Joe Pass Single note line recordings

**spooni** · 11-04-2010, 07:47 AM

Hey!

I´ve started my jazz-journey from the great Charlie Parker, and I´m now looking for the same kind of bebop-approach, sound and phrasing like Parker had but performed on the guitar.
I went through the recordings of Charlie Christian, Django, Wes, Grant Green, Tal Farlow, Jimmy Raney, Jimmy Bruno, Pat Martino, Stern, Metheny, Scofield etc, but I was still missing some x-factor I was looking for.

At first I listened Joe Passes Virtuoso, and all that solo-guitar stuff and It was not that kind of thing what I was looking for, because I wasn´t interested in Passes chord melody style but looking for straight ahead flowing Parker-type Bebop lines.

Then I founded recording called Joy Spring where Pass is with his quartet and playing only the single note stuff. Found it! This is kind of a Parker-tone, -phrasing and -bebop-language I was looking for!

Now I´m asking If you guys can help me to find all those Joe Pass-recordings where he is doing this kind of single note line-stuff as a soloist with his band backing him up. In spotify all of the recordings are nearly the solo-guitar stuff, so I would like to have some record-requests from you guys who know better his records.

And last but not least; If you guys can request some other guitarists/recordings wich are just like Charlie Parker-stuff but performed on the guitar I would be wery happy!

I´m learning and listening now the bebop-language of Parker but would like to have some guitar-played music also to be listened and played wich had the same stuff like Parker had!

Thank you already and sorry for the typos, english is not my motherlanguage

!

- Petri

**fumblefingers** · 11-04-2010, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by spooni

Hey!

I´ve started my jazz-journey from the great Charlie Parker, and I´m now looking for the same kind of bebop-approach, sound and phrasing like Parker had but performed on the guitar.
I went through the recordings of Charlie Christian, Django, Wes, Grant Green, Tal Farlow, Jimmy Raney, Jimmy Bruno, Pat Martino, Stern, Metheny, Scofield etc, but I was still missing some x-factor I was looking for.

At first I listened Joe Passes Virtuoso, and all that solo-guitar stuff and It was not that kind of thing what I was looking for, because I wasn´t interested in Passes chord melody style but looking for straight ahead flowing Parker-type Bebop lines.

Then I founded recording called Joy Spring where Pass is with his quartet and playing only the single note stuff. Found it! This is kind of a Parker-tone, -phrasing and -bebop-language I was looking for!

Now I´m asking If you guys can help me to find all those Joe Pass-recordings where he is doing this kind of single note line-stuff as a soloist with his band backing him up. In spotify all of the recordings are nearly the solo-guitar stuff, so I would like to have some record-requests from you guys who know better his records.

And last but not least; If you guys can request some other guitarists/recordings wich are just like Charlie Parker-stuff but performed on the guitar I would be wery happy!

I´m learning and listening now the bebop-language of Parker but would like to have some guitar-played music also to be listened and played wich had the same stuff like Parker had!

Thank you already and sorry for the typos, english is not my motherlanguage

!

- Petri

just look for Pass' stuff prior to the first virtuoso album, where he is playing with a band (i.e. not solo guitar).

Tal Farlow and Jimmy Raney are know as bop players. Raney has some Aebersold educational materials that you may want to check out. I prefer Pass to Farlow, but whatever.

Good luck.

**randalljazz** · 11-04-2010, 09:03 AM

live at donte's is good (trio), double cd includes the old (bop, not modal) milestones and a blistering version of secret love.

dizzy's big 4 is joe with diz, ray brown, and mickey roker, includes an astounding version of gillespie's bebop. whole disc smokes.

**randalljazz** · 11-04-2010, 09:05 AM

also check out barney kessel (especially the 5 'poll winners' discs) and herb ellis.

