Search - Joe Pass :: Best Of: Pacific Jazz Years

Solo Guitar Master

Russell Diederich | Littleton, CO United States | 07/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are very few people that can sit down without a band and play guitar well enough to demand listening. Joe Pass is such a master. Five of the eight songs on this album are just that, Pass and his guitar. He is able to mix his soloing and chords with subtle ease. His fingers blaze on the neck of the guitar, but his solos tell more than just an idea - they tell a story. The first solo piece on this album is high-energy "How High the Moon". If you're a guitar buff, you will be amazed at this song. His linear melody is never lost, even when he is fretting entire chords. It's impossible to believe that there are not two guitars, or an overdub going on here, but it's all Pass in one take. He then mellows out with the soft and sweet "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?". "Que Que Ha!" gives you a feel of what Pass can do in a band situation, and he does play well with others. He fits right in with the band for this Brazilian sounding tune. The album closes with "On Green Dolphin Street", a very strong tune that will leave you wondering how he keeps his fingers from becoming tangled. The nice thing about "Best of" albums is getting a wide range of music of the artist's career without having to buy all the albums at once. This is no exception as there are only two songs that came from the same album here. This way you can hear Pass' solo work and get a taste of him playing with others. He is truly one of jazz greats."

Essential Joe Pass; great classic jazz

M. J. Kenoyer | Tampa, Florida USA | 05/28/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being the prolific jazz musician that he is, Joe Pass has a musical collection that is vast and diverse. It can thus be hard to find an appropriate sampling of his repertoire that is both fulfilling and indicitive of his range as one of the "jazz greats."



This CD is one such sampling. It is an essential collection of some of Pass's best works, and provides both a new and seasoned listener of Joe Pass and jazz music in general with a treat for the ears. For those bored with the "smooth" or trendy genre jazz formats that tend to dominate the airwaves these days, "The Best of Joe Pass" is a set of classics that sound amazingly fresh and new."

Amazing

Greg M. Jones | Las Vegas, Nev. | 12/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A guitar genius. A must-have album for any jazz lover as well as any guitar player."