Showing posts with label Joe Pass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Pass. Show all posts

Monday, October 21, 2024

Roy Eldridge - Happy Time

Styles: Swing
Year: 1975
Time: 48:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 112,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:20) 1. Sweethearts On Parade
(7:02) 2. Willow Weep For Me
(4:43) 3. Makin' Whoopee
(3:33) 4. Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You
(4:45) 5. All Of Me
(4:10) 6. I Want A Little Girl
(6:55) 7. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(4:43) 8. I Can't Get Started
(5:18) 9. Stormy Monday
(3:04) 10. Let Me Off Uptown

Roy Eldridge actually spends as much time singing as playing during the ten standards here, but the solos he takes (although concise) have their explosive moments. With pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Joe Pass, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Eddie Locke providing the support, the music always swings in an exuberant fashion. This CD reissue, although not essential, is worth acquiring.
By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/happy-time-mw0000674713

Personnel: Roy Eldridge - trumpet, vocals; Oscar Peterson – piano; Joe Pass – guitar; Ray Brown – double bass; Eddie Locke – drums.

Happy Time

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Oscar Peterson - The Trio

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1973
Time: 38:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 88,1 MB
Art: Front

( 5:31) 1. Blues Etude
(13:52) 2. Chicago Blues
( 7:53) 3. Easy Listening Blues
( 3:46) 4. Come Sunday
( 7:15) 5. Secret Love

Guitarist Joe Pass and bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen both play well on these live performances, but the reason to acquire this set is for the remarkable Oscar Peterson. The pianist brilliantly investigates several jazz styles on "Blues Etude" (including stride and boogie-woogie), plays exciting versions of his "Chicago Blues" and "Easy Listening Blues," tears into "Secret Love," and shows honest emotion on "Come Sunday." Peterson really flourished during his years with Norman Granz's Pablo label, and this was one of his finest recordings of the period.
By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-trio-1973--mw0000045261#review

Personnel: Oscar Peterson – piano; Joe Pass – guitar; Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen – bass.

The Trio

Saturday, February 4, 2023

Duke Ellington Quartet - Duke's Big Four

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:25
Size: 88,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:13) 1. Cotton Tail
(5:24) 2. The Blues
(5:07) 3. The Hawk Talks
(5:39) 4. Prelude To A Kiss
(6:36) 5. Love You Madly
(6:04) 6. Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)
(5:19) 7. Everything But You

One of Duke Ellington's finest small group sessions from his final decade was this frequently exciting quartet date with guitarist Joe Pass, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Louie Bellson. Ellington's percussive style always sounded modern and he comes up with consistently strong solos on such numbers as "Love You Madly," "The Hawk Talks" and especially "Cotton Tail," easily keeping up with his younger sidemen. Highly recommended.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-dukes-big-four-mw0000649490

Personnel: Duke Ellington – piano; Joe Pass - guitar; Ray Brown - bass; Louie Bellson - drums

Duke's Big Four

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Gerald Wilson Big Band - Moment Of Truth

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:32
Size: 93,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:47)  1. Viva Tirado
(4:26)  2. Moment Of Truth
(5:57)  3. Patterns
(2:58)  4. Terri
(2:41)  5. Nancy Jo
(5:40)  6. Milestones
(5:06)  7. Latino
(4:29)  8. Josephina
(3:25)  9. Emerge

Gerald Wilson's Pacific Jazz albums of the 1960s were arguably the most significant of his career. This CD reissues his second record of the period and has among its highlights the original version of "Viva Tirado" (a catchy number made into a surprise pop hit by El Chicano later in the decade) and a driving rendition of "MIlestones"; the other seven songs (six of which are Wilson's originals) are also quite enjoyable. Among the more notable soloists are trumpeter Carmell Jones, both Teddy Edwards and Harold Land on tenor, guitarist Joe Pass, and pianist Jack Wilson. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/moment-of-truth-mw0000654233

Personnel: Gerald Wilson - arranger and conductor; John Audino, Jules Chaiken, Freddie Hill, Carmell Jones, Al Porcino  - trumpet; Lou Blackburn, Bob Edmondson, Lester Robertson, Frank Strong - trombone; Bob Knight - bass trombone; Joe Maini - alto saxophone; Bud Shank - alto saxophone, flute; Teddy Edwards, Harold Land - tenor saxophone; Jack Nimitz, Don Raffell - baritone saxophone; Jack Wilson - piano; Joe Pass - guitar; Jimmy Bond - bass; Mel Lewis - drums; Modesto Duran - congas

