Added: 4 years ago
From: Extracelestial
Views: 197,866
Sort by time | Sort by thread (beta)

Link to this comment:

Share to:

All Comments (177)

Sign In or Sign Up now to post a comment!
  • ace

  • The genius!!!

  • this is just awesome

  • sweet sweet sweet

  • Is he using Gibson ES 175 on this video?

  • i wish i had half his skill

  • Mentioning the brit on this page is deplorable behavior.............

  • Joe plays faster than Clapton search for other video him playing NHOP, this song is a ballad..

  • loook into his eyes. like he is not even there sumtimes

  • Guitar playing is more than just playing fast...it involves improvisation, tonal control, fretboard knowledge, being aware of the "changes" while letting yourself into the groove..

    Joe Pass had all this and more. I've never seen Clapton play a song solo, and take the same chances and risks that Joe Pass did while playing and STILL have a good time doing it.

    Just my two cents' worth.

  • clapton could play much faster than that, this man sucks donkey balls

  • @Terry1969ism Fast playing does not define a musician. Clapton largely depends on pentatonic scales where Pass has a harmonic and melodic vocabulary light years ahead of Clapton. If you think Pass only plays slow, you haven't looked at enough of his videos. Check out his Donna Lee performance. It's ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I think Clapton is great - at what he does.

  • @gtrs4life I think in the end its about sounding unique. If you have an immediately recognizable sound, you have "made it" as a musician in my book. Doesn't matter if you have mastered the frooglian mode or 3 handed thumb tapping or can clock sextuplets at 140. Thats the craft but not the art of it. Singers are not appraised on the scales they use or the speed of their notes. An instrument is a voice, as a voice is an instrument. If you can say what you mean to say, you've got it.

  • @getkristan Unique means you've made it, certainly--but it isn't what it's all about. Making your listeners feel something is the real core of it. Unique is just icing on the cake.

  • @tpl2000 Well here it gets a bit philosophical... I would say that it is the *listener* and not the player that decides if they feel something. Some people genuinely "feel something" when they listen to the Jonas Brothers. And others will never feel something regardless of how good the player is. I can't paint something that is definitely going to make you feel a certain way, even if I am a great painter and you a great art fan. All I can do is try to communicate truthfully what is inside.

  • @getkristan Well hey, what's wrong with a bit of philosophy?

    I'll agree with you here on principle, though I think I'll attribute the Jonas Brothers' popularity to their ability to write a catchy hook.

    The painting comment is true as well, but what I intend to say is that musicians make people feel things, and the difference between good and bad is simply a matter of degree.

  • @tpl2000 I hear what you are saying, and I agree on principle too. But I don't know if "making people feel something" is the best litmus test of a musician. Back to the painting metaphor... do you really feel anything when you look at classical paintings..? (A few... *maybe*) And then look at punk music... the listeners definitely feel something, maybe more than anyone listening to Pass, but does that mean they are equal musicians?

    Not really disputing you, just shooting the sh*t.

  • @getkristan It's an age old question, I think, what separates one musician from another, and what skill in the world of music is. I generally work on the premise that there are separate areas of skill in music. From songwriting, to lyrics, to speed, technique, and so on. Songwriting and the notes the musician actually plays are usually what you think of, though, when someone says musician A is better than musician B.

    There's also something to be said for knowing your audience, hehe.

  • legend

  • 6 strings and 10 fingers = heaven on freakin' earth. Miss you Joe!

  • man! that bow tie is badass!!!!!!

  • dis is an incredible guitar solo. im almost listenin a piano

  • god of guitar. the best of. smooth. everything... r.i.p.... romania still loves you!!!

  • don't need lyrics, his guitar playing just describe everything

  • modelo a seguir.....

  • Delicious

  • does he have an album guys ju8st got turned on to him by last fm lol?

  • @MurderPlague Check out  his virtuoso albums (1 and 2 are my favorite).

  • @MurderPlague he's got lots of albums; the ones that are considered classics or must-haves are usually his "Virtuoso" series. i think it's a couple of albums title "Virtuoso Vol. 1" or 2 and stuff. they're great and exemplify this solo guitar style which kind of came to tipify him. he also does stuff with ella fitzgerald which is really cool if you are into vocalists. joe pass is deep though, lots of good work, bunch of albums im sure i dont even know about that are worth having.