**djangoles** · 11-04-2010, 09:15 AM

The Best of Joe Pass- The Pacific Jazz Years

This has healthy dose of Joe playing in a variety of settings....and I don't think there is a single solo chord melody tune on it.
I bought it on Itunes....6.99

Amazon.com: The Best of Joe Pass- The Pacific Jazz Years: Joe Pass: MP3 Downloads: Reviews, Prices & more

**jazzuki** · 11-04-2010, 11:10 AM

Here is a few you may like to check out- "The Best of Joe Pass" Pacific Jazz-"The Complete Pacific Joe Pass Quartet Sessions" Mosaic-"Simplicity/Sign of the Times" Euphoria-"One for My Baby" Pablo-"Joe Pass in Hamburg"-Joe Pass "MySong".That should keep you going for a while! DVD/CD's all by Vestapol"The Genius of Joe Pass"-"Joe Pass in Concert"-"Legends of Jazz Guitar Vol. 1- 2- 3. Blue Note have reissues.Happy hunting.

**GodinFan** · 11-04-2010, 04:12 PM

Duke's Big 4 is an overlooked Joe Pass outing. Duke, Pass, Louis Bellson and if memory serves, Ray Brown.

**princeplanet** · 11-05-2010, 03:25 AM

There is no "Bird" of the guitar, not even Pass. Kessell, Raney, Farlow.... not really. But then there is no "Wes of the sax" either.

Wes is Parker's equal, but not in the way you're looking for....

**Sammo** · 11-05-2010, 04:14 AM

I love Intercontinental -- somehow Joe has really great tone on that one. Simplicity/Sign Of Times that was mentioned before is great (Nobody Else But Me solo is my favourite of all guitar solos).

Also worth mention are Stones Jazz, Better Days, Catch Me!, For Django, Sound Of Synanon, Checkmate (these I have) ... they are not all that Parkerish, though ....

**jayx123** · 11-05-2010, 06:06 AM

**princeplanet** · 11-06-2010, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by jayx123

Wow!

**Flat** · 11-07-2010, 08:10 AM

The album Joe recorded with Paulinho da Costa called "Tudo Bem" is one of my favorite recordings of all time.

It's not really Parker-esque, straight-ahead bebop style playing. But if you like Brazilian stuff at all, this is a really fine album to check out. There's a track on here called 'Que Que Ha' that just sends me, every time. The groove is just_so_thick...

Lots of single line playing playing. Quite different than the solo Virtuouso stuff (which of course is amazing and magnificent in every way too).

Anybody else like this one?

Amazon.com: Tudo Bem: Joe Pass, Paulinho Dacosta: Music

-Flat

**smoore** · 11-08-2010, 11:36 AM

Mosaic have a set of his Pacific recordings - very early, and a real hodgepodge, but all good:
Joe Pass
He's on nylon string and 12-string for a couple numbers, but mostly he's playing the Fender. John Pisano comps on some of these tracks.

If you're looking for more bebop guitar, check out Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel, Jimmy Raney, Mundell Lowe...

**spooni** · 12-05-2010, 03:11 PM

Hey!

Sorry bout not having able to read your posts lately!
Thank you all for your requests, your leading me on the right track with your advices. I´ve been listening now For Django-recording and I´m looking forward to get my hands on the records you guys named.

I´ve been checking out those Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel stuff ( Poll Winners) but the sound and the phrasing hasn´t got me yet like the parker stuff had. Maybe in the future I´ll find the magic from their playing.

And yes, The Joe Pass & NHOP - Donna Lee was sick

Thank you all!

**gingerjazz** · 12-05-2010, 08:23 PM

How about a modern bebopper like mike stern,check out his album standards and other songs.

**oldane** · 12-06-2010, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by spooni

I´ve been checking out those Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel stuff ( Poll Winners) but the sound and the phrasing hasn´t got me yet like the parker stuff had.

Parker sounds like Parker, Herb Ellis like Heb Ellis, Wes like Wes etc.

Lester Young once said that he didn't want to be a "repeater pencil". The great thing (well, one of them) about jazz is that every great player has his own voice and is instantly recognisable. If he didn't have his own voice, he wouldn't be great.

What is most beautiful - a rose, a lily or a tulip? You don't have to choose. Enjoy them all.

**ksjazzguitar** · 12-06-2010, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by oldane

Parker sounds like Parker, Herb Ellis like Heb Ellis, Wes like Wes etc. ...

Yes, it would be pretty boring if all these guys did was copy Bird. They absorbed some of what Bird and others around them and then found a way to integrate it into their own voice.

I don't think that the goal should be to duplicate Bird. Sure, learning some of his licks and being able to mimic his phrasing is great. But Bird will always be better at sounding like Bird than you every will. The world already has a Bird. You need to sound like spooni. True, the "spooni sound" may be influenced by others, but if it is just a retread of Bird or anyone else, then what is the point?