Moment Of Truth

Saturday, October 8, 2022

Carmen McRae - The Great American Songbook

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:20
Size: 164,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:34) 1. Satin Doll
(2:27) 2. At Long Last Love
(4:22) 3. If the Moon Turns Green
(2:22) 4. Day by Day
(4:14) 5. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life
(4:12) 6. I Only Have Eyes for You
(9:13) 7. Medley: Easy Living, the Days of Wine and Roses, It's Impossible
(4:09) 8. Sunday
(4:46) 9. A Song for You
(2:20) 10. I Cried for You
(2:44) 11. Behind the Face
(3:28) 12. The Ballad of Thelonius Monk
(5:00) 13. There's No Such Thing as Love
(4:37) 14. They Long to Be Close to You
(1:58) 15. Three Little Words
(3:59) 16. Mr. Ugly
(2:52) 17. It's Like Reaching for the Moon
(3:54) 18. I Thought About You

On this popular two-LP set, singer Carmen McRae interprets songs by Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Michel Legrand, Warren & Dubin, Henry Mancini, and Jimmy Van Heusen, among others, but it is her rendition of a humorous Jimmy Rowles novelty ("The Ballad of Thelonious Monk") that is best remembered. Joined by pianist Rowles, guitarist Joe Pass, bassist Chuck Domanico, and drummer Chuck Flores, McRae had what was at the time a rare opportunity to record a live, spontaneous, jazz-oriented set. She sounds quite enthusiastic about both her accompaniment and the strong repertoire, which includes "At Long Last Love," "I Only Have Eyes for You," "Sunday," "I Cried for You," and "I Thought About You." By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-great-american-songbook-vol-1-mw0000197138

Personnel: Carmen McRae - vocals, piano on "If the Moon Turns Green" and "Mr Ugly"; Jimmy Rowles - piano; Joe Pass - guitar; Chuck Domanico - double bass; Chuck Flores - drums

The Great American Songbook

Sunday, April 24, 2022

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Abraça Jobim

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:11
Size: 173,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:54) 1. Dreamer (Vivo Sonhando)
(5:16) 2. This Love That I've Found (So Tinha de Ser com Voce)
(3:50) 3. The Girl from Ipanema (Garota de Ipanema)
(3:56) 4. Somewhere in the Hills (Favela)
(3:48) 5. Photograph (Fotografia)
(5:21) 6. Wave
(4:06) 7. Triste
(5:39) 8. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)
(2:44) 9. Water to Drink (Agua de Beber)
(2:50) 10. Bonita
(3:42) 11. Off Key (Desafinado)
(5:12) 12. He's a Carioca (Ele e Carioca)
(6:36) 13. Dindi
(2:59) 14. How Insensitive (Insensatez)
(3:52) 15. One Note Samba (Samba de Uma Nota So)
(2:17) 16. A Felicidade
(7:59) 17. Useless Landscape (Inutil Paisagem)

For years, "The Girl fom Ipanema" was a staple in Ella Fitzgerald's songbook, so it's something of a wonder that it was not until 1981 that Ella Abraça Jobim, Fitzgerald's double-album immersion in Antonio Carlos Jobim's back catalog, appeared. Ella's first single-composer release since 1964's tribute to Jerome Kern, Ella Abraça Jobim is, more than anything, final proof of the unassuming Brazilian's place in jazz history alongside the great composers. Sadly Jobim's mellow bossa nova, drenched in the Brazilian concept of saudade, or agreeable melancholy, doesn't necessarily gel with Fitzgerald's swing-based and energetic vocal style.

Fitzgerald and her small group take songs like "Agua de Beber (Water to Drink)" at just slightly too speedy a tempo, rushing a bit where they should be gamboling. Fitzgerald is in very good voice compared to some other recordings from her later years, though, sadly, she's clearly not at her peak. Norman Granz's production is typically excellent, however, and the arrangements are refreshingly free of the typical late-'70s/early-'80s post-fusion clichés. Neither Fitzgerald nor Jobim's finest, then, but not without merit.~ Stewart Masonhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/ella-abra%C3%A7a-jobim-sings-the-antonio-carlos-jobim-songbook-mw0000195476