  • f 'n cool.

  • Damn, don't you wish this could somehow rub off and presto, chango, we'd have talent instead of todays crapola??

  • @10minutejoomla How did you go to a joe pass concert and listen to him without knowing what he looked like? ha

  • @jazzician12 the concert happened after he did that. He actually wrote that.

  • I was fortunate enough to catch him live at Brown University circa '80 (I was 19 at the time). A Boston-area fusion band ("Channel 9", iirc) opened and did a great job. Joe comes out and as he's setting up, the first thing he utters into the mic was "could you turn it down, please?" I knew at that point we were in for a special night :) What Joe's music instilled in me was the concept of really listening, as opposed to just hearing. Joe, your music lives on...

  • Out of all of the guitars I've heard Joe play the ES175 sounds the best in his hands.

    Joe will never be forgotten.

  • i m crying joe is forever

  • Joe doing Duke. Perfection.  :)

  • COM CERTEZA UMA BENCAO DE DEUS .. O MELHOR PORTA VOZ ..QUE O MUNDO CONHECEU ...

  • On of the best guitar players EVER.

  • Pra quem gosta de jazz = pra quem gosta de Joe pass...Do nothin' till you hear from me.

  • a master!

  • GENIUS !!!

  • GENIUS !!!

  • Sweet!

  • I find it very sad that in life Joe was grossly unappreciated and if he lived a little bit longer he would have known that he is a star on Youtube and an idol to many players that were in diapers when he was playing.

    I see comments from younger players all the time in absolute awe of Joe. As they should be. At the same time is sad he had to struggle so much when he was alive.

  • Not only does he play well, he also looks like Willie Thorn...

  • muy bueno de verdad....slds desde Madrid.-

  • that was nice

  • Nice, nice, nice!! I could listen to this kind of jazz guitar all night!

  • More than 20 years ago I went to see Joe Pass, at Yoshis in Oakland. I first started listening to Joe in high school and this was a treat.

    I am sitting at the bar and I almost choke on some Wasabi sauce. The guy on the next stool helps me out with some water and we start chatting. We hang out discussing this and that for about 20 minutes until finally he goes, "gotta go". I say "nice meeting you, what's your name?" "Joe" he answers. And he walks to the stage, grabs his guitar and starts playing.

  • hahahahahahaaahahahahahah xD

  • 10minutejoomla, I love your posts. I also saw Joe play at Yoshi's. Maybe we were there for the same concert.

    I love Joe. I named my son after Joe. My favorite musician. I have been listening to him most days for over 35 years.

  • Thanks. He was special. And a special person. I am not one for personal idolatry but if one has to have a hero then Joe wouldn't be a bad choice.

    I can still remember the first time I listened to Joe. At a friend's house in 10th grade. I said:"How many guitars are there?". "Just one" my friend said. At the time it was incomprehensible :)

    By the way, his real name was "Giovanni Passalaqua". Loosely translated: "John RunningWater". Born of Italian Immigrants. Spoke Italian pretty well.

  • @10minutejoomla You are truly a lucky person, I envy you. :)

  • @10minutejoomla wow man, that is the coolest thing that could ever happen to anyone. PERIOD.

  • @10minutejoomla

    That's an awesome story. It's always nice when great musicians to be great people.

  • @10minutejoomla Helps you with water??

  • @10minutejoomla VERY LUCKY GUY!! You, my friend, have had the luxury to talk to the greatest jazz guitar player of all time!!! What an amazing story to tell your grankids!!

  • @10minutejoomla Beautiful story and what a treasured memory.

  • @10minutejoomla Oh man!

  • @10minutejoomla

    That's one great story. Thanks for sharing.

  • @10minutejoomla no way! :D I would sell my soul to speak with joe.

  • @10minutejoomla

    Dude that is a hilarious story! I can't believe you got to see the master live; so jealous.

  • I had similiar encounter, only with another guitar great. I was bar hopping with friends on Rush street in Chicago. We walked into this little blues bar (there are hundreds on Rush street) and I found myself sitting at the bar with this black guy. Very friendly, we talked for a while, he picked up my tab (just a beer) and as he got up, we shook hands and I ask him his name. "Buddy Guy" he says, he joined his band on stage and started playing! Never forget it.

