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Here's a 1974 interview with Joe which I've posted before (from the UK 'Guitar' magazine).
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01-14-2022 01:42 PM
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Lawson, your piece is so heartfelt and well-written. Thank you for sharing.
Originally Posted by sgcim
The records leave no doubt that each was capable of doing what the other did but that they gravitated in different directions. (Not to derail but Jim Hall could play plenty o' fast when he wanted to.) Originally Posted by medblues
As for 'feeling intimidated,' a) who wouldn't be intimidated to follow Joe Pass and b) I take Jim's sentiment with a grain of salt.
Bottom line -- indeed, a line each of them expressed at different times: "You can only bring what ya got."
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My Joe story is all second hand, but what the hell.
Back in the 1990s I became friends with a young guitar player who had come out to Hollywood to enroll at GIT back around 1977. I’ll call him D.
Somehow, a band leader he worked for was buddies with Joe, and asked Joe to keep an eye on the young player when he came to town. Joe was doing seminars at GIT and agreed.
So D is coming to town, small-town guy coming to big time Hollywood, to enroll at GIT and make some connections, and already Joe freaking Pass is going to help him out. D hits town, checks into a fleabag, collects a list of apartments to rent, and calls Joe. Joe picks up D in his car, and starts driving him all over town to check out cheap apartments or room rentals.
D can do a pretty good comedic impression, and he’s telling me...
“Every place we pull up to, Joe looks out the window and kinda squints at the place and says
‘Nah, you don’t wanna live here. This place is a DUMP.”
Joe’s driving, chomping on a cigar the whole time, hanging out the window, smoke is billowing, and place after place D is like “Oh, it’s not so bad. I’ve seen worse…”
Again and again, valley, Hollywood, downtown…
"Nah, you don’t wanna live here. This place is a DUMP.”
Flash forward: Joe gets in touch with a celebrity friend with a guest cottage behind his large home. D moves in, lives like a young prince for a while, and has a fabulous time.
Joe Pass was a mensch for sure.
--The End--
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I saw Joe P at the Top of the Gate in (IIRC) '81. Larry Coryell playing solo opened at the time. At the time I wasn't playing any jazz yet, but did do a lot of fingerpicking blues. I remember watching JP play and thinking "oh, he's just fingerpicking, kinda like Reverend Gary or Mississipi John Hurt. I can figure this out." Newsflash, I couldn't figure it. I saw him again less than a year before he died. He was playing a mystery guitar (which turned out to be the Epiphone JP). He plugged straight into the PA. At some point he turned his volume all the way down and just played the unamplified JP. You could hear a pin drop. Originally Posted by Jimmy blue note
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You guys have some great memories. I don’t recall him ever playing anywhere near me, or I would have been right there.
One thing that isn’t mentioned so much about Joe is his versatility with different styles and genres. I was listening to a JP playlist courtesy of Apple, and it included everything from his iconic Virtuoso solo pieces to small group albums like Intercontinental to some big band stuff early in his career to some schmaltzy early 60’s overorchestrated lines to his very successful collaborations with Ella and Roy Clark.
This guy could do it all—play rhythm and comp with the best of them, fingerpick like a demon, lay down the smooth bluesy jazz lines like Kenny, and even channel his inner Wes (as on the tune Jo-Wes). Through it all his sense of timing and tone and dynamics are impeccable. And yet it’s always recognizable as Joe.
Not to knock so many other great players, but most of them stick to a narrow sound. Pat Metheny does his thing great, but one can’t imagine him fingerpicking and playing bass counterpoint on solo guitar, or trading riffs with Roy Clark the way Joe does. (He probably could with some effort—but he tends to stick to his bailiwick. Joe doesn’t do a lot of abstract, free form or heavily orchestrated stuff either.)
Anyway, when they made Joe, they broke the mold. We are lucky to have lived on this planet at the same time as this singular musician.
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Here’s one of his lesser-known songs, from the 1965 album Sign of the Times:
And trading licks with Roy Clark:
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I’ve told this story before but whatever. I saw him twice, once in Hermosa Beach in ‘80, and once in the mid to late 80s in Dallas. The first was at The Lighthouse Cafe and the second at The Fairmont Hotel.
I sat in the front row (pew actually) at the Lighthouse and was a bright eyed and bushy tailed student closely watching Joe’s left hand. He stared at me and I stared back. Neither smiled or nodded so he suddenly flipped me off with his left hand and said “he was watching my fingers” and the crowd laughed, as did I. Joe’s version of an ice breaker I guess. Show was great.
