Straight From The Horse’s Mouth: Joe Pass

[V7#5b9]

“An Evening With Joe Pass” is a treat for any guitar student who is interested in tackling jazz guitar. I hope you will find it inspirational, educational and motivational. The preceding player’s profile comes from the “20th Century JAZZ GUITAR” free e-book by Richie Zellon, and serves as a brief historical background regarding the artist.

“Joe Pass 
BEBOP, HARD BOP

Joe Pass (Joseph Anthony Passalaqua) was born on January 13, 1929 in New Brunswick, New Jersey and raised in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. His father, an Italian steel-worker bought him his first guitar at age 9 and encouraged him to learn songs and improvise by ear after witnessing the youngster’s early musical tendencies. By the time he was 14, Pass was already working with local bands and later went on the road at 18 with the Tony Pastor band. After serving in the military he spent a period in New York during which he started using drugs and eventually ended up spending time in several rehabilitation centers as well as jail. 

As a result of his drug addiction, Pass spent most of the 50’s in obscurity. After over 10 years trying to kick drugs, Pass entered the Synanon Center in California where he made his famous Sounds of Synanon (1961) recording with other residents who were also jazz musicians.

Upon leaving Synanon, Pass gradually became one of the most in demand guitarists in the Los Angeles studio scene where he worked for 10 years. During this period he worked as a sideman with Louis Bellson, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Joe Williams, Della Reese, Johnny Mathis, as well as on numerous TV shows including The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, The Merv Griffin Show, The Steve Allen Show, and others.

After recording several albums for the Pacific Jazz and World Pacific labels throughout the 60’s, Pass was signed by Norman Granz, the producer of Jazz at the Philharmonic and founder of Verve Records to his new Pablo Records label in 1970. In 1974, Pass released his now classic solo album Virtuoso. This initial recording along with the entire series that followed, has redefined the art of solo jazz guitar. As a result of these solo recordings and concerts, Pass finally achieved the notoriety he deserved and was consistently listed in the jazz polls year after year. During this same period at Pablo, he recorded a set of widely acclaimed guitar/vocal duet records with Ella Fitzgerald. Joe Pass died from liver cancer in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 65.” 
 

 

[NeilES335]

Joe Pass is one of my all time favorites in the Jazz genre. The solo album "Virtuoso" is simply astonishing. Any guitarist who gives it a good listen, whether they like jazz or not, will sit there in awe. Chord melody, lightning fast runs, bass lines, beautiful interpretation, the album has it all.  I've listened to it many times, and never tire of it. You should too.

Another great artist gone too soon.

Here's the album uploaded to YouTube;

"He weaves his own fast-moving chords and filigree work so nimbly that it is hard to believe fingers can physically shift so quickly. Slight moustached, fairly balding, he frowns over his fretwork like a worried head waiter with more guests than tables but the sound that comes out could only be the confident product of years of devotion to the instrument... But it is when he plays completely solo, which he does for half of each set, that he comes into his own, because without hindrance of the rhythm section he can completely orchestrate each number. Sometimes it is by contrasting out of tempo sections with fast-moving interludes, sometimes by switching mood from wistful to lightly swinging, sometimes by alternating single-note lines with chords or simultaneous bass line and melody-the possibilities seem endless. Luckily, there is a new L.P. by him which captures all this on vinyl, as someone has had the unusual good sense to record him all alone. It is calledVirtuoso and rightly so." - Miles Kington on Pass in an October 1974 article in The Times.^[6]

Edited January 18, 2018 by NeilES335
added quotation; source Wikipedia, "The Times"

[V7#5b9]

Thanks Neil! I listen to Virtuoso every now and then, too.

[Wim VD]

Thanks for sharing, Gerard and Neil

[Tony cash]

Neil, I had the opportunity to attend a guitar clinic Joe pass gave at U.O. P. 40 years ago. He was amazing. And I only played drums then but went to see him. Truly he was incredible. Thanks for mentioning him. Tony