Personnel: Ella Fitzgerald - Vocals; Clark Terry - Trumpet; Zoot Sims - Tenor Saxophone; Toots Thielemans - Harmonica; Henry Trotter - Keyboards; Mike Lang - Keyboards; Clarence McDonald - Keyboards; Joe Pass - Electric guitar (soloist); Oscar Castro-Neves - Acoustic guitar (soloist); Paul Jackson, Jr. - Rhythm guitar; Mitch Holder - Rhythm guitar; Roland Bautista - Rhythm guitar; Abraham Laboriel - Double Bass; Alex Acuña - Drums; Paulinho da Costa - Percussion

Ella Abraca Jobim

Friday, December 17, 2021

Roger Kellaway - Cello Quartet

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1970
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:03
Size: 96,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:01) 1. Saturnia
(7:49) 2. Sunrise
(5:39) 3. Morning Song
(8:24) 4. Jorjana 2
(2:45) 5. Esque
(5:07) 6. On Your Mark Get Set Blues
(2:57) 7. Invasion Of The Forest
(6:18) 8. Jorjana 8

Roger Kellaway launched his reputation as a consummate iconoclastic musician with this album, which was considered an elegant breakthrough in its time. He assembled a novel quartet featuring his piano, the late Edgar Lustgarten's classical cello (Kellaway's favorite instrument), Chuck Domanico on bass, and Emil Richards on marimba and percussion, writing pieces using chord symbols and notes without stems to allow for improvisation. The resulting album falls ever so neatly between the cracks of classical music and jazz, sometimes leaning in the latter direction (e.g., the Latinized groove of "Jorjana #2"), but mostly occupying a never-never land of Kellaway's own invention. Lustgarten's lush, dark tone establishes a haunting classical ambience, which creates weird stylistic juxtapositions in pieces like the boogie-based "Esque"; on a few tracks, there is some truly quirky writing for a full studio symphony orchestra conducted by Kellaway. The most memorable composition of the lot is the instantly winning, deceptively simple "Morning Song" (later published in a version for tuba and piano!), where Kellaway throws in more than a hint of barrelhouse piano. This album became a cult favorite, in and out of print on LP and CD, but never too difficult to locate.~ Richard S. Ginellhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/roger-kellaway-cello-quartet-mw0000696916

Personnel: Piano – Roger Kellaway; Acoustic Bass – Chuck Domanico; Cello – Edgar Lustgarten; Guitar – Joe Pass ; Percussion – Emil Richards; Violin – Erno Neufeld

Cello Quartet

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Richard 'Groove' Holmes - Somethin' Special

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:08
Size: 109,6 MB
Art: Front

(9:12)  1. Something Special
(5:46)  2. Black Groove
(3:11)  3. Me & Groove
(5:17)  4. Comin' Through The Apple
(6:30)  5. I Though I Knew You
(5:27)  6. Carma
(5:41)  7. Blow The Man Down
(6:01)  8. Satin Doll

Somethin' Special is a laidback, funky classic which features Richard "Groove" Holmes trading licks with pianist Les McCann, saxophonist Clifford Scott and guitarist Joe Pass, who makes one of his first recorded appearances on this album. It's a fine, infectious album, highlighed by Holmes and McCann's stylish solo. Blue Note's 1997 CD reissue features two bonus cuts, including one that features saxophonist Ben Webster. ~ Leo Stanley https://www.allmusic.com/album/somethin-special-mw0000098677

Personnel: Richard "Groove" Holmes – organ; Les McCann – piano; Clifford Scott – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone; Joe Pass – guitar.

Somethin' Special

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Clifford Scott, Les Mccann & Joe Pass - Out Front

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:33
Size: 89,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:55) 1. Samba de Bamba
(7:12) 2. Over And Over
(5:39) 3. As Rosie And Ellen Dance
(2:07) 4. Cross Talk
(5:03) 5. Why Don't You Do Right
(7:51) 6. Just Tomorrow
(5:43) 7. Out Front

As rhythm and blues developed into the most popular black music in the late forties and early fifties, a lot of jazz-oriented musicians jumped the bandwagon in order to make a decent living. Perhaps decent isn’t the appropriate term. Regularly, players switched from swing bands to r&b outfits, which usually meant a change from one grueling touring schedule to another. One bows in awe to them in hindsight, the way guys like Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Red Holloway, Don Wilkerson or Sam “The Man” Taylor, survived. Tenor saxophonist Clifford Scott, born in San Antonio, Texas in 1928, deceased in 1993, traveled a similar route.

