Hi everyone, my name is Nathan from Jazz Guitar Lessons.net and welcome back
to Album Deep Dives, this is episode 3. On today’s episode I’ll be covering the
acclaimed guitarist Joe Pass, and specifically 2 of the albums that he’s produced
which is: “For Django” (a 1964 album) and “Virtuoso” (a 1973 album).
Now, a bit of a personal note here, “Virtuoso” is the very first jazz guitar album I
ever laid my hands on and I played it countless hours I believe on rides to and from
my home and Carleton University, were I was taking my Bachelor of Music Degree.
So it’s pretty close to my heart you might say
By now, Joe Pass is a revered name in the jazz guitar world. His legendary chordal
facility as well as technical virtuosity have put him on the level of musicians like Art
Tatum or Charlie Parker; each one an avatar of their respective instrument.
To understand Pass' broad style, it's helpful to listen to his playing in different
contexts. In this podcast as I mentioned before, we'll be highlighting key tracks
from For Django, his seminal 1964 quartet record, as well as the aptly titled 1973
solo album Virtuoso. Even today, these albums are landmarks of bebop guitar and
solo guitar respectively, and they helped paint a picture of Pass' development over
nearly a decade.
[music clip “Django” 00:00 – 00:20]
The story of For Django begins when Pass was just 11 years old, when he heard
the music of Django Reinhardt for the very first time. In later interviews, Pass
described Reinhardt as his first major influence, followed shortly by Charlie
Christian. He described them both, along with Wes Montgomery, as "players who
added another dimension to the instrument".
Three years later, Pass joined a group called The Gentleman Of Rhythm, that
played tunes in the style of Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. With Pass playing
lead, the group performed at local dances and Pass used the money to support his
working class parents.
20 years later, after a decade of arrests, drug problems, and eventual rehab, Pass'
star was on the rise once again with a series of records on the Pacific Jazz label.
With his fourth Pacific record, Pass opted for a selection of tunes written or
frequently played by Reinhardt, as well as tribute tunes.
For Django features the rhythm section of John Pisano on rhythm guitar, Jim
Hughart on bass, and Colin Bailey on drums. It was recorded at Pacific Jazz
Studios in Hollywood, and produced by Richard Bock (whose name you may
recognize from the Wes Montgomery tune "Bock to Bock").
The album begins with a dirge-like intro on the John Lewis tune "Django". It sounds
like Pass is playing with his thumb, something he occasionally did to achieve a
more mellow sound. When the time kicks in and his solo starts, Pass switches to
the pick and plays an immaculately crafted stream of bebop lines.
At the start of this solo, the rhythms are fairly consistent and the lines resolve in
such a logical way that it gives the feeling of some kind of modern JS Bach piece.
It's as if the solo has been sitting in some kind of sonic marble, and Pass is just
revealing it the listener.
As a jazz guitar teacher myself this is one of the solos that I have to teach to all of
my students, at least the first chorus
[music clip “Django 01:08 – 01:24]
Upon hearing "Django" for the first time, guitarist Steve Masakowski remembers
thinking, and I quote, "Yeah, this sounds good, but kind of dated.’ Then, when Joe
started going double time, it was like, ‘Wow, what is he doing here? This is
unbelievable.’ These lines were coming out with such fluidity and just perfection,
man. I sat in my basement for the next two weeks, trying to pick out what he was
doing."
The third track, "Nuages", now feels like a precursor to the solo playing we'd hear
later on Virtuoso. It begins with a rubato solo guitar intro consisting of trademark
Pass licks punctuating the melody, and into a concise, melodic solo. The
underrated star of the show here is John Pisano's comping, which allows Pass to
take a much needed breath in between phrases.
[music clip “Nuages” 01:20 – 01:43]
Pass had a great admiration for the ego-less, supportive approach of Pisano, and
the two worked together on many subsequent records. He also looked up to him
greatly on a personal level, as Pisano was one of the rare examples of a sober jazz
musician. After the last gig they played together, Pass left Pisano a note saying
how much he had enjoyed playing together, and that he was the foremost guitar
player that he wanted to work with.
Following "Nuages" is the title track of the record, written by Pass himself. It's a
simple, elegant waltz that shows off his economy as a composer. In the solo, Pass
creates a kind of rhythmic tension by playing "straight" eighth notes over the driving
swing of the rhythm section. This helps create a clear contrast in mood between
the solo and the more mellow, relaxed melody.