At the Fairmont I was with my girlfriend/future wife, also in the front table and knew what to expect. It was a more formal setting and Joe was wearing a tux. By this time he had been doing the solo guitar thing so long that his pick technique had fallen off a little. He would put the pick in his mouth while playing finger style and use the pick when he wanted to get up and ride on some faster single note lines. When doing that he whiffed a little and exclaimed “shit!” with a smile on his face. The guy at the table next to me with his nice lady friend and champagne on ice said “whaaaaaat?”. Joe continued on unfazed of course, and I just laughed. It was a week night and very small crowd. At one point he asked for any requests. I said “Paco De Lucia” which was an original tune on his Virtuoso 3 album, if I recall. He explained that, so that the audience wouldn’t be confused. He played it of course. Another great show.Last edited by Donplaysguitar; 01-15-2022 at 12:42 AM.
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Lawson i still have that magazine.love the cover shot of Joe.
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I had studied and studying Christopher Parkenings course.was working on learning his 1972 record of Bach.1 1/2 years into my studies an accident took part of my right ring finger and slight damage to the rest.I was a purist highbrow bonehead.That needed a lesson in humility.So gave up.A few years later became friends with Louie Mialy a Jazz critic,writer and lover of Jazz.He eventually loaned me the video of Joe at Brecon Jazz.Took it home watch it, laughed ,cried and fell in love with the guitar and Jazz.How did louie know that particular performance would have that impact on me.I miss Louie and of the thousand of lps he had of every one.I ended up with his joe pass collection.Well i must have them stored off sight when get them i will attach photos of my JP collection.
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sorry bout the repeat
Last edited by EarlBrother; 01-16-2022 at 04:57 AM.
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In my NYU days (1974-1978), I saw Joe play at various venues and concert halls many, many times. I pretty much attended every NYC show that he played in those years and always bought tickets early or got to the venue early so I could be in the front row. Joe always smiled and nodded to me and I would smile and nod back, but foolishly, I never approached him. My mistake, and a big one. I saw Joe a few time more in the 80's here in California at the old Yoshis location, sometimes solo, sometimes with his quartet.
Two shows stand out.
Once at the Village Gate, Joe was on a double bill with Sonny Stitt. Joe was playing solo and Sonny had a quartet. After the last set of the last night, Joe challenged Sonny to come up with his band and play a few tunes with him, telling us that he and Sonny and never played together. Sonny was resistant, but did so after some prodding by Joe. The result was great. Both men were at the top of their game and clearly enjoyed each other's virtuosity.
Another time, I saw an ill informed concert at Carnegie Hall billed as "Solo Flight". Each performer came out and did some solo work and then they came together as a band for a few tunes. The bass player (Charles Mingus) and the drummer (Art Blakey) were not very compatible and the ensemble work was not as tight as it could have been with a better choice in those positions, but it was still great to see these genius musicians play together. Joe was on guitar. John Lewis was on piano, Gary Burton was on vibes and Joe Venuti was on violin. I was in the front row and Joe played beautifully. He was clearly enjoying being in the presence of these jazz legends.
Joe was a big inspiration to me and I owe him an unrepayable debt of gratitude.
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Joe was in Boston at the old Jazz Workshop shortly after his first solo album was released and had scared the chops out of most of us, so I went over to check it out. As expected, completely amazing, musical, entertaining and, again, frightening. Fred Taylor was running the club, and introduced me to Joe in rather laudatory terms, so after the gig, Joe asked if I wanted to hang with him. He was staying down he street, so I said sure, and he told me to stop at the 24-hour store and get some grapefruit juice. I did, so, and he made us a couple of vodka and grapefruits, and took his guitar out (standard 175) and said "play something!". I did, and he stopped me in mid-tune and grabbed my LH fingers and said "try this", repositioning my fingers. This happened several times, and soon he had me sounding more like him than like me. It was a great lesson, a truly good time that lasted until dawn. I later became (temporarily) a jazz impresario and booked him into some of the cubs I produced at. He was a great guy, but was really lonely doing the solo road tours, told me that he preferred interaction with other players and singers, but couldn't really turn the money down. I offered him trio gigs with the likes of Alan Dawson and John Neves, but Granz shot them down. Anyway, a true jazz character and one of a kind!
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Jazz showcase in Chicago around 93 or 4. Joe came out, plugs into a twin and starts off with a medley of three tunes. When he went tell us what he played, he couldn't remember. We had to tell him.
He was just "in the zone" and playing whatever popped into his head.
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