Absorb everything you can and then find your own unique voice. That's what they did.

Peace,
Kevin

**fumblefingers** · 12-06-2010, 11:16 PM

hmmm. so what we're kinda saying is - emulate, assimilate, innovate?

i just made that up.

**spooni** · 12-07-2010, 03:47 PM

Hey!

Yes, I´ve started my journey with Bird and fell in love to his themes, solos, language, phrasing, tone etc. I´m now looking for the guitarist who is wery close to that stufff what I´ve liked, so I can find his/her/their playing already familiar because of my interest with Bird-stuff. It´s like someone likes certain kind of womens, guitars, candies etc. I´m not going to say I want to sound exactly like Bird, the first obvious thing is the instrument choice I´ve done years ago. But the similar stuff wich I´m already familiar with. That´s what I´m looking for.
Yeah, I´ve checked Mike Stern, and got his Standards and other songs-cd. I think he´s more in the fusion genre. Not that straight 40´s, 50´s intence rhythm changes/blues/Parker heads - Bebop stuff I´m looking for.

Oh, and have to mention that I just got the 2008 Gibson Es-175 to fill the gap between me and the Bebop. God damn that Donna Lee sounds great with that.

Thanks for being great guides in my jazzjourney!

**oldane** · 12-08-2010, 04:48 AM

If you want to go with Birds style, Bird himself can keep you occopied for a lifetime. There's lots of books with transcriptions. Just two: "Bird for Guitar" and "Charlie Parker Omnibook".

But again, take inspiration from others, don't copy them. To quote Lester Young again, once speaking about Paul Quinichette: "I can't figure whether it's Lady Q who sounds like me or me who sounds like Lady Q, because he sounds so much like me." And another quote from Lester when he was once again flatteringly confronted with the fact that so many played like him: "But if they all play like me, then who am I?"

**JohnW400** · 12-08-2010, 10:10 AM

Back to JP, How come nobody mentioned his CD "Virtuoso in NY". It's kind of like the other Virtuoso Albums but with more single note lines

**spooni** · 02-15-2011, 09:42 AM

Hey! It's been awhile since you guys introduced me to Joe's single-line stuff. I bought most of the records you recommended and found For Django and Catch me! the most likely what i was searching for. Now i've been listened these two a lot and i also bought The swinging guitar of tal farlow. Thats the kind of bebop-guitar i was looking for! Lots of great ideas, fast, flowing and mind blowing lines! How about the next step? Learning to play and undestand the Pass's playing in the style of For Django and Catch me! I know transcribing is a must, but what about Joe's instructional books? Witch are the best when concidering his single-note playing, not for CM-stuff? Thank you! -Petri

**Bill C** · 02-15-2011, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by spooni

Hey! It's been awhile since you guys introduced me to Joe's single-line stuff. I bought most of the records you recommended and found For Django and Catch me! the most likely what i was searching for. Now i've been listened these two a lot and i also bought The swinging guitar of tal farlow. Thats the kind of bebop-guitar i was looking for! Lots of great ideas, fast, flowing and mind blowing lines! How about the next step? Learning to play and undestand the Pass's playing in the style of For Django and Catch me! I know transcribing is a must, but what about Joe's instructional books? Witch are the best when concidering his single-note playing, not for CM-stuff? Thank you! -Petri

check out Joe Pass Guitar Style

**Sammo** · 02-15-2011, 09:56 AM

I think Joe Pass Guitar Style is held in highest regard. Be sure you get the version with CD. I ordered it from Carol Kaye w/CD that came with additional examples played by CK (rest is played by JP).

There is transcription book called Jazz Guitar Solos that has 9 transcriptions, mostly his originals. Nobody Else But Me from Simplicity is transcribed there!

There is also Joe Pass Guitar Method, but it's mostly scales, patterns and licks. I'd get Guitar Style instead.

HTH, Sampo (from Finland too!!)

**musicjohnny** · 02-15-2011, 10:08 AM

"The Complete Pacific Jazz Joe Pass Quartet Sessions"

I was looking for exactly the same thing at one point, I stumbled upon this box set, and enough said! Great single-note JP stuff in here.