Solo jazz guitar like Joe Pass

[Nate Miller]

I really like the way Joe Pass plays solo jazz guitar. He gets everything in there together, walking bass, single line, chords...

What other players have done solo jazz arrangements like this?

Thanks for any recommendations.

I don't think I saw anybody mention George Van Epps or Johnny Smith

both are awesome. their records used to be very hard to get, but now everything is out there on line.

[RonnyV]

I'm an older guitarist who became strongly influenced to devote myself completely to solo jazz guitar because of the work of Joe Pass. He was an incredible talent and a very creative individual.

From him I learned many things, such as:

There is a liberating freedom in solo work,
anyone can play solo, if one approaches it in the right ways,
even a limited repertoire can provide a wealth of learning, tune-by-tune,
overcoming fear of performance is an obstacle that must be faced,
there are identifiable levels of mastery of repertoire that become apparent after a while,
etcetera.

Ron V
CT USA

[ronjazz]

I started playing during the folk scare of the early 60s, but quickly gravitated to classical guitar for the sound, so never had the hesitation to play solo, since that's the bulk of classical guitar work, which in a restaurant or background music setting really lends itself to standard tunes and arrangements of pop tunes. The guitar is a great solo instrument, but with only the plectrum, there are serious limits to reaching the potential of the instruments polyphony and independent voices, which may be why solo jazz guitar is not common. In any case, using hybrid picking will really open up the possibilities, not to take anything away from Johnny Smith.

[AndyV]

Tuck Andress plays some amazing solo guitar but I doubt he can take off from a skeleton arrangement like Joe could to the realm of pure spontaneity - few can. Tuck does get some some sounds however, that are unique; these little licks that are kinda like drum flams.

[jameslovestal]

I don't think I saw anybody mention George Van Epps or Johnny Smith

both are awesome. their records used to be very hard to get, but now everything is out there on line.

Each time I have seen Howard Alden he plays a song or two as solo-guitar and mentions the time he spent with George Van Epps.

[Doug B]

I think Mimi Fox studied with Joe Pass?

[grahambop]

Andy Brown is a great solo player. I’ve been working through his solo guitar lessons from mymusicmasterclass, they are very useful. Here is a whole solo concert by Andy:

[RonnyV]

I wish I could hear you perform...sounds like you know what you're doing.

I gave up on the pick years ago---after studying Wes Montgomery. I use my thumb almost exclusively. Over the years I've learned to use other fingers, but not nearly so well as you might use yours.

The thumb gives me a sound I like and can usually realize it with any amp.

Yes, solo guitarists are a rare and underappreciated lot. Nevertheless, it's a fascinating specialty.

Ron V
CT

[grahambop]

I’ve only been tackling solo stuff seriously for the last couple of years. I mean I could put together ‘chord melody’ type arrangements quite well before that, but I couldn’t really do much improvising within those ‘arrangements’. So I’m trying to work on that aspect a lot more now.

Also in the past I mainly used the pick, but recently I have started doing solo fingerstyle (encouraged by the Andy Brown lessons). Really I should be able to do fingerstyle, because I started out with classical guitar when I was young. But I do find it a bit harder to get the attack and swing/groove I can get with a pick. On the other hand, fingerstyle makes playing bass notes and chords a lot more precise in some ways.

Solo guitar is a real challenge and some days I feel very frustrated with it, but I keep coming back to it because it just seems the logical way to use the guitar ‘to its full’, as it were. And when it goes well, it’s really satisfying.

I have posted a few solo tunes over the years on my YouTube channel and my soundcloud page (links are below), I have titled them with the description ‘solo guitar’ in case anyone stumbles across them!

[Jonah]

All great but in jazz I love more pick (or hybrid, or thumbers) solo players...

This awkwardness of lines and chords - often consequential, that specific attack that comes from struming heavy low abrupt dark chords or bright sharp interval, that feeling or rawness - all that brings in something that makes jazz guitar very different for me from other guitar styles (like latin, flamenco or classical)...
when guys begin to play all fingerstyle it begin to sound a bit like arrangement to me (though i know even it is not so actually).

I do not know why (I am a conflicted person - so do not ask).

But I think it is more challenging to keep up a whole solo gig playing like that of course.. with fingerstyle you have more versatality in texture and technique...

Though I enjoyed Peter's solo album I remember people complained that it was boring to listen to that for the whole eveneing.
I think depends much on how you listen.. if you are more for entertaining - which is ok - then things like changing texture are good as there are noticeable and superficial enough
But if you listen and hear the ideas and narrative thing - it chould not be a problem really...

and Bobby is just fantastic

and Kenny of course

and Barney

And Wes!

And this guy can make a gig out of that really