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I knew what you meant; I was responding about the sharing to the other reply in the thread that said I should share it. I think you've hit the right note here. The other thing I was hoping was that someone else might have it and could talk about it (privately) with me. People who loved Joe Pass as a person would find this both tender and painful viewing.
Originally Posted by docbop
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12-09-2017 05:31 PM
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Lawson,
I would ask John Pisano about what should be done with that tape. While Frank Potenza was a close personal friend of Joe's the fact that John is on that tape would, IMO, give him the say about what should be done with the video. Having talked to John Pisano about Joe, it is my understanding that Joe's playing suffered at the end. Perhaps this video should remain forever in the vaults?
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It's poignant just to know that this exists. I'm glad you have it, Lawson.
Here's Joe from his last recording session:
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As his last session, I just find these clips of Joe with Roy Clark to be fabulous. I often just run them in the background when I'm working. The interaction between Joe and Roy is wonderful, and Joe is at his best. He also brings out some great stuff from Roy Clark, who is no mean player himself. Originally Posted by Cunamara
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Roy Clark could play, but you can tell that he's scuffling and it's taking everything he has to keep up with Joe. My impression, perhaps wrong, is that Roy didn't do a lot of improvising, he played practiced pieces mostly. Here, Joe is laid back and relaxed, while Roy is working his butt off. Not that his playing is bad, but it's not a walk in the park for him like it is for Joe.
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I hope Joe was at some peace with life by the end. He left such a wonderful legacy for all of us to listen to for the rest of our lives, but in interviews it didn't often seem like he was really aware of that. He seemed very "blue collar" about it rather than seeming to see himself as an "artiste." He reminds me of my Dad in that attitude (although my Dad couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, he did love music and introduced me to the records of Nat Cole and through those Oscar Moore, which is probably why I play guitar).
By the way... Joe must have walked into this session already knowing a bunch of Hank Williams tunes, at least the melodies. There is some wonderful interaction with Roy (not to mention John Pisano's outstandingly sympathetic comping and the fantastic rhythm section). And watching Roy watch Joe play the blues.
Man that was nearly 25 years ago. Holy ****.
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Pretty much everybody who lived through the 50s knows all those Hank Williams tunes. You couldn't avoid them on the radio. And it's not like they are complex tunes or chord changes, just simple country progressions even I can hear and play. That's probably why they were so popular.
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I've never heard almost any of 'em by Hank and few by anyone else. Born in 1959, though. By the time I can remember radio, the Beatles were on it and Hank wasn't. But those country guys had some jazz influences back then, much like they have rock influences now.
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I never really met Joe or got to know him, but I was a huge fan and at GIT in 1983 and Joe would come in occasionally to do sort of a master class for the best players (out of a class of 400; tough competition, far beyond me).
This is a late-night far-less-poignant tangent (I am just back from seeing John McLaughlin an hour ago; please forgive me; my bird's on fire;-)
But back in those days Howard Roberts came in a few times to do seminars. I was such a fan of Howard that I lugged an absurdly huge jambox (circa 1979), along with my guitar, to a couple of Howard's seminars, just so I could record him. On a crappy cassette.
Years later I learn a guy named Mike Evans had built a wonderful tribute website to Howard. So I send him the cassettes, and he puts them up on his site. And now everyone can hear Howard do a casual seminar, ad hoc, warts and all. Pretty much forever.
And now, every once in a while, I just feel so glad that I lugged that stupid jambox on that crowded Hollywood bus way back when. Posterity. And I never even thought about it.
Somehow your story reminded me of those cassettes.
I am really glad to know you have this tape, Lawson, and somehow I just know you will do the right thing with it. (I do not purport to know what that is.)
Thanks for sharing the story with the forum.Last edited by Flat; 12-10-2017 at 10:26 PM.
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Your story makes complete sense to me. Even in the 1990's, whenever a jazz guitarist came to my area, which was rare, I showed up with a digital audio recorder, which back in those days cost several hundred dollars! I still have some recordings of one of my favorites, Royce Campbell, at the time right after Henry Mancini died and Royce started doing gigs. He'd come to Lexington, Ky every couple of years and I planned my whole month around that one evening! I still enjoy those recordings, which I have never posted because, well, it's Royce's and the band's music and I can't just put it up there. Originally Posted by Flat
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I had met Joe a few times in my life and he knew my dad back in his synonon days. He was very good friends with my old instructor and friend Fred Rundquist. Fred had said Joe stayed pretty good up till the very last but I agree that the Video is one that is for the archive but not maybe meant to be shown.
