That is so true about thinking and playing. I have found this to be true. Musicians can so easily get caught up in thinking in terms of guitar (or whatever instrument) rather than music, and so our heads end up doing all the playing rather than our emotions and the entire feel...I mean that's what really draws us to an instrument in the first place. Joe Pass made it an extension of himself through relying purely on sound, and that is key.
It's a shame that there aren't many clips of interviews with Joe on YouTube. I'd give anything to gain more insight on the man behind the guitar. Brilliant musician.
@taildragger53 In what alternate reality did that ever happen? Haha. Yes, Epiphone was there before Gibson, but Gibson did Not come from Epiphone! One needs to remember they used to be rivals until the company that also owns Gibson Guitar Corp. bought Epiphone. So they used to be rivals, and now they're both owned by the same company.
One day a centipede falls into a hole... And another bug comes near the hole and asks to the centipede: Which leg do you move first before you start walking? And the centipede starts to thinking and answers: I don't know, I just walk... Then the bug leaves him alone. But the centipede can't even moves, because of thinking what leg to start walking and in few days centipede dies in that hole...
So funny when the interviewer says "Your improvisational talent is, unlike anybody else, enormous" at 0:50. That look on Joe's face ... no arrogance or narcissism. I think, and that's very personal, if he had been asked how he sees himself, he would have answered :"I just play guitar.".
@KooGuitar I would call Joe Pass a great improviser and Stochelo a great performer. I think stochelo is a great guitarist with a tremendous amount of talent. But I also think he rehearses all his solo's. Off course he can interchange surtain ideas, but I hear a lot of the same stuff in different takes. But, again, I think he's great! A gypsy guitarist who does improvise is Andreas Oberg, great talent!
@freekdevos I do really appreciate what your saying. Yes i would say he does repeat himself, but any guitarist does from time to time, the thing i hate doing is comparing musicians, every guitarist is different, thats a beauty in its self. But whenever i watch stochelo i just feel so happy. But i do have to agree with you about Andreas. Bireli Lagrene is also another great.
@KooGuitar That's right. I don't like these kind of discussions about who's better and what not. And I don't consider myself to be in any position to critisize these greats. I'm a great fan of both but I think they are in a different league. It would be great to see Joe 'alive', though. It might as well be with Britney Spears, I don't care. Well may be just al little... Nice talking to you mate!
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Bullshit. You might not be consciously aware of what you're going to play next, but it's all a product of rational thought. Otherwise, you wouldn't be playing music (in particular keys with specific cadences and rhythms.) You'd just be playing random notes.
All he says is that you need to have a high enough level of comfort that that it is subconscious rather than conscious. When you're that good it means more playing what you hear in your head rather than thinking "what notes 'work' over a G7alt chord".
For example when first learning to walk it may be necessary to concentrate hard to keep balance but when you're older you don't think about walking on a 'conscious' level, and yet you don't go in a RANDOM direction.
Hoopermazing, I don't know who you are, but I am pretty sure that joe knows what the fuck he's talking about. He has had years of experience playing and improvising with the greatest musicians in the world. A word about improvising from him is pretty genuine. However judging from your comment you are obviously not a very experienced improviser or at least not a very good one.
My guitar teacher was taught a few times by the man himself. meeting him is one thing but getting taught by this genius would be a blessing..i guess in a way i've somewaht been taught by joe through my teacher...and damn can my teacher play..genius..
Joe Pass & Oscar Peterson I can't think of a better combination of genius. Oscar introduced Joe Pass on one of his live recordings as a guitar impressario that is the best description I can think of. Joe Pass lives!!!!!! God Bless youtube
I was so lucky to've met Joe Pass around 1978 or so in a famous jazz record shop in London. He was playing Ronnie Scott's Club at the time and i'd just seen him perform there a few days before. Joe was actually browsing for his own rare records from the late 60s('Sounds Of Synanon' etc)..He was so nice to speak to..very sincere & humble but the prick of a shop owner gave him a hard time and was very sarcastic. He told Joe his records were in the "cut out/junk" bin.
Joe Pass I feel was the Greatest of his time so gifted much like that of Oscar Peterson jazz Pianist,this is a great interview Joe seem like a very down to earth Guy! he will live on in his Music recordings ,also @You Tube Marc Jones Vocalist,sings pop/jazz standards well!,check him out,his new talent.
