Posted on 01/15/2016 9:04:06 AM PST by Maceman
The journal World Neurosurgery has just published a remarkable case report: the rather uplifting story of Pat Martino: Jazz, Guitar and Neurosurgery
Martino (born in 1944 in Philadelphia) was playing jazz guitar by the age of 12. By 20 he had a record deal and a series of successful albums followed.
But in 1976, he began to suffer headaches. As these became more intense, he developed psychiatric symptoms including mania and depression, along with seizures that left him confused. He attempted suicide on multiple occasions and was treated in psychiatric hospitals for depression, but to no avail.
In 1980 a severe seizure left him hospitalized. The cause was finally found after a CT scan revealed an arteriovenous malformation in his left temporal lobe. Martino had probably been born with this abnormal mass of blood vessels, as they can lie dormant for many years. In his case, it had begun to haemorrhage, and had become life-threatening.
So a surgeon removed 70% of Martino’s left temporal lobe:
The result was devastating:
When discharged, he showed apparently no aphasia [loss of speech], but presented a profound retrograde amnesia, which included his own person, his environment and familiar people. He also had complete abolition of his musical capabilities.
So he began to relearn everything:
Aided by his father, the patient was gradually introduced back into his past, with the help of photos, encounters with friends, including other musicians, and, mainly, by making him listening to his own records. The patient, in turn credited to a computer the necessary help to revitalize his musical interest: a small Apple Macintosh with a tiny screen, and a 127K system with a music program…
He returned progressively, though slowly and with difficulty, to play the guitar; this time as if it were a toy, “to escape the situation, and to please my fatherâ€. The process of memory retrieval took him about two years. Although he never lost his manual dexterity, the necessary skill to play guitar again to his previous musical level took years to bring back.
In 1987 he returned to record a jazz album called, logically, “The Returnâ€.
It was Martino’s first record for 10 years, but he’s recorded 20 albums since and is still working. Though he experiences some memory problems, they don’t affect his daily life, and he says that living more in the “here and now†has its advantages.
The authors of the World Neurosurgery paper (who include Paul Broks, of Into the Silent Land) point out that Martino’s excellent recovery may have been aided by the nature of his illness. If the malformation had been in his left temporal lobe from birth, impairing its development, his healthy right temporal lobe might have taken over additional functions.
Pat Martino is one of my absolute jazz guitar heroes, and this is an amazing story -- both from a medical and a musical point of view.
For those who aren't familiar with him and want to hear a sample of his virtuosity, here he is (post-surgery) in a live performance of one of his original compositions, titled: The Great Stream
He is known for his powerful, long, driving, improvised solo lines. When I listen to him, I think that every note he plays is like getting punched in the face.
Here's one of his pre-surgery recordings from the early 1970s, called: The Visit. This one is a bit mellower, but just as powerful.
These events echo the work of the great Doctor Walter Cannon.
Check out the youtubes on Eddie Adcock and how the brain doctors got his hand to stop shaking so he could play music again.
Martino is a great player. Listen to his solo on “Sunny”, and its remarkable virtuosity.
He became a different player and person after the health issue. More focused, more efficient and powerful. I met him in Greenwich Village and he invited me back stage to talk guitars. Just a great guy.
Contemporary of Larry and Lee.
I have a few of his albums, late and before the surgery.
He who used to play with the Country Gentlemen when the Shamrock was going in Georgetown?
For a sec I thought they found some undiscovered recording of Gilmour playing other tracks on Brain Damage on Dark Side of the Moon.
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“arteriovenous malformation”
My father had the same exact thing around 20 years ago, and they operated on him and closed up several blood vessels that’s weren’t needed with glue. It was putting pressure on the part of his brain that controlled motion, it was VERY bizarre, one night he couldn’t stop looking to his right. We would hold his head straight and once we let go he would look to the right again, turn his entire head to the right so we called the ambulance because we thought he was having a stroke. My mother was freakin’ out because there’s only such much time before a stroke causes brain damage. But it wasn’t a stroke, he had a mass of blood vessels that were there since he was born and now they were putting pressure on his brain so he went in for an operation. Incredibly they started by inserting the catheter or whatever they use into an artery in his leg and followed it all the way up to his brain and glued the blood vessels shut. Why they removed 70% of this jazz guitarists brains sounds completely insane.
It was 70% of his left frontal lobe, not his whole brain.
I can tell you that I would give up 70% of my left frontal lobe in a heartbeat if it would make me as good a player as Pat Martino.
But it probably won't. So maybe I'll just keep what I have and soldier on.
bttt
Yeah, that is the guy. From Scottsville Va. Still picking and grinnin’.
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