  • My hands are short and stubby like his. I have hope. All the other greats have the Alien face hugger hands and It kept me from playing...until now. Great stuff, thank you.

  • This is great music. One of the main reasons is his eyes are closed the whole time. All listening and feeling.

  • one of a kind.passion man

  • GIANT MUSICIAN!!

  • The theory is not the biggest piece of the puzzle, the key is knowing what you're hearing.

    Joe Pass wasn't big on the theory of things at all, he just heard the music the way it supposed to sound and played it that way. If you watch his instructional videos he gets tripped up trying to remember what the 2 5 of C major is. He plays them beautifully but he stumbled on the names, kinda fascinating really.

  • correct, Joe was not big on theory his ear played what he wanted and that is what we love!

    real music

  • awesome...

  • Right on AaronWallace!

  • I don't like tabs, but if people want to use 'em? So what.

    That being said, let's say you wanted to learn this song with tabs.

    Let's say all you're doing is just learning the chords he uses, and then learning what modes and keys to use in different places from a tab book. It would take a year to learn this song, and you'll have learned nothing.

    There's only one way to play like this, and that's to start from the bottom, learn your theory, and then spend twenty years figuring it out.

  • this is man is a god of jazz dude

  • The man knew how to play.

  • Tabs are fine, but only to learn where you went wrong. try and work things out by ear first, then you'll become a better musician, and maybe get the opportunity to play gigs that pay as much or more than a real job. If you suck, no-one will hire you

  • mhmmm !

  • and improvisation

  • Superb!

  • I read music,

    Alto Clef, if anyone has a tab for this i'd be appreciate it.

    Music is about passion, not lines on paper.

  • That's the passion!!

  • MESTRE JOE PASS

  • is that a ES 175 Gibson?

  • Everybody railing against tabs needs to realize that maybe everybody doesn't care about being able to communicate with a sax player. Some people just want to play some songs to relax after their real job which makes more than any musician ever could.

  • more than Clapton, Chet Atkins, Geo Benson, Oscar Peterson, Steve Vai, Mark O'Connor?????????

    Those guys do/did just fine and probably made a lot more than you in your real job that you hate and don't earn as much as them

  • Ok, so who's got a link to the tabs then? :)

  • Read music and make up your own interpretation of the piece not based on the way it was meant to be played and you'll find yourself doing some pretty original things.

  • Well apparently i have defied your lofty theories that you can't learn or become a jazz guitarist by using tablature. I have done that! although now i don't need to read music but i still do because it changes the way you think. What tablature reading has done for is shown me what's actually going inside the music so now all i have to do is listen to something and i can figure it out by ear.. You'll hear of me in awhile, my name is Sam kirby.

  • Real players DO NOT RELY ON TAB, that's for students.

  • 5 stars!!!:)

  • What's wrong with tablature? It's essentially the same as standard notation. It obviously looks different but it achieves the same purpose. When you start playing jazz most people can't hear everything that's going or even pick out one thing by ear. It's like learning a foreign language by listening to people speak it. When you know little or nothing about something you need an explanation which is what written music, standard or tabs is.

  • yet you must establish connection between ear and lick. that's got to be done by ear. if you develop ear recognition the hard way, and figure out the licks and chords, then you've got the whole thing sewn up. nope, it's not easy when you've never done it.

    classical guitar is often written on the staff with numbered indicators for string and sometimes finger so you get it in the best position. then you can communicate with musicians that aren't guitar players. which is nice.

  • Tab isn't the language of musicians. It's the pidgin language of rock guitarists who can't read music. That's what's wrong with it. If you are going to play jazz, you're going to be playing with musicians--pianists, horn players etc.

    Plus, regular tabs don't provide timing and/or rhythmic information and even if you add note stems, you're still locked into a particular fingering.

    That may cut it in rock, but it won't in jazz.

  • Hoopermazing, you hit it STRAIGHT on the head. Being a sax player, I would be very frustrated with a noob guitarist who relied on tabs.

  • well said. especially your second point.

  • music notation=graphic representation of sound

    tablature=locations on fretboard

    Music is about sound, not geography. Standard notation makes you understand music, and communicate with musicians (written language is about communication, reason why we're taught to write and read) in ways tab won't. STANDARD NOTATION IS STILL IT.

