Originally Posted by
deacon Mark
Well done and my favorite solo jazz guitar recording of all time. It stands head above for a number or reason. Joe, simply played, and nothing was arranged as such. He had his usual spots and lines and moves but nothing ever that was called an arrangement played the same way. I listened to Virtuoso when I was a 12-year-old kid in 1973 when it came out. I was blown away as a starting guitar player. I still listen to the recording I love it. The other thing Joe decided was that he was not going to keep the bass going like Chet Atkins, and he was not from the George Van Eps school in looking at the guitar.
Joe really, I believed listened mostly to Art Tatum and the way Tatum would play tunes solo. He would develop themes and then move in and out of tempo. Tatum and even Fats Waller before Tatum. To me Joe came from the piano in regard to what he wanted to hear, and he had deep respect for the bass. A good swinging walking bass can be quite nice in and of itself, I think Joe simply decide he liked it. It also went in with his concept of looking at the guitar and how to play. He saw a bass line looking at the chord and the root and 5th. Then he colored the tune like any good cocktail pianist would do to decorate the tune.
What you just played is great and was and is history. Should not be taken lightly either. Joe really in a sense legitimized the whole style of playing solo guitar. He managed because he had tremendous facility and a keen ear. Also, he liked melodies and played tunes he did not think so much of jamming on the guitar. So here we are 50 years later, and I like it glad to see you do this tune and work up. Round Midnight is haunting when he plays it.
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