Scott worked with Amos Milburn, Jay McShann, Lionel Hampton, Roy Brown and Roy Milton in the early fifties. Scott provided the groundbreaking honking tenor solo on organist Bill Doggett’s jukebox hit in 1955, Honky Tonk. He stayed with Doggett for a number of years. Subsequently, Scott acted as a leader, trying to capitalize on the honking hype with singles bearing gimmicky titles like Bushy Tail and The Kangaroo, and recorded as a prominent session musician in the r&b and pop field. His last big stint, before settling down as a local hero in San Antonio, was with the Ray Charles band, intermittently, from 1966 to 1970.

Based on the West Coast in the sixties, Scott was featured on a number of Pacific Jazz albums by the organ combo Billy Larkin & The Delegates. Scott recorded Plays The Big Ones on Pacific Jazz in 1963, a gritty soul jazz date featuring Hammond organ. It’s a nice enough date but incomparable with Scott’s subsequent album, Out Front!. During that session, Scott expanded his scope, holding on to the fried-bacon notes and the occasional crowd-pleasing climaxes, while displaying distinct suppleness and double-time fluency. Coming with the slightest vibrato, Scott’s style is sensual as hell, and hot as hell as well.

Sensual also applies to the Les McCann Trio, which consists of McCann, bassist Herbie Lewis, drummer Paul Humphrey, plus Joe Pass, as in: attractive, uplifting, rousing. McCann had cooperated with Joe Pass on Richard “Groove” Holmes’ Something Special, Les McCann’s Featuring Joe Pass, On Time and Soul Hits. The gospel-drenched vigor and probing accompaniment of McCann, the group’s abundant swing and the subtle and peppery phrases of Pass provide a stimulating canvas for the lurid, lean strokes of Scott, whom one imagines must’ve been elated with the possibility of working with such an immaculate quartet.

And as is usual with the presence of McCann on a recording date, the pianist contributes a couple of catchy tunes, like the driving Out Front and the crisp stop-time cooker Over And Over, which is marked by the typical McCann device of a shift in key. McCann also wrote Crosstalk, killer greasy tune that is pure Bo Diddley’s Not Fade Away, thriving on the rousing beat and statements of McCann and Pass and the rubato wail of Scott that takes one by surprise like a tornado in New Mexico: a soul jazz gem stopping at a mere 2.45 minutes.

Samba De Bamba is a different ball game, an equally swinging, Latin hard bop tune. Developing his story from sophisticated, fluent phrasing to the kind of terse blowing of Ben Webster, Scott reveals himself as a singular stylist. This, perhaps, comes as no surprise considering his past in the swing era. It is surprising, though, that the saxophonist wasn’t granted the opportunity to record more extensively throughout his career, except for a couple of albums in the early 90’s. More than that, it is a shame. http://flophousemagazine.com/2020/08/31/clifford-scott-out-front-pacific-jazz-1963/

Personnel: Clifford Scott (tenor and alto saxophone), Joe Pass (guitar), Les McCann (piano), Herbie Lewis (bass), Paul Humphrey (drums)

Out Front

Friday, September 24, 2021

Joe Pass, J.J. Johnson - We'll Be Together Again

Styles: Guitar And Trombone Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:04
Size: 106,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:39) 1. Wave
(4:25) 2. We'll Be Together Again
(5:03) 3. Naked As A Jaybird
(4:10) 4. Blue Bossa
(5:47) 5. Limehouse Blues
(5:29) 6. How Long Has This Been Going On?
(4:25) 7. Bud's Blues
(2:33) 8. Nature Boy
(4:23) 9. Solar
(5:07) 10. When Lights Are Low

Few would argue with the statement that there is not an excess of guitar-trombone duet albums. In fact, in terms of instrumentation, this date (which has been reissued on CD) may very well be somewhat unique in jazz history. Trombonist J.J. Johnson had already been the pacesetter on his instrument for nearly 40 years at the time, while guitarist Joe Pass proved in the 1970s that he could make his axe fulfill all the roles of an orchestra. Still, the strong success of this inspired outing is a bit of a surprise. While Pass often adds walking lines behind Johnson, the trombonist sometimes plays long tones behind the guitarist's solos. Most exciting are the spots where the two share the lead equally. Other than Bud Powell's "Bud's Blues" and Johnson's "Naked as a Jaybird," the duo sticks to standards. But obviously, these versions sound quite a bit different than usual. Highlights include "Wave," "Limehouse Blues," "Nature Boy," and "When Lights Are Low." Highly recommended.~Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/well-be-together-again-mw0000267680

