Pat Metheny on the best guitar player he has ever heard: Pasquale Grasso

[agentsmith]

some of the ignorance on this thread is astounding. I happen to know Pat and he doesn't use modes or scales when he improvises. Then again, if folks spent time actually transcribing him instead of just typing anything that came into their heads, they'd know this. He pretty much improvises by ear utilizing the tools he built for himself based on his transcriptions of wes, hall and his gigging experience.

So funny that people try to generalize and accuse him of playing modes or scientifically. Cognitive bias.

[fasstrack]

I wasn't aware he'd said that.

But I doubt whether he'd have meant it to be taken literally....

He'd be taking Pete Townsend and Hendrix a step further.

Let's be glad he didn't go for the lighter fluid...

[agentsmith]

Gimme a break. Metheny never said he was the spokesperson for jazz. That's just your cognitive bias and dislike for someone coloring your view of what he said in an interview. And obviously he wasn't being literal. I personally find it refreshing that he said about "G" what most of us in jazz have been thinking for decades. And besides, Jimi was a genius so there's no point in trying to bring him up as a point of negativity.

Some of the comments on this thread remind me of twitter responding to a pop star revealing a nipple and are about as on point.

The REAL arrogance here is Mr. Metheney making himself THE spokesman for jazz. Get over yourself, dude.

He even said he'd 'break a guitar over his head'. Whatever you think of Kenny G. or what he did on that record, we're supposed to be men and women of peace, bearers of good will. Pat, you f&&ed up...

[destinytot]

Its of course never a good thing as an artist to criticise another one "in public", it is somehow tasteless.

Interesting - but why 'of course'? The only 'of course' I can easily agree with is that Metheny loses the moral high ground if there's any truth to the reported threat (which I've neither read nor heard, and which I take as a figure of speech).

Are 'artists' unaccountable for their actions? Personally, I don't accept that 'anything goes'.

In this instance, I think attributing the actions of the other 'artist' to "arrogance" is justified.

And, provided he did so responsibly, I think speaking out is responsible - admirable, and perhaps heroic - for someone in Metheny's position.

Metheny's position may be beyond my ken, but my conscience isn't.

[NSJ]

Pascuale is the first jazz guitarist I've encountered where I sat down and thought, "right I need to copy everything about him because his conception of how he plays solo guitar , It's so perfect and self-contained -- it really is the personification of a little orchestra ".

And this year I started to change and steal everything I can, beginning with radically changing the technique to pick and fingers . it's been slow moving but it's moving.

Apart from the Chuck Wayne-inspired technique, The elephant in the room is the Barry Harris stuff behind him. I've only begun to scratch the surface. Basically I have internalized the Major minor 6 dim grips only. Which I had already done or started through Roni Ben Hurr. When, I was taking lessons, my teacher had to go through his Chordability stuff.

Eventually, I have to confront the Barry Harris stuff head on through Barry Harris . It didn't help that yesterday I worked 16 hours

[destinytot]

Pascuale is the first jazz guitarist I've encountered where I sat down and thought, "right I need to copy everything about him because his conception of how he plays solo guitar , It's so perfect and self-contained -- it really is the personification of a little orchestra ".

And this year I started to change and steal everything I can, beginning with radically changing the technique to pick and fingers . it's been slow moving but it's moving.

Apart from the Chuck Wayne-inspired technique, The elephant in the room is the Barry Harris stuff behind him. I've only begun to scratch the surface. Basically I have internalized the Major minor 6 dim grips only. Which I had already done or started through Roni Ben Hurr. When, I was taking lessons, my teacher had to go through his Chordability stuff.

Eventually, I have to confront the Barry Harris stuff head on through Barry Harris . It didn't help that yesterday I worked 16 hours

16 hours - what?!!!

Re. Barry Harris stuff, in case you haven't seen it, may I suggest keeping an eye on member rlrhett's videos and the discussion over at Kingstone/Harris Harmonic Method for Guitar. I think the little insights and enquiry are getting really interesting.

[christianm77]

I really understand what you mean, and you are right: There is no continuation of "Progressive Rock" nowadays. However this does not mean anything about the value of that music. Regardless if is or is not continuation, that music could be very valuable. Regardless if anyone like or dislikes Emerson (ELP) or Pink Floyd, the albums Trilogy, Tarkus, Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon are actually almost half century old (wow!) pieces and we now we can say: all that staff stands for the test of time, so there is a great chance that after an other half century those music will be known and part of our common cultural valuables.

Oh yeah? This guy is quite popular:

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In the pop charts we have stuff like this - it might not be Yes exactly but there's something very Prog about it to my ears:

Also bands like Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree etc have done very well for decades outside of the mainstream media thing, just like Metheny in fact.

But I feel like proggishness in general, musicianship, complexity for the sake of complexity and outrageous synth solos are no longer verboten.... Which is fun :-)

My generation are now the one lagging behind - if it's not indie rock or electronic dance music they don't know how to deal with it, and they are in charge of the media - but the millenials seem to have no hang ups about what's cool and not cool in music.

[Vladan]

More about Pasquale G.:

[halpenny]

Just heard Pasquale Grasso for the first time accompanying Laura Benanti on Steven Colbert. He sounded so much like Johnny Smith that I tried to look up what equipment he was using to see if it was a Gibson JS. The little amp wasn't a Music Man like Johnny Smith played through, but was very clean on the lower register like Johnny's setup. His guitar was a single pickup jazz type like Johnny played. Very nice to hear that style is still alive and well.

- Gary Halpenny

[David B]

Hi Gary,
There's a long-running thread on Pasquale Grasso here: Pasquale Grasso
which contains lots of great videos and information.

I'm actually hosting a Zoom masterclass with Pasquale next Wednesday, 18 November. Details in that thread.

In the video with Laura Benanti, Pasquale is playing a Trenier Jazz Special (a 16" body, laminated guitar) with a floating Vintage Vibe humbucker, through a vintage Gibson BR-6 amp.

[halpenny]

Hi David - I appreciate the information you shared. This is the first blog I've joined. I'm on my computer more since the COVID started. I took lessons at Johnny Smith's music store in Colorado Springs in the late 60's and 70's. He was actually there a lot and you couldn't help but interact with him here and there. He was very approachable. I remember him telling me a few things - he replaced the factory speakers in his amps with JBLs. He recommended that I get rid of the "rubber bands" I was using for strings on an electric he took a look at one day when I was waiting for a ride home - ouch. 'But I want to sound like Alvin Lee.' I didn't fully appreciate the proximity to greatest I was afforded at the time. I was in awe of his playing like everyone else, but never bothered to see him perform live. He played small venues around town. What I dope I was. Anyway - I couldn't help myself last night when I heard Pasquale play. I had to see if Johnny Smith was one of his influences. That's when I saw the Pat Metheny post. Cheers - Gary