Joe Pass

Joe Pass (born Joseph Anthony Passalaqua, January 13, 1929, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, died May 23, 1994, Los Angeles, California, USA), was a jazz guitar player and virtuoso.

One of the greatest solo jazz artists of all time, Joe Pass ranks as one of the best guitar players of all time not only for his knowledge of the instrument and technical ability, but his ability to compose and improvise.

His early days were spent playing with bands fronted by greats such as Tony Pastor[?] and Charlie Barnet[?], honing his guitar skills and learing the music business. Unfortunately, Pass picked up some bad habits from the other jazz musicians, and quickly fell victim to a long stint of drug abuse.

Most of the 1950s for Pass were spent in relative obscurity trying to support his drug habit. After his stay at a since discredited drug rehabilitation program, Synanon healing, Pass quickly proved himself as an undisputable genius on the guitar. He then spent the next 3 decades playing with all-time jazz greats such as vocal monster Ella Fitzgerald and often played with piano great Oscar Peterson, thanks to Norman Granz, the keen producer of Verve records[?].

Although Pass is often overlooked by the mainstream public, the jazz community embraces his genius and he is now recognized as one of the most influential and greatest all-time jazz guitar players. His solo album "Virtuoso" is a must-have for any serious jazz collector, and all his works will continue to gain notoriety as jazz moves into the 21st century.

Discography:

Solo album titles

• Two For The Road
• Joy Spring
• Virtuoso #3
• Tudo Bem!
• What Is There To Say: Joe Pass Solo Guitar
• Virtuoso
• Resonance
• Eximious
• Northsea Lights
• For Django
• Unforgettable
• Joe's Blues
• CheckMate
• Blues Dues-Live At Long Beach City College
• Joe Pass In Hamburg
• Guitar Virtuoso [Box]
• Six-String Santa
• At The Montreux Jazz Festival 1975
• Nuages (Live At Yoshi's, Vol. 2)
• Better Days
• The Best Of Joe Pass
• We'll Be Together Again
• Duets
• Ira, George, And Joe
• Songs For Ellen
• Joe Pass Quartet Live At Yoshi's
• My Song
• Chops
• Virtuoso Live!
• Virtuoso #4
• Finally: Live In Stockholm
• Best Of Joe Pass
• Appassionato
• I Remember Charlie Parker
• Quadrant
• Summer Nights
• Montreux '77
• Blues For Fred
• One For My Baby
• University Of Akron Concert
• Portraits Of Duke Ellington
• Virtuoso #2
• Whitestone

see also jazz, guitar, Oscar Peterson