Personnel: Guitar – Joe Pass; Trombone – J.J. Johnson

We'll Be Together Again

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Joe Pass - Virtuoso In New York

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:09
Size: 113,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:59)  1. I Never Knew (That Roses Grew)
(5:40)  2. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
(4:40)  3. We'll Be Together Again
(6:28)  4. Blues For Alagarn
(6:19)  5. The Way You Look Tonight
(4:37)  6. How Long Has This Been Going On?
(5:49)  7. Moritat
(6:52)  8. When Your Lover Has Gone
(5:41)  9. Blues For Alagarn - Take 1

When it comes to bountiful vault holdings, few musicians can compare with the oeuvre established by guitarist Joe Pass. As the Pablo label's plectral staple his tape stacks rival and possibly even surpass those of Norman Granz's other resident factotum, Oscar Peterson. The steady crop of titles (one or two each year) that continue to find their way to circulation on disc gives the illusion that virtually ever note he ever picked in studio or on stage was captured by mics both covert and overt for posterity. This latest set offers more of what's already available in abundance: Pass by his lonesome in the studio circa summer of '75, trusty hollow-body slung over shoulder, his mind primed to the task of doing what he did best. The disc's title dispenses with vagaries and skips right to the transparent. Pass was a virtuoso, a label I feel more than comfortable ascribing despite my somewhat checkered past with its usage. Over a three-quarter of an hour stretch he spins improvistory fantasias on a septet of chamois-polished standards, the solitary original blues thrown into the mix in two takes. True it's nothing too removed from the usual press of the Pass mold, but like his arguable pianistic counterpart Art Tatum, Pass could make the same old tunes shine under the close scrutiny of brilliant new hues and colors. He's partially successful in the cause here. 

Ear-ringingly fast single notes vie with strummed chords in a performance that sounds as if at least one other guitarist is sitting in with the maestro. "A Ghost of a Chance" decelerates to a leisurely lope as Pass places attention on crafting gliding chords that orbit easily around the tune's cloying melody. The original "Blues for Alagarn" trades grace and gentility for a healthy dollop of fatback lard. Applying creative heat and grease to string of expressive choruses, Pass pops out bent notes like a hot kettle spouting billowy kernels of corn. He caps it off with a call and response coda of single notes and rhythmic strums redolent with reflexive humor. The slightly shorter alternate of the tune which closes the program is packed with even more surprises. Here, Pass favors a sharper tone and crisper attack, playing a knuckle-cracking run in the middle that never jumbles or stumbles in its precise note placement. "The Way You Look Tonight" registers a finger-speed record with cheetah-paced middle and later choruses that could easily give Johnny Griffin's various breakneck versions a run for their money. An equally dazzling spin through Kurt Weill's "Moritat" puts more serious friction to Pass's calluses. Both tunes are among the handful of other suspects that receive demiurgic recastings. Considering the track record, there's little doubt that another Pass pearl from the Pablo vault will be down the pike directly. In the meantime there's this aptly titled repast to tide our appetites over. Sometimes more of the same can be a mighty agreeable thing. ~ Derek Taylor https://www.allaboutjazz.com/virtuoso-in-new-york-joe-pass-pablo-review-by-derek-taylor.php

Personnel: Joe Pass- guitar.

Virtuoso In New York

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Les McCann Ltd. - "On Time"

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:25
Size: 119,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:17)  1. On Time
(4:50)  2. Yours Is My Heart Alone
(5:39)  3. This for Doug
(5:14)  4. Fondue
(3:04)  5. Bernie's Tune
(4:37)  6. Maichen
(5:02)  7. It Could Happen to You
(5:00)  8. You're Driving Me Crazy
(3:04)  9. So What
(3:32) 10. Direct South
(4:31) 11. Drifftin' Blues
(2:31) 12. Midnight Special

Les McCann's On Time was the eighth album of this talented and popular jazz pianists leader career. Always a consummately swinging and distinctively soulful communicator, he displays the full extent of his honest preaching, warmth and creativity in a range embracing the impressionistic on the introduction to On Time, and an expansive chordal approach on It Could Happen to You. In the pieces here, including four excellent originals by the groups members, he is engagingly melodic over the opening of Fondue, a fine vehicle for improvisation, while Jeffersons This for Doug is a lovely piece; and Maichen, by bassist Leroy Vinnegar, has a pretty, infectious melody, warmly embraced by McCann and the featured guest, Joe Pass, whose lucid solos are among the highlights of the album, particularly his theme statement on Yours Is My Heart Alone. Ron Jefferson and Vinnegar are ideal accompanists. 

