Guitar in Full Command, No Apologies
Martino solos shine with blindingly bright precision, each one a marvel of structure and control.
What makes Consciousness (1974) distinctive isn't just Martino's playing—it's how Eddie Green anchors everything on electric piano. Green doesn't comfortably accompany; he argues with the guitar, trades space, pushes back. Listen to how he frames Martino's lines on "Impressions," offering harmonic counterweight rather than padding. That tension between two strong voices is what separates this from standard guitar-plus-rhythm records.
Martino was rising fast by 1974, and this quartet session captures him at a particular moment: technically fearless, structurally disciplined, never flashy for its own sake. The rhythm section—Tyrone Brown on bass and Sherman Ferguson on percussion—locks tight enough to let the front end breathe. "Along Came Betty" swings as a bossa nova with real swing, not just rhythm-section courtesy. The solo guitar take on "Both Sides Now" is where Martino's restraint becomes obvious; he doesn't need a band to prove anything.
AllMusic reviewer Michael G. Nastos called it "Martino on the way up," and that's accurate without being kind or unkind. This isn't a masterpiece that changed jazz; it's a solid, focused record by a guitarist who knew what he could do and wasn't interested in showing off. Russell Malone heard it young and nearly quit guitar. That says something about the level of control on display here.
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