, J.J. Johnson, Shirley Scott, The New Jersey Pops Orchestra, T.S. Monk and Charles Earland. John’s big band credits include The Lionel Hampton, Illinois Jacquet, Artie Shaw, Jimmy Dorsey and Cotton Club Orchestras. Currently Simon appears on over ten CD albums, including as a leader, Legacy: The John Simon Trio Featuring Don Patterson, his critically acclaimed debut CD on Muse Records and his second and latest CD, John David Simon And Friends With Clark Terry & Etta Jones on WarmGroove Records. John also appears in the documentary film Texas Tenor: the Illinois Jacquet Story, shown on the Bravo TV network.
A recipient of two NEA Jazz Performance Fellowships and a Master of Music Degree from Manhattan School of Music, Simon has taught jazz performance, ensemble and musicianship at many conservatories and schools.
The Jazz Showcase is located at 806 S. Plymouth Court in historic Dearborn Station in downtown Chicago; sets each night at 8 and 10 pm (plus 4 pm matinee on Sunday); www.jazzshowcase.com.
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