The last three tracks feature the veteran blues singer and guitarist Bumble Bee Slim (a.k.a. Amos Easton), one of the best loved bluesmen during the 30s. Accompanied by the Les McCann Ltd., these were part of an album titled Back in Town!, recorded by Slim in 1962, after a long period out of the studios, and they make a nice addition to this collection. https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/les-mccann-albums/5821-les-mccann-ltd-on-time-bonus-tracks.html

Personnel:  Les McCann (p), Joe Pass (g), Leroy Vinnegar (b), Ron Jefferson (d), Bumble Bee Slim (added vcl).

"On Time"

Friday, August 24, 2018

Joe Pass & Les McCann - Something Special Disc 1 And Disc 2

Album: Something Special  Disc 1

Styles: Guitar And Piano Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:49
Size: 146,4 MB
Art: Front

(9:14)  1. Something Special
(5:48)  2. Black Groove
(3:13)  3. Me & Groove
(5:19)  4. Comin' Through the Apple
(6:32)  5. I Thought I Knew You
(5:29)  6. Carma
(4:20)  7. On Time
(4:50)  8. Yours Is My Heart Alone
(5:59)  9. This for Doug
(5:17) 10. Fondue
(3:07) 11. Bernie's Tune
(4:37) 12. Maichen


Album: Something Special  Disc 2

Time: 50:08
Size: 115,1 MB

(5:06)  1. It Could Happen to You
(5:01)  2. You're Driving Me Crazy
(3:06)  3. So What
(4:51)  4. The Other Way
(5:03)  5. Free At Pass... Thank God Allmighty... Free At Pass
(3:25)  6. Meet Me in the Bottom
(4:33)  7. In the Evening
(2:44)  8. New B & O Blues
(5:02)  9. Puppy Love
(2:46) 10. Wake Up in the Mornin'
(5:52) 11. Wee Baby Blues
(2:35) 12. I'm the One

This edition contains all 1962 collaborations by Joe Pass and pianist Les McCann, who would continue working together the following year. Their 1962 output consists of their participation on Richard “Groove” Holmes LP "Somethin' Special" (Pacific Jazz PJ-ST51) and on McCann's own album "On Time" (Pacific Jazz PJ56). 

Both records appear here in their entirety, as well as two tracks from the second LP that were not included on the original album. As a bonus, the complete LP "Back in Town!" (Pacific Jazz PJ54/World Pacific Jazz ST20150). Issued under the name of singer/guitarist Bumble Bee Slim (born Amos Easton), it consisted of two sessions, one featuring Pass, and the other featuring McCann. https://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/65611/joe-pass/something-special-the-1962-sessions

Personnel:  Joe Pass - guitar;   Les McCann - Piano


Sunday, July 1, 2018

Joe Pass - Summer Nights

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:28
Size: 111,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:23)  1. Summer Night
(4:44)  2. Anouman
(4:55)  3. Douce Ambiance
(3:08)  4. For Django
(3:11)  5. D-Joe
(4:45)  6. I Got Rhythm
(5:43)  7. E-Blue Eyes
(4:00)  8. Belleville
(3:27)  9. In My Solitude
(4:48) 10. Tears
(2:50) 11. In A Sentimental Mood
(2:29) 12. Them There Eyes

During the last few years of his life, guitarist Joe Pass enjoyed having reunions with the same musicians who played with him 25 years earlier for the classic For Django recording: rhythm guitarist John Pisano, bassist Jim Hughart and drummer Colin Bailey. This 1989 recording could almost be called For Django 2, for it is the same vein as the original. Pass takes his remake of "For Django" unaccompanied and performs four of Django's tunes, along with five standards from the 1930s and three originals. Pisano, who was instrumental in organizing the session and the repertoire, sticks to acoustic guitar, while Pass alternates between acoustic and electric. 

