Biography of Joe Pass

Joe Pass emerged in the early 60s after years of drug problems, displaying an astounding technical ability and overall mastery of the guitar. He recorded and toured in the 60s with many major jazz artists such as George Shearing, Sara Vaughan, and Carmen McRae, but was not well known until his first solo album, Virtuoso, on Pablo in 1973. This set of personal improvisations on standard tunes, featuring bass lines, chord solos, and lightning-fast melodic soloing often with several of the above happening at the same time established a new level of guitar mastery in mainstream jazz. He went on to several successful collaborations with artists such as Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Herb Ellis, and has released several solo recordings in addition to extensive live performing as a solo artist. JoeÕs many contributions to jazz guitar include bringing its contrapuntal resources into the mainstream in new ways and showing that high-energy bebop melodies can stand on their own in solo guitar settings. He is musically a traditionalist, and the power and energy of his spontaneous improvisations make for exciting listening. ~ David Nelson McCarthy