I consider myself very fortunate that I got to see Joe play live a number of times. It was always such a great experience as he made the audience feel right at home. Pass was not only one of the greatest guitar players of all time%
Many thanks for posting this. I have always felt exactly that way about my playing. But because I am nowhere near his level and ability the doubt remained. Coming from him I take that point entirely, no questions anymore. That is I believe how one must perform.
oh totally. Furthermore, thinking in terms of theory/harmony and technical theory ways is such a harder way to approach to jazz as opposed to the best way to play...BY EAR!
yeah, it's like you've got to listen and then just try to play it. all the studying is interesting and it answers questions and spurs ideas, allowing you to talk intelligibly with other musicians and practicing technique makes it easier to perform, but in the end it comes down to "just DO IT!". it's great to hear Joe Pass talking candidly. thanks for the posting!
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That is so true about thinking and playing. I have found this to be true. Musicians can so easily get caught up in thinking in terms of guitar (or whatever instrument) rather than music, and so our heads end up doing all the playing rather than our emotions and the entire feel...I mean that's what really draws us to an instrument in the first place. Joe Pass made it an extension of himself through relying purely on sound, and that is key.
guitar5289 3 months ago
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guitar5289 3 months ago
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"plus... all the musical history of the whole world...and its all in your subconscious, and you draw apon it when you play"
he knew about the oneness
Hamporkcheese 3 months ago
What year is this from?
TomasMikaX 4 months ago
"nobody got mad or anything"
lralbrecht 5 months ago
what year was this?
boobtuber06 5 months ago
It's a shame that there aren't many clips of interviews with Joe on YouTube. I'd give anything to gain more insight on the man behind the guitar. Brilliant musician.
thenoiseking 6 months ago 4
was this recorded in Europe in the 70s?
Terry1969ism 7 months ago
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"plus... all the musical history of the whole world...and its all in your subconscious, and you draw apon it when you play"
he knew about the oneness
Hamporkcheese 10 months ago
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Hamporkcheese 11 months ago
Comment removed
Hamporkcheese 11 months ago
Wonderful warm, engaging... brilliant. Miss him.
jameswynne76 11 months ago
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"plus... all the musical history of the whole world...and its all in your subconscious, and you draw upon it when you play"
he knew about the oneness
Hamporkcheese 1 year ago
0:50
nuzajecpogodi 1 year ago
stevie ray vaughan said the same thing about thinking and playing
luke2575 1 year ago
Joe the barber!
bluesgurugod 1 year ago
@bluesgurugod Baha that's what I always thought he looked like
WhiteNightRiots 1 year ago
Gibson should make a Joe Pass tribute guitar instead of Epiphone, come on this guy deserves it !
wisesatyr72 1 year ago 5
@wisesatyr72 To be fair, Epiphone is a sub-branch of Gibson. Ibanez has a guitar named after him as well.
Isiyac 1 year ago
@Isiyac Actually Epiphone were around before Gibson....Gibson came out from within 'Epiphone'.
taildragger53 1 year ago
@taildragger53 In what alternate reality did that ever happen? Haha. Yes, Epiphone was there before Gibson, but Gibson did Not come from Epiphone! One needs to remember they used to be rivals until the company that also owns Gibson Guitar Corp. bought Epiphone. So they used to be rivals, and now they're both owned by the same company.
Demoras 11 months ago
spoken like a true ledgend
zoemalone 1 year ago
Why do people such as Joe have to pass....damn
likesonny71 1 year ago
@likesonny71 I see what you did there
BrandonProm 1 year ago
One day a centipede falls into a hole... And another bug comes near the hole and asks to the centipede: Which leg do you move first before you start walking? And the centipede starts to thinking and answers: I don't know, I just walk... Then the bug leaves him alone. But the centipede can't even moves, because of thinking what leg to start walking and in few days centipede dies in that hole...
kingofskateop 2 years ago
@kingofskateop Wow, a talking centipede and bug. Amazing. Where did you see this??
limaktba 1 year ago
@limaktba you don't have to see everything...
kingofskateop 1 year ago
So funny when the interviewer says "Your improvisational talent is, unlike anybody else, enormous" at 0:50. That look on Joe's face ... no arrogance or narcissism. I think, and that's very personal, if he had been asked how he sees himself, he would have answered :"I just play guitar.".
cyrrusdavirus2 2 years ago 2
joe was great the kind of musician you just wish could always be around
seventhst 2 years ago 2
If someone asked me "Do i love joe pass?" id say "yea" !!