Although Joe Pass' main influence was Charlie Christian and he really does not sound like Reinhardt, he manages to evoke the spirit of Django while swinging in his own fashion. It is particularly nice hearing such tunes as "Belleville," the haunting "Tears" and "For Django" in newer versions. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/summer-nights-mw0000309426

Personnel:  Joe Pass – guitar;  John Pisano – guitar;  Jim Hughart – bass;  Colin Bailey – drums

Summer Nights

Monday, June 25, 2018

Joe Pass with Red Mitchell - Finally - Live In Stockholm

Styles: Guitar Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:18
Size: 142,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:10)  1. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(5:36)  2. Have You Met Ms. Jones
(7:25)  3. I Thought About You
(5:28)  4. Doxy
(5:02)  5. All The Things You Are
(8:40)  6. These Foolish Things
(5:45)  7. Blue Moon
(3:32)  8. For Django
(5:13)  9. Finally
(3:01) 10. Pennies From Heaven
(6:21) 11. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise

Joe Pass (born Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua; January 13, 1929 May 23, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist of Sicilian descent. He is considered one of the greatest jazz guitarists of the 20th century.  He created possibilities for jazz guitar through his style of chord-melody, his knowledge of chord inversions and progressions, and his use of walking basslines and counterpoint during improvisation. Pass worked often with pianist Oscar Peterson and vocalist Ella Fitzgerald. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Pass

Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell (September 20, 1927 – November 8, 1992), was an American jazz double-bassist, composer, lyricist, and poet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Mitchell

Finally - Live In Stockholm

Monday, May 7, 2018

Joe Pass & Tommy Gumina - Love Walked in

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:34
Size: 140,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:52)  1. What Kind of Fool Am I
(4:37)  2. Love Walked in
(5:17)  3. Stella by Starlight
(4:52)  4. I Will Wait for You
(4:58)  5. Samba De Orfeu
(5:59)  6. Memories of You
(4:17)  7. Be My Love
(2:21)  8. How High the Moon
(3:47)  9. Manha De Carnaval
(5:07) 10. Ellen's Tune
(1:43) 11. Joe's Blues
(3:21) 12. Here's that Rainy Day
(4:17) 13. Tangerine

Joe Pass did the near-impossible. He was able to play up-tempo versions of bop tunes such as "Cherokee" and "How High the Moon" unaccompanied on the guitar. Unlike Stanley Jordan, Pass used conventional (but superb) technique, and his Virtuoso series on Pablo still sounds remarkable decades later.  Joe Pass had a false start in his career. He played in a few swing bands (including Tony Pastor's) before graduating from high school, and was with Charlie Barnet for a time in 1947. But after serving in the military, Pass became a drug addict, serving time in prison and essentially wasting a decade. He emerged in 1962 with a record cut at Synanon, made a bit of a stir with his For Djangoset, recorded several other albums for Pacific Jazz and World Pacific, and performed with Gerald Wilson, Les McCann, George Shearing, and Benny Goodman(1973). However, in general Pass maintained a low profile in Los Angeles until he was signed by Norman Granzto his Pablo label. 1973's Virtuoso made him a star and he recorded very prolifically for Pablo, unaccompanied, with small groups, on duo albums with Ella Fitzgerald, and with such masters as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, Milt Jackson, and Dizzy Gillespie. Pass remained very active up until his death from cancer. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-pass-mn0000209773/biography

Thomas Joseph "Tommy" Gumina (May 20, 1931 in Milwaukee October 28, 2013) was an American jazz accordionist and musical instrument builder. Gumina began playing accordion at age eleven, and took lessons on the instrument in Chicago throughout the second half of the 1940s. He began working with Harry James on television in 1952 as an accompanist for popular tunes, and in 1955 Gumina began working on his own, both solo and with an ensemble. He recorded with Buddy DeFranco and Willie Smith in the 1960s, and began experimenting with modifying an electric accordion, whose amplified sound resembled that of an electronic organ.[2] He was occasionally active as a performer in the 1970s (e.g., with Art Pepper in 1974), but increasingly concentrated on his amplifier manufacturing business, Polytone Musical Instruments, which was based in North Hollywood, California. He and Joe Pass co-founded Polytone Records in 1987. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Gumina

Personnel:  Joe Pass (g) Tommy Gumina (phys) Frank De Vito (dr)

Love Walked in

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Andre Previn, Joe Pass, Ray Brown - After Hours

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:20
Size: 145.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1989/2005
Art: Front

[6:01] 1. There'll Never Be Another You
[4:50] 2. I Only Have Eyes For You
[6:09] 3. What Am I Here For
[6:57] 4. Limehouse Blues
[5:41] 5. All The Things You Are
[5:39] 6. Honeysuckle Rose
[6:07] 7. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
[6:09] 8. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
[4:09] 9. Cotton Tail
[5:56] 10. Laura
[5:37] 11. One For Bunz