    Mind you, tab was used for guitar music in the renaissance, but that doesn't change the fact it's just "a map", geography... NOT about sound.

  • If you are SURE you just want to have a little fun with a guitar and have no professional nor semi pro aspirations disregard this : TABS are not even for serious students unless the Manuscript accompanies it in tandem parallel "staves"... and keep your eyes on the Manuscript. If Joe was your teacher and you wanted a TAB he would probably tell you to never bring that up again. Musicians do not communicate with TAB. If you have a teacher that is using largely Tabs, get a real teacher.

  • Joe Pass is simply the best.

  • Does anyone know what happened to the video of pass doing "What are you going to do for the rest of your life"? It was here fro years, now I cant find it and... it drives me crazy

  • Exquisite.

  • The version he did with Ella at Newport 76 was as endearing and everlasting. Mr Pass, genious.

  • Simply amazing.

  • wow

  • 33 years later and this BRILLIANT guitarist and legend still sets the standard for playing. Anyone want to step up to the plate? ;)

  • wonderfullllllllllllllllllllll­lllll

  • It just doesn't get any better than Joe Pass, thanks !!

  • where can i get a tab or sheet music of this??

  • Well you can buy the Real book and make your own arrangement

  • I always laugh when people ask for tabs of Jazz improv stuff.

  • I always laugh when people do comments like this one.

    You must be a genious then, or very talented at least!! but i don't recognize your name... :)

    Where is the problem in learning tips of this guys?

  • I agree.

  • There's nothing wrong with it. There is something wrong with tabs. Learn to read or pick up licks you like by ear or do both. Can't do either? Work at it and you'll be able to.

  • lol thats understandable but you cant really blame them. Because the guitarists their hearing is a legend.

  • tabs are hard to find, try look for his videos instead (like Joe Pass - Blue Side of Jazz) he's a great teacher too :)

    love that guy

  • jammin

  • There you have it.. Thumb, fingers, Joe used them all, and sometimes even a pick. He was the 'Pick' of the bunch for me, which doesn't mean I don't like the others (You know who they are!)

    Rest you safe Joe.

  • For me he is just the BEST! love this song... the portraits of duke ellington disc is still one of my fave cds ever...  I wish i could have seen him live...

  • not one rattle or buzz... dont you just hate him,lol!!!,, brilliant a true master

  • Young and old players alike should watch the old masters like Joe. So much more to listen to and learn from.

  • I hear a lot about "getting it" and not "getting it". I like music that I like. You want to read some anal retentive fan postings read any comment string on an Allan Holdsworth video.

    Beautiful guitar sound.  I want to drive in the country to this music.

  • A genius and artist at work.

  • very nice!

  • An Ellington classic also known as Cooties  Concerto. Joe was the absolute master; I get chills just listening to this piece. What a truly great player.

  • Why compare such different guitarists ? They are all excellent in their styles, so ... Stop trying and comparing them, just listen to Joe Pas and ... enjoy it ;)

  • Joe Pass is the best! Smooth!!!!!!

  • Im a shredder but I have to say that this style is much harder to play on several levels. Mentally he is playing the guitar like a piano! I mean he is doing the bass line accompaniment and melody all at the same damn time! This takes a lot of careful consideration on part writing and note choice. You just can't improvise this stuff. Very hard stuff. But very beautiful and worth learning.

  • this is called droop dos, its a complex sistem im learning some of this, its a formula

  • can yngwie play like this? or anything close?

  • Actually, Joe could improvise this! He was the master in chord voicings and harmonisations.

  • Thumbs up for recognizing the complexity in Pass' music. Many of those not into jazz don't "get" it, but you seem to understand what it is about. But the difficulty is not what makes good music. It is what it does to the ear and heart that matters.

    It is very possible to improvise chord melody. Pass did it, and Jimmy Bruno does it to this day. When you've played enough tunes, you will recognize "patterns" in the chord cycles. Then it becomes more obvious.

  • It's not only possible to improvise chord melody... it's actually a lot more common then you might think. There aren't as many chord solo guitarists like Pass around but all the greats throw down some chordal stuff on occassion. The intro to any Tal Farlow ballad. Ed Bickert solos. Jim Hall trio work. Even Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis and Kenny Burrell throw some chordal licks into their solos. Good stuff

  • @HEADBANGING69 I don't know what you mean when you say "..You just can't improvise this stuff...". Joe IS improvising this stuff, in real time! All jazz musicians have a basic structure to work with ( the chords and melody). After that, it's improvised. It will be different every time he plays it.