KooGuitar 2 years ago
Id would have been great if he'd done a duet with stochelo rosenberg or something. Two masters of improvisation right there.
KooGuitar 2 years ago
@KooGuitar Yeah, If stochelo would improvise...
freekdevos 1 year ago
@freekdevos Why dont you think he can improvise?
KooGuitar 1 year ago
@KooGuitar I would call Joe Pass a great improviser and Stochelo a great performer. I think stochelo is a great guitarist with a tremendous amount of talent. But I also think he rehearses all his solo's. Off course he can interchange surtain ideas, but I hear a lot of the same stuff in different takes. But, again, I think he's great! A gypsy guitarist who does improvise is Andreas Oberg, great talent!
Cherio!
freekdevos 1 year ago
@freekdevos I do really appreciate what your saying. Yes i would say he does repeat himself, but any guitarist does from time to time, the thing i hate doing is comparing musicians, every guitarist is different, thats a beauty in its self. But whenever i watch stochelo i just feel so happy. But i do have to agree with you about Andreas. Bireli Lagrene is also another great.
KooGuitar 1 year ago
@KooGuitar That's right. I don't like these kind of discussions about who's better and what not. And I don't consider myself to be in any position to critisize these greats. I'm a great fan of both but I think they are in a different league. It would be great to see Joe 'alive', though. It might as well be with Britney Spears, I don't care. Well may be just al little... Nice talking to you mate!
freekdevos 1 year ago
"plus... all the musical history of the whole world...and its all in your subconscious, and you draw apon it when you play"
he knew about the oneness
hampork 2 years ago 2
He makes the music sound so easy when he talks about it, so much as he makes it look easy when he plays it. What a brilliant musician.
amusiathread 2 years ago
The guy doing the interview sounds a lot like the backroom facials guy! Joe Pass is my fav jazz guitar player =)
NegroMente 2 years ago
When improvisation begins is when rational thinking should begin.
KABRIS1 2 years ago
''nobody got mad or threw anything so I continued to do it''...........X)
realfuckinggas 2 years ago 2
Can someone please tell me which dvd this clip came from?
BillyC15 2 years ago
When improvisation starts rational thinking STOPS,
lidesnowi 2 years ago 4
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Bullshit. You might not be consciously aware of what you're going to play next, but it's all a product of rational thought. Otherwise, you wouldn't be playing music (in particular keys with specific cadences and rhythms.) You'd just be playing random notes.
Hoopermazing 2 years ago
Comment removed
wakywakysweden 2 years ago
I disagree Hoopermazing.
All he says is that you need to have a high enough level of comfort that that it is subconscious rather than conscious. When you're that good it means more playing what you hear in your head rather than thinking "what notes 'work' over a G7alt chord".
For example when first learning to walk it may be necessary to concentrate hard to keep balance but when you're older you don't think about walking on a 'conscious' level, and yet you don't go in a RANDOM direction.
trigomusic 2 years ago 5
Listen to him play and try to say that again.
Joe's saying not to worry about x notes on x chord, just feel it out. Your mind works on its own after much practice and improvisation improves.
grant1r 2 years ago
Hoopermazing, I don't know who you are, but I am pretty sure that joe knows what the fuck he's talking about. He has had years of experience playing and improvising with the greatest musicians in the world. A word about improvising from him is pretty genuine. However judging from your comment you are obviously not a very experienced improviser or at least not a very good one.
JazzJunkie4 2 years ago
Comment removed
0wencooper 3 years ago
He sure hit it on the head: You can't think about it. Just let it come out.
3rdsnowshoe 3 years ago 4
god he sure said it...i agree
redhouse7 3 years ago 3
Such an inspiration!
lyssus 3 years ago 14
I feel so unlucky i didn't have the chance to see him play live...
faminore7ufesh5 3 years ago 26
@faminore7ufesh5 agree! it so awesome.. he is one of the best guitar player of all time and a awesome person too. great guy!
BeatBay 1 year ago
My guitar teacher was taught a few times by the man himself. meeting him is one thing but getting taught by this genius would be a blessing..i guess in a way i've somewaht been taught by joe through my teacher...and damn can my teacher play..genius..
joelcelima 3 years ago
Joe Pass & Oscar Peterson I can't think of a better combination of genius. Oscar introduced Joe Pass on one of his live recordings as a guitar impressario that is the best description I can think of. Joe Pass lives!!!!!! God Bless youtube
philipcwelch 3 years ago 3
what a prick....i wish i had the honnor to met or just see joe pass live.
one of the best ever.
gsylvestfn 3 years ago
I was so lucky to've met Joe Pass around 1978 or so in a famous jazz record shop in London. He was playing Ronnie Scott's Club at the time and i'd just seen him perform there a few days before. Joe was actually browsing for his own rare records from the late 60s('Sounds Of Synanon' etc)..He was so nice to speak to..very sincere & humble but the prick of a shop owner gave him a hard time and was very sarcastic. He told Joe his records were in the "cut out/junk" bin.
mojoelem 4 years ago
incredible story, mo.
CrackerJackLee 3 years ago
@mojoelem
Wow, there's a surprise: a British guy being a sarcastic prick
What is it with Brits?
Terry1969ism 7 months ago
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@Terry1969ism Since you are British , why don't you tell us?
taildragger53 7 months ago
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Wow, there's a surprise: a British guy being a sarcastic prick.
What's up with snotty Brits?
Terry1969ism 7 months ago
One of the all time great guitarist!
bramblecino 4 years ago 4
It's nice to just hear him talk about music.His voice sounds more normal than I thought it would.dan
veeshead 4 years ago
Joe Pass I feel was the Greatest of his time so gifted much like that of Oscar Peterson jazz Pianist,this is a great interview Joe seem like a very down to earth Guy! he will live on in his Music recordings ,also @You Tube Marc Jones Vocalist,sings pop/jazz standards well!,check him out,his new talent.
glennmach 4 years ago
That man was a god! Long live Joe Pass.
xHarry2112x 4 years ago 2
This sound as it is from danish TV! Can any confirm that?
jazzpertube 4 years ago
dont think, feel
scottbos68 4 years ago
mighty joe pass, thanks for posting
opensemi-blogspot-com
tubotubo321 4 years ago
Thank God humility in a guitarist.
SargasoSea 4 years ago
I know, who would have thought such a thing was possible?
xHarry2112x 4 years ago
I know, who would have thought such a thing was possible?
xHarry2112x 4 years ago
lol
AWrunsthevoodoodown 4 years ago
you're talking like a bassist!
CrackerJackLee 3 years ago
Thanks
SargasoSea 3 years ago
don't fret it. bassists just change position!
CrackerJackLee 3 years ago
What a nice guy Joe was. Thanks for posting this. Joe lives through his music and through fortunate little pieces of tape like this.
b5b9 4 years ago
I consider myself very fortunate that I got to see Joe play live a number of times. It was always such a great experience as he made the audience feel right at home. Pass was not only one of the greatest guitar players of all time%
archtop16 5 years ago
Haha yeah my friend and me were saying that the other day - as soon as you start thinking the tune and whole thang goes to pot
willedsmithmo 5 years ago
coool i never heard this guy talk before either... lets us know him better
Astroxtl 5 years ago
Thanks for the post. I've never heard this guy speak before, but he sure sounds humble and honest. On guitar, he was one of the very greatest.
Barnekkid 5 years ago
Many thanks for posting this. I have always felt exactly that way about my playing. But because I am nowhere near his level and ability the doubt remained. Coming from him I take that point entirely, no questions anymore. That is I believe how one must perform.
realymail 5 years ago 2
he speaks in such a way that he gives us confidence.
CrackerJackLee 3 years ago 7
His point about imporvisation being subconcious like language is well taken. Seem like the key to being musical.
iconoclast616 5 years ago 3
oh totally. Furthermore, thinking in terms of theory/harmony and technical theory ways is such a harder way to approach to jazz as opposed to the best way to play...BY EAR!
johnpizarelli89 4 years ago
yeah, it's like you've got to listen and then just try to play it. all the studying is interesting and it answers questions and spurs ideas, allowing you to talk intelligibly with other musicians and practicing technique makes it easier to perform, but in the end it comes down to "just DO IT!". it's great to hear Joe Pass talking candidly. thanks for the posting!
CrackerJackLee 3 years ago