Although André Previn had not recorded a regular jazz album in 27 years at this point in time (discounting a pair of Itzhak Perlman sessions featuring Previn's compositions), the great majority of the performances on this trio set with guitarist Joe Pass and bassist Ray Brown are first takes. Previn took time off from his busy schedule in the classical music world to return briefly to jazz, his first love. The results are often magical. Previn, Pass and Brown play together as if they had been touring as a group for years. The pianist is generous with solo space and Pass' solos are sometimes exhilarating. For Previn, it is as if the previous three decades did not occur for he plays in a style little changed from 1960, displaying an Oscar Peterson influence mixed in with touches of Lennie Tristano and Bill Evans' chording, performing ten standards and his own "One for Bunz." Highly recommended. ~Scott Yanow

After Hours mc
After Hours zippy

Monday, February 19, 2018

Roy Clark, Joe Pass - Roy Clark & Joe Pass Play Hank Williams

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:13
Size: 117.3 MB
Styles: Country/Jazz/Pop
Year: 1994/2006
Art: Front

[4:13] 1. Hey, Good Lookin'
[4:56] 2. I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)
[4:30] 3. Your Cheatin' Heart
[3:11] 4. Blues For Hank
[3:44] 5. Cold, Cold Heart
[4:48] 6. Jambalaya (On The Bayou)
[3:28] 7. Long Gone Lonesome Blues
[4:43] 8. Why Don't You Love Me
[3:23] 9. Honky Tonk Blues
[4:49] 10. There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight
[4:17] 11. I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive
[5:06] 12. Kaw-Liga

At first glance, this project, which would be Joe Pass' final recording, might seem a bit unlikely. Pass is teamed up with country guitarist Roy Clark to play a set of Hank Williams tunes, but the date is actually quite successful. Clark has long been a closet jazz player; many of Williams' tunes have attractive chord changes, and Pass had his longtime rhythm section (rhythm guitarist John Pisano, bassist Jim Hughart and drummer Colin Bailey) serving as a solid foundation. Such songs as "Hey, Good Lookin'," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" and "There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight" work quite well in this setting. Since Clark (a brilliant guitarist himself) had long been a Joe Pass fan, the results are both competitive and complementary. Recommended. ~Scott Yanow

Roy Clark & Joe Pass Play Hank Williams mc
Roy Clark & Joe Pass Play Hank Williams zippy

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Herb Ellis, Joe Pass - Two For The Road

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:21
Size: 101.6 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1974/2006
Art: Front

[4:48] 1. Love For Sale
[3:27] 2. Manha De Carnaval
[3:06] 3. Am I Blue
[4:30] 4. Seven Come Eleven
[2:47] 5. Guitar Blues
[3:57] 6. Oh Lady, Be Good
[2:46] 7. Cherokee (Concept 1)
[4:04] 8. Cherokee (Concept 2)
[3:22] 9. Seulb
[2:24] 10. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
[2:15] 11. Try A Little Tenderness
[3:58] 12. I've Found A New Baby
[2:52] 13. Angel Eyes

This recording was the third and final matchup between guitarists Herb Ellis and Joe Pass and, unlike the first two (which were both made for Concord), this is a duo date rather than a quartet session. Pass was just beginning to gain recognition for his remarkable unaccompanied solos, but Ellis had not recorded in such a sparse setting before. They complement each other quite well on such tunes as "Love for Sale," "Seven Come Eleven," "Oh, Lady Be Good," "I've Found a New Baby," and two versions of "Cherokee." Highly recommended. ~Scott Yanow

Two For The Road mc
Two For The Road zippy

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Joe Pass, Tommy Gumina Trio - Sound Project

Styles: Guitar And Accordion Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:44
Size: 105,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:18)  1. My Shining Hour
(3:56)  2. My Ship
(3:42)  3. Once In A While
(2:32)  4. Cavaquino
(3:33)  5. Wee Small Hours
(4:16)  6. Secret Love
(5:02)  7. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
(3:31)  8. When You Wish Upon A Star
(6:07)  9. About Time
(3:35) 10. Will You Give Me These
(5:07) 11. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry

Sound Project is an album by jazz guitarist Joe Pass, released in 1987. 
It is a collaboration with Tommy Gumina, the creator of Polytone guitar amplifiers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Project

Personnel:  Joe Pass – guitar;  Tommy Gumina – accordion;  Jimmie Smith – drums

Sound Project