  • @AlbertGBaierII wat he meant to say was he cant improvise this stuff.

  • @HEADBANGING69 That's great you that think so highly of Joe, but saying "you can't improvise this stuff" is very false. Joe does it all the time, I do it all the time (not nearly as good as Joe obviously), and so do many other jazz guitarists I know and listen to. If you get a chance, purchase his "live at montreux in 1975" dvd. It is filmed over two nights and joe does two songs twice each time completely different.

  • @HEADBANGING69

    Actually, he is improvising this.

    I'm learning guitar from one of Joe's friends and students. He told me that Joe thought one of his greatest abilities was creating the illusion that he was playing chords, melody, and bass at the same time--all the time.

    He had the ability to mix the three together just right. You never notice the holes in one, because there's almost always something of interest going on.

    I'm learning the chordal-melody style now, and it's so hard!

  • the way Joe could move the bass line and give it own life was incredible!

    a great player, I guess the best jazz guitar player. At least, my favourite!

  • Damn his walking bass is excellent

  • phew!

  • May this be a lesson to all SRV lackies!

  • What a lovely sound the tone is excellent.

  • Joe Pass, I believe he play accompaniment for Ella Fitzgerald on a few of her songs. He plays great guitar, I could listen to him forever.

  • I love his Duke Ellington covers. Just simple enough to leave him wide open. He gets that real bluesy Joe that we love so much. It's cool to hear him play the really complicated standards but I love hearing him play this really laid back tempo Duke stuff. This is a great video of a legend really in his element.

    ** By the way when I say complicated I mean complicated harmonically. I mean come on he's Joe Pass... I've never heard him play anything that's not technically out of this world.

  • dammm.... if listen to this with my eyes closed, probably ill think they are 2 guitars

  • A-1

  • Like the man said, 'You can call him Joe, or you can call him Joey.'

  • Pastaba: zinot JOE  PASS groja neblogiau negu D.Dvareckas,keista?

  • zooo05 first time I heared this one was in a chilinean jazz record handled by spike holmes wanna know if somebody have it entitled joe pass plays ellington

  • Looks like joe is playing on a game show...

  • who wrote the title song . . .? need to know . .the music and the words if any...i thinks of fats waller

  • It's a Duke Ellington composition, I believe.

  • wow . i could dance till dawn to this number

  • Don't forget lenny breau. Genius!

  • & so r all the others that precede it, lol !

  • If there is someone who has come as far joe as solo guitar arrangements go, i have not heard him/her

  • Try Martin Taylor. hes good.

  • Thanks, he is quite good from what i've heard, but still unmatchable to joe pass's feel for the music. I havent heard much of taylor but his stuff seems kind of pushed? and not really coming from the heart, like joe, but that is just my opinion

  • Hm... dunno maybe the early Martin. But Martin has a much different aproach to Solo Jazz guitar then Joe. While Joe is a lot of V7 circles and extremely Bluesy fell , Martin play a classical aproach in voice leading and etc. I love both ! ( sorry about my english )

  • Hi Naka and Uni, what's that my-favourit-is-better-than-you­rs-blabla good for ? Just listen to a geius of jazz-guitar and enjoy :+D

  • hehehe. Man we are not fighting over who is best. I prefer Joe also. Im just commenting on Martin style. :P

  • I understood... ;-) music-lovers never fight each other :+D

  • For classical guitar...

    Andres Segovia, Manuel Barrueco and Julian Bream.

  • Check out Louis Stewart. He is awesome and he has such passion and feeling for his music too. He has played with Joe Pass (RIP), Martin Taylor, Barney Kessel, Tal Farlow and many many more. But I have to admit, Joe Pass is the greatest in my opinion and I have seen all of the above great players. Long may their music reign!

  • Try robert conti maybe? :)

  • what do you guys always have to compare musicians just listen to the music and leave the rest.....

  • Pure music no loud amps nor devices,just a man an amp his gutar and his talent, he is the Godfather of the jazz guiartist,the Don himself,He makes look so easy and pure,the best of the best!