[music clip “For Django” 01:19 – 01:41]
The next tune, "Night and Day", is the clear highlight of the whole record. Right off
the top, Pass begins with a blazing solo chorus that sounds confident and relaxed
in spite of the fast tempo. Although Pass was known for his encyclopedic
knowledge of chords, tracks like this show he was capable of playing single-note
bebop guitar as well as anyone.
The tone and general approach on "Night and Day" resembles that of Pat Martino,
another Italian-American jazz guitarist whose career was also beginning to take off.
Placed right in the middle of the tracklist, it feels like the centrepiece of the record,
complete with a playfully interactive drum/guitar trading section.
[music clip “Night and Day” 00:41 – 01:03]
Rounding out the record is "Limehouse Blues", a Reinhardt staple. Pass' solo here
was referenced by Pat Metheny, who wrote, "that is one of my favourite guitar
solos that anyone has ever gotten onto tape - I can still sing it in my head as I type
this, and I haven't gotten that record out in a long time - it is that memorable to
me."
[music clip “Limehouse Blues” 00:21 – 00:53]
Nearly 10 years after For Django, and 6 albums later, we find Pass delving into his
past yet again on 1973's Virtuoso. Solo guitar playing had always been present in
Pass' life - first as a child playing for his father's friends, and later during a stay at a
drug rehabilitation centre - but he had never placed it at the forefront of a record
until this very album.
When asked about the genesis of his solo playing, Pass responded, "I did it kinda
by accident. Nobody got mad, or threw anything, so I continued to do it."
Virtuoso begins with another take on Cole Porter's "Night and Day", this one
markedly different than the For Django version. Immediately, the tone is noticeably
different than a typical jazz guitar record. It sounds as though Pass is playing an
unamplified archtop, with a bit of the room sound mixed in.
In the first minute alone Pass shows off mastery of the entire range of the guitar,
playing sweeping melodic runs, inner voice leading, and contrapuntal bass lines.
[music clip “Night and Day” 00:00 – 00:30]
The album continues with "Stella By Starlight", where Pass punctuates the melody
with a flurry of single-note runs. The result is reminiscent of Art Tatum's stride
piano playing. Although we may have gotten used to this kind of playing due to the
high level of modern players like Pasquale Grasso, it must be said that at the time,
this kind of playing was quite groundbreaking.
[music clip “Stella by Starlight” 00:54 – 01:18]
Later we hear Pass tackle "How High the Moon", which is notable for its myriad of
different textures. In the space of about 5 minutes, Pass drifts from an interactive
walking-bass-with-chord-shots, into a bluesy single note section, and off on
occasional tangents of strummed chord solos. The highlights of this track are when
Pass settles on a rhythmic motif, which breaks up the seemingly unending stream
of eighth notes.
[music clip “How High The Moon” 02:17 – 02:43]
Following "How High The Moon" is Pass' take on "Cherokee", which is worth
listening to for its blisteringly fast tempo alone. It's an almost comical speed to be
playing at as a solo guitarist, and you can tell Pass is perhaps jokingly justifying the
bold title of the record.
[music clip “Cherokee” 00:50 – 01:14]
Near the end of the tracklist is Pass' own "Blues for Alican", a tribute to Sam
Alican. He sounds really comfortable here, in comparison to the anxious version of
"Cherokee" from earlier. The acoustic archtop tone works really well in this context this dry tone, along with Pass' relaxed swing feel combine for an earthy quality that
makes this tune one of the highlights of the record.
[music clip “Blues for Alican” 03:58 – 04:18 ]
Luckily for intrigued listeners, both of the records covered here today were followed
up with sequels and related material. The band from For Django reconvened
on Summer Nights, Appassionato, and Six-String Santa, and there is a
documentary about the record as well. Fans of Virtuoso will want to check
out Virtusoso 2,3, and 4, as well as the many live performances on DVD.
After listening these records, it's plainly clear why Joe Pass is referred to as
possibly the most complete guitarist of his era. His ability to adapt bebop language
to the guitar, play stunning unaccompanied stride guitar, and not to mention,
compose beautiful original tunes continues to be a model for jazz guitarists around
the world. He was one of my first inspirations and I hope he is one of yours as well.
Thanks for listening to this episode of Album Deep Dives. Once again my name is
Nathan from Jazz Guitar Lessons.net and as always, happy shedding!