My first encounter listening to Joe was his recording the original Virtuoso recording. He did a few continuances of that album and of course he did a large number of Solo recordings. But to this day my favorite one is the original Virtuoso. My reason could be that when I heard it in 1974 or so I was 13 years old and completely unable to comprehend what he was doing. I was just learning to play and working out of Mel Bay book 1 so it was great to hear but I could not wrap my mind, fingers, or ears around all that was going on. I did just love the swinging sound he got and it filled the room, yet he would take of and blowing single line things in solo playing that no one else really every had done.
Now looking back over Joe's recordings I still go back to this recording and listen. It seems to me the sound, ambiance, setting, and everything about it came together as no one else quite had done. I liked his later stuff and he did do some great individual tunes at times that were tremendous but nothing all put together like this recording. I think Joe was at the top of his game at this time maybe. To me he sat down and just played the guitar without thinking only hearing and getting out swinging tunes and lines. It was not about technical stuff, modes, scales, or even chops..................he was beyond all that he just played what he felt inside...............
If he was a preacher............the Deacon says it was a perfect Homily.
Lawson thanks for letting me know his last recording/video.
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You were IN THE ROOM when Virtuoso was being recorded??? That's just amazing. Sometime you really do need to write all that down. That was one of the formative moments in the history of jazz guitar!
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I have seen on youtube one of his last performances where you can see he is struggling. I dont remember anything about it other than the fact than at the end of the song his face and shoulder say "Whew.. that wasnt easy" :/ Originally Posted by lawson-stone
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May 7 was indeed his last concert. John Pisano said after the show Joe cried and said “I can’t play anymore”.
John said it was a knife into his heart.
Joe did a lot of chemo treatments. At 1st it looked very promising but soon the cancer won the battle and Joe stopped the treatments. He found out he had liver cancer in Feb. 1992.
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A friend of mine sent me these two photos of Joe playing in his back yard, I would have loved to have been there.
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he must have loved that shirt...
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Album pictures and recording don't necessarily coincide in time. The picture on the album could have been taken the same day as the others posted. I have no insight, but it seems possible.
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Those words are indeed on the video, and yes, it's a sad moment. I'm working now on preserving this rather old VHS tape by converting it to digital. I also rather imagine others have it as well. I have to think I was pretty far down in the pecking order of the list of those who might have gotten this. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
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Yes his 1992. Actually he had 2 of them. One John Pisano got and the other went back to Gibson after his death.
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w/all due respect I'm not sure I'd want to preserve such a sad thing.
there's plenty of other JP videos to celebrate his life and music.
some yrs ago I was invited to play a weekend worth of gigs w/ a famous organist.
the guy that set it up recorded all the performances, but on the last night the organist had a stroke on the bandstand.
the video guy said he didn't want to watch it and neither did I. he lived but it was a very sad night.
good on Lawson for having the sense not to post it.
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And rest assured, it will not ever be posted by me. Originally Posted by wintermoon
In the very brief time I interacted with Joe, solely by letters, he came to mean a great deal to me. I watch it sometimes just because I miss him but I consider it a private treasure. Why I was chosen to receive it, I actually don't know, but I am grateful to have a little personal piece of Joe's legacy in my life.
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It's amazing, he is going directly to PA and his tone is exceptional both with the band and solo (e.g. 1:21:30). I guess it's a good room too.
Last edited by Tal_175; 08-28-2019 at 10:22 AM.
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I got that DVD way back when it first came out and it's a true feast for any admirer of Joe. He's fully aware of his cancer and the brevity of his upcoming days. He's still at the top of his game, having a lot of fun playing and interacting with the musicians, and the interview is incredibly transparent and vulnerable in places.
I love the interaction that takes place as they warm up over "That's Earl, Brother," which clearly the musicians only barely know! Joe could fetch up some pretty obscure tunes and give them a fresh performance.
The first chorus of "Satin Doll" was transcribed in the booklet that came with the DVD and is well worth learning. It has some great lines that are easy to "port" to other settings.
Thanks for reminding us of this fantastic encounter with Joe.
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Going direct was his habit in the last several years of his life. Of course, at Musicians Institute I expect he had a great sound system and a very good person sitting at the board! You also hear him asking a few things about the sound. Originally Posted by Tal_175
Funny how Joe Diorio brings a glass of water to Joe Pass!
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I didn't know he knew he was dying at that point. That makes it even more